The Virginia enterprise., 1913-06-27
A Righted Wrong
Copyright, by W. q. Chapman.)

/ get started. If you want me to handle
the case I'll handle it and believe
that will win. But cannot begin to
work before four days from today
livery WE'LL he answered at last,
you know best. will get a baby
somewhere-but the good Lord only
knows where
And then I left him. When got
to my little fiat, called in a neighbor
and gave my instructions.
II won't be able to be around
cooking for good while; Idon't think
would be able to stand it, l told her,
and so, will you take my; little girl
over to your place for week or so?'
Why, certainly she answered,
but why
I'm going to starve myself I an
swered. I am working on a case.
That's all can tell you. Will you do
the favor for me?'
"And SO, that day started in to fast
for ninety-six hours. I had planned
ahead everything that I intended to
do and believed that the only pos
sible way to win the thing on which I
had set out was to proceed in exactly
the manner l was doing. And so,
food, goodby.
The first day was not SO bad. The
second was harder. On the third l
had to lock myself in my room, and
by the fourth day was really in the
condition that l desired to be, pale,
weakened and suffering for lack of
food. How those hours dragged by
while I waited for the appearance of
the attorney and the child which he
was to borrow for me! It seemed
that two o'clock would never come.
It seemed that every minute had be-
come g. day. I remember that
counted the ticking of the clock. hun
dred after hundred, thousand after
thousand-and then there came a ring
on the bell.
''The attorney started a bit when
he saw my face. l tried to smile at
him, but there was not much smiling
in me. Yet, my brain was alert, quick,
ready to do all that had planned for
it, and 1 set to work.
Il had dressed myself in rags. /
had more rags for the baby that the
lawyer had brought for me, and an
hour later creeping woman welked
up the street of the Edwards home,
begging from door to door,
But someway or another" Miss
Clement added with little smile as
the music crashed forth from the op-
posite balcony, that very same
woman was repulsed at every house.
At last came the Edwards mansion.
And there was the time for work, real
work. If there ever was such thing.
"Wearily-and there was no taking
to that, either-I dragged myself VISTA
the baby, around the side of the house
and to the kitchen door. l knocked.
A servant opened the door and looked
at me with frightened eyes. l stag.
gered within. l sank to a chair. !
gasped for breath.
"'Can't you give me food" begged
I have had nothing to eat for four
days. We are starving, the baby and
myself-can't you help us?'
"The servant, kindly faced old
Irish woman, raised her hands. Then
with leap, she began setting food be.
fore me. l suppose the sight of it was
TOO much for me in my weakened
state. l shall always be thankful that
she took the baby from my arms just
when she did, for moment later, /
had rolled from my chair to the floor,
in faint
when I came to, I was in another
room Of the house, with the old Irish
woman bending over me, feeding me
broth. And how it did taste! l don't
believe that abrosia could have been
any better-I know that I would not
have traded it for that soup. And as
l ate, there came feeling of sneak
mess into my heart, that had come to
this place to really take money away
from the employer of this woman
who had been kind to me. 1t made me
grit my teeth. For once I was sorry
that I was detective
II looked up just then The kind
old cooks hand was on my head and
she was talking to me.
"I've put tn little darlint in
cradle-an old thing but comfortable
she said, an bless me, tn spalpeen
wint to slape, just like that!' She
snapped her fingers. I'll have to call
the Missus. She was in here an she
wanted to talk to you when you walked
up
"A moment later, a hard-faced old
maidish type of woman walked into
the room. I could see by her eyes, by
the set of her jaw, by her whole ap-
pearance, that there was mighty little
of the womanly, mighty little of the
motherly, in her. And it made me feel
better for the game that had to play
For, I knew within my heart, that If
I could succeed in what l had set out
to accomplish that I would not be
harming her but benefiting her, by Civ
ing her new viewpoint in life. Anx-
iously waited for her to ask the ques-
tion that would give me the starting
chance. But she had other things on
her mind.
"'Young woman she began severe
ly, I suppose you have no objection
to being taken away in a police amhu-
lance?'
Il looked up with fright on my
face.
'Arrested? asked, as piteously as
1 could.
"'No-no,' she said in staccato
tones, not arrested. said nothing
about you being arrested. But you