The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1914-02-19

| not given 10 any human Oetng 10 Do
more alone than that"
Sylvia was always charming. but
now her face took on such variety
OF bewildering expressions that the
Impressions OF her friends were al.
most as vivid as II they were viewing
a mental panorama
When the train pulled out OF the
depot"
| Never mind the train. Sylvia: you
said that once before, and II Ia well on
It's way to New York now" interrupt
| ed Mrs Jenney. emerging from the
depths Of her easy chair.
Il skip the train, but I must insist
| upon the loneliness. And the nearer
approached my brand-new house the
more lonely and deserted I felt. and
my awe Of my brand-new maid began
to be almost fear. In fact. began to
think It was most unfeeling Of Carl
to go away and leave me with such .
| stranger"
YES" sighed Mrs. Jenney. com.
mend me to really companionable
housemaid'
81 scorn your ignorance. and pit.
les you" laughed Sylvia. when I re.
turned home found baby less than
three sitting on the porch. One hand
was a red apple. held in a sheer
linen pocket handkerchief like a bou.
quet. She had taken two bites
through the handkerchief. She 'wept
like anything like the Walrus and the
Carpenter, and held up a finger that a
bee had not been able to resist kiss.
ing.
See who found on my doorstep
| said to Olga, who answered the bell.
Isn't she adorable? | wonder whose
baby she is
Mine acknowledged Olga, dog
gedly.
Yours? Why-when--'
In her broken English or Swedish,
as you please. she confessed that while
was at the station with Carl she had
gone for the baby. as the woman who
had been boarding the baby could not
keep her any longer. Fathers dead.
She has been farmed out ever since.
said nothing. but ! was busily think.
Ing AZ ! consulted first aid then ap.
piled some simple remedy to the bee
sting. But I found nothing in first
aid to assist me with the problem or
fact that the phlegmatic Olga was the
mother OF that beautiful baby. Later
] stole into the room where the baby
lay sleeping after a delectable feast
| OF sponge cake and milk. The dear
| little 'pinkie' was bound with some
soothing lotion In absorbent cotton. !
watched the blood pulsing through the
delicate veins on her white temples.
"A feeling Of so much love and long.
ing surged through me that my own
heart seemed to stop beating-and
miracle Of miracles. When It re.
sumed its regular work II seemed to
me that It began to beat in time with
the baby's. Having once experienced
that thrill. could not conceive of life
without that little tune our hearts
seemed to be singing together.
In the kitchen Olga was polishing
my wedding silver with 30 dull and
listless an air. that 1t seemed nothing
short Of miraculous that II ever came
out bright and shining. She turned
such an apathetic face when men
toned her name. that my compassion
ate and sympathetic frame of mind
became almost pugnacious."
1T must have been the father who
had some Olympian ancestor" inter
rupted Mrs. Jenney.
Poor soul. she never had and new
er would solve the problem of takins
care Of herself and that baby. She
could marry an old sweetheart OF hers
II 1t was not for the baby. She begged
me to let her keep the baby with her
until she could find some one to adopt
her. When discovered that was be
side myself with Joy.
you girls may think I am crazy
You know grandma gave me $30(
to buy anything I wanted for a wed
ding present. II Immediately popped
into my head to buy that baby"
my soul be on thy guard!"
What an ideal"
Just like Sylvia!"
in two hours time I had that
woman packed up. gave her my $500.
She promised never to come back and
claim the child. She has gone"
And the baby?"
With her finger on her lip. Sylvia
beckoned them into the next room
The baby was still asleep. Her yellow
curls were damp on her forehead, one
chubby hand tucked under her chin.
A bare foot with the dearest, pinkest
toes was peeping from under the
cover Sylvia glanced at the girls ap-
prehensively. Their eyes were filled
with tears. but Sylvia saw approba.
ton and eternal allegiance to the new
cause swimming In the tears
Have you really adopted that
baby?"
What will Carl say"
What will he do?"
STILES, do you think II We women
cannot resist that blessed lamb. that
n mere man CAM"