Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-06-27

1t was quarter after TO- Miss Susan
Farlow had just returned to the reception
room from her nightly tour o. the upper halls
10 see II all her charges were in bed, where
the rules Of the school confined them after
0;30. 1t was at this moment that she heard
the thunderons knocking at the door. The old
maid ielt her heart stop beating for moment.
Who could 1t be at this time OF night? Then
the thought came swiftly that perhaps the par
ent of some one of her charges was i'll and this
was the summons. Shilling her fears, she
went rcsolutely to the door and opened it.
There was no one in sight
"Who Is itT" she called.
No one answered She cupped her hand to
her ear She could hear the clatter OF horses
dimly.
Well" she exclaimed, rather angrily, too.
She was In the net Of closing the door when
the light from the hall discovered to her the
bundle on the steps. She stopped aud
touched II.
+" Good heavens, It's 4 thild!"
She picked the bundle mp. whmper came
from II, tired little whlmper Of protest. She
rar back to the reception room. foundlingl
And on her doorstepl II was incredible.
Then she unwrapped the child. 1t was about
year old, dmpled and golden haired A
thumb was In It's rosebud mouth and Its blue
eyes looked up trustfully into her own
Why you cherubp cried the old maid, a
strange turmoil In her heart She caught the
child to her breast, and then for the first time
noticed the thick envelope pinned to the child's
cloak. She put the baby into chair and broke
open the envelope.
Name this child Florence Gray. viii
annually send liberal sum for her support aOd
reclaim ber on her eighteenth birthday. The
other half Of the inelosed bracelet will identify
me. Treat the girl web. for shall watch
over her In secret"
Into the fixed .Outine 20 her humdrum life
had come mystery, a tantalisinE fascinating
mystery. She had read OF foundlings left on
doorsteps-from paper covered novels con6s-
Gated from her pupils-but that one should be
placed upon her own respectable doorstepI
Suddenly she smiled down Mt the child and
the child smiled back. And there was nothing
more to be done except to bow before the de-
crees OF fate. Like all prim old maids, her
heart was full Of unreQu.ed romance. and
here was something she right spend its foods
upon without let or hindrance. Already she
was hoping that the man or woman who had
left IL might never come hack
The next morning she called her two assist
ants into her study and explained what had
taken place There should be no mystery on
her part. Her tale was accepted without COM
ment In n few days the excitement died
away, and school life went on as sereney as
before.
The child grew. Regularly each year, upon
a certain date, Miss Farlow received regis
tered letter with money These letters came
from all parts O. the world always the same
sum, always the anne line" am watching"
Thus seventeen years Tassed aud to Susan
Farlow each year seemed shorter than the one
before. For she loved the child with all her
heart She had rot trained young girls all
of reading the true signs Of breeding As the
days went on the heart Of Susan Farlow grew
heavy.
Never mind, aunty." said Florence; "I
shall always come back to see you"
She meant It, poor ,hd but how was she
to know the terrors which lay yonjer beyond
the horizon?
The house Of Stanley TIargreave, In River
dale, was the house of no ordinary rich man
Outside it WIS simple enough. but within you
learned what kind Of man Harsreave was.
There were rare Ispahans and Saruks on the
floors and tapestries on the walls, with here
and there a fine puinting. The library itself
represented fortune Money had been laid