The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-05-30
"A Righted Wrong
'Cop! right. by w. @. Chapman

"A SIX months old baby e.
what do you want it for?
l laughed at him again. If there Is
anything do like, It's my little Joke
"nen am looking ahead on a case
anu when the other person doesn't
Just see what l am driving at And
so left him guessing.
Have me the baby at my house at
z O'CLOCK in the afternoon, four days
from today. I'll not be ready to work
before then
- But, Miss Clement, four days
lis the least time in which | can
get started. If you want me to handle
the case I'll handle it and I believe
that l will win. But I cannot begin to
work before four days from today
Very WELL he answered at last,
you know best. l will get a baby
somewhere-but the good Lord only
knows where
And then I left him. When l got
to my little fiat, l called in neighbor
and gave my instructions.
81 wont be able to be around
cooking for good while; don't think
| would be able to stand it, told her,
and so, will you take my little girl
over to your place for week or sou
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 l started in to fast
for ninety-six hours. | had planned
ahead everything that | intended to
do and l 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
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 l waited for the appearance Of
the attorney and the child which he
was to borrow for me! 1t seemed
that two o'clock would never come
1t seemed that every minute had be-.
come a day. remember that
counted the ticking of the clock, hun
dred after hundred, thousand after
then there came a ring
on the bell.
"The attorney started a bit when
he saw my face. tried to smile at
him, but there was not much smiling
in me. Yet, my brain was alert, quick,
ready to do all that I had planned for
it, and l set to work.
81 had dressed myself in rags.
had more rags for the baby that the
lawyer had brought for me, and an
hour later creeping woman walked
up the street of the Edwards home,
begging from door to door.
'But someway or another" Miss
Clement added with a 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 a thing
'Wearily-and there was no taking
to that, either-I dragged myself, with
the baby, around the side of the house
and to the kitchen door. Knocked.
A servant opened the door and looked
at me with. frightened eyes. I 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 a leap, she began setting food be-
fore me. l suppose the sight of it was
too. much for me in my weakened
state. 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 | came to, was in another
room of the house, with the old Irish
woman bending over me, feeding me
broth. And how it did taste! / don't
believe that abrosia could have been
any better-T know that would not
have traded 1t for that soup. And as
| 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.
Il looked up just then. The kind
old cooks hand was on my head and
she was talking to me.
GIVE put tn little darlint in a
cradle-an old thing but comfortable,
she said, an bless me, tn spalpeen
whit 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, hard-faced old
maidish type Of woman walked into
tho room could see nv her ewes. nv