Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-23

er, and his father was obliged to olsen
gage him from her. she gently assist
ing and giving the child kiss after kiss.
while his father drew him away. Then,
after giving the father her address,
Miss German parted from them, turn
ing often to throw the child Kisses
who. choked with tears, kept calling
after her.
Pardon me-" she said, 'for having
permitted you to remain in error.
could not bear TO diabuse your dear
little boys mind of the fact that he
had found his mother. l am not his
mother"
The man looked at her searcbingly.
II believe you're right" he said in
disappointed tone. Il began to doubt
that you were as soon as l heard your
voice Yet the resemblance is wonder
full. Roy was entirely deceived. / Won
der that he remembered his mother
we'll enough to mistake you for her
since he has not seen her in three
years"
Poor little fellow
Miss Germain took these two unfor-
Inmates into her heart There was
deep afliction in the situation for both
father and son. She longed to do some
thing toward healing the wound. But
what could she do? The only thing
was to permit the boy to continue, ut
least for awhile, in the belief that she
was his mother and permit him to
come to see her occasionally, thus Civ
ing her An opportunity TO comfort him.
This plan she proposed to the father.
who modified it, suggesting that the
boy would derive as much pleasure
from her companionship in knowing
that she was not his mother as II he
continued in the opposite belief and he
would be spared the pain later of dis
covering the latter. Miss Germain APP
proved, and It was arranged that Roy
should come to spend the next after
noon with her.
He came, but he had not been In
! formed of his mistake. His father.
who brought him, said that he had not
had the heart to tell him and asked il
| Miss German would not relieve him
| of this necessity by doing 1t herself.
She promised to try, and after the IA
Their had gone she took the child in her
! lap and said to him:
Roy, don't you think that you
would love me Just as we'll II you
knew I was not your mamma as you
do believing that amp
"Yes. but you are my mamma"
Suppose I were to tell you that
am not your mamma. Would you be-
lieve meT'
"Of course 1 wouldn't"
Miss German felt after this that
she had done her duty. At any rate.
she had no heart to proceed further.
The boy would learn the truth in time,
and then it would not make so mach
difference to him.
Roy insisted on spending a part of
each day with Miss German. 1t was
embarrassing that he called her NAM
ma, but she told the story of the
meeting, and both she and the child
found sympathy with all who heard it.
Roy was usually sent to visit her in
care of a maid. but occasionally his
father would bring him, and it was
not long before he seemed to derive as
|
as his boy.
The summer passed pleasantly.
There were occasional outings, the IA
Their, Miss German and Roy making
up a party either for a drive or boat
ing or some other amusement in the
open. The first was arranged for the
boys benefit, but 1t was not long be-
fore the other two found their own
enjoyment in them.
Autumn was upon them before they
realized 1t. Then for the first time the
two older ones began to dread a sep
aration-for Roy's sake, they said
though his father was to return to the
same blight as before. But the sum-
mer had created something unusual.
Miss Germain had been supplying the
place of a mother for months. and it
suddenly dawned upon her that at the
breaking up she would not only miss
Roy, but miss Roy's father
However. since they did not live in
the same city, there was nothing for it
but separation. Returning to their
homes, the man and boy settled down
to what they had gained and lost, bear
ing the latter as we'll as they could.
Roy begged his father to take him to
see his mamma. and one day his IA
{ Their told him that he would go and see
If they could not all make an arrange
: ment to live together His trip was
: successful, and when he returned he
delighted the child with the news that
. within a short time he was to have his
| mamma with him always
Though the transition was important
to the man and the woman, the only
change for the child was that his
mamma could put him to bed nights.
: he could say his prayers to her and be
t always with him.
3 And so Fate took charge Of Miss Ger
} mains affairs, just as he does for all
. of us, not permitting her to choose be,
tween single and married life, but in
: his own good time throwing a husband
> in her way and giving mother to his
. boy.
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