Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-07-28
A Man Halter
How She Was Con-
verted From Her
AntaGonism
BY ESTHER vANDEvEER

+ BY ESTHER vANDEvEER !
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There are all sorts Of persons IN the
world. both men and women. Those
who have an abnormal development OF
some kind are usually called canks
Miss Clara Bedford was one ot these
There was no Ism too radical foe her
One Of hee hiosyncrasiee wns antas
onism to man Man had kept woman
under his heel for centuries, making
her what she Is, or, rather what she
was, for. thank heaven, she = now
every day asserting herself
"How about childrenF she was
asked. There must be fathers - well
as mothers. Ifwomen hate men, where
will the babies come in!'
Miss Bedford had no reply foe this.
Unreasonable persons DON'T seem to
need a reply to questions that tumble
their theories about their heade; theAl
confidence in what they believe Is no,
| whit lessened from the want OF req.
son. They 60 right ON just az II they
had an answer and q perfectly salts
factory one.
Nevertheless. Miss Bedford was q
very human being. Down tn the bot.
tom Of her heart she loved an imagi-
nary man and yearned for child.
However. acting upon her prejudices,
she arranged for her summer to get
| away from men. She was wealthy and
| bought tract of land In New Hamp-
shire upon which she built q cottage.
There she went with servants and q
few companions of her own sex, re.
solved that If any man trespassed on
her property she would call upon the
law to eject him.
She used to get up In the morning
early and take long walks. One morn.
ing on one Of these walks she saw on
the border of her domain tent. What
was worse than the tent was q man
walking away from It. Miss Bedford
started at once for the trespasser, but
| before she reached him he had disap.
, peared among the trees. Reaching the
tent, she pulled back the canvas In
'front.' ana peeped In.
What was her establishment to see
lying on a bed Of boughs O child-a lit.
tie girl about two years old-asleep.
One chubby arm was thrown back
upon the pillow-for there was some
bedding-the other was under the COW
er. The fine hair was tumbied, the
! cheeks were round and rosy, in the
chin was dimple. The lips were
parted and showed a few little white
teeth set in pink gums.
Miss Bedford went into the tent and
approached the sleeping child. The
cover at the foot Of the bed was disar.
ranged and showed FIVE little toes.
Miss Bedford could not resist a temp.
tation to take them In her fingers. The
child gave a little kick, opened IT'S eyes
and frowned at the trespasser. Then.
its brow smoothing. 1t said:
Mamma"
Miss Bedford bent over the little girl.
who put out both arms to her to be
taken up. She lifted the infantile bur.
den Of flesh from the rude couch, kiss
ing 1t as she did SO. and. pulling its
clothes about 1t. took a wicker chair.
the only article in the tent on which to
sit. and Rugged the baby to her breast.
"Dindin." said the little one.
"Dindin." repeated Miss Bedford
"How am to get you, dear little child,
| any dindin:" She looked about her
and went on. There's nothing here for
grown person to eat, much less for &
child" There were cup and a saucer
and spoon. but not morsel to eat.
"Dindin." repeated the child.
I'D like 70 know where that horrid
man Is who left you here to starye"
said Miss Bedford
Il am here" said voice. and man,
with a cup Of milk in his hand, threw
back the tent flap. Miss Bedford saw
that he had gone for the baby's break
| fast and forgave him.
where did you get the milk p she
asked.
From one of your cows. presume
you are the owner Of the cow MIXED
That's not enough. You'd better get
some more"
The man poured the milk into anoth
4 SA Guy o1IO IL NOiu NcLt NV y.
While be was gone Miss Bedford gave
the little girl milk to drink, which, be
Ing warm from the cow. did not need
to be heated. As she sat holding the
white milk to the vermilion lips she
was wondering how the man came to
bring baby on to her property and
feed 1t with milk from her cows. Had
1t not been for the innocent little baby
she might have upbraided him, though
| he wore sad cOuntenance. She re-
membered her principles and resolved
! to give him piece Of her mind az soon
as he returned.
But by this time the child had drank
the milk and was ready for more.
us there not a morsel OF bread in the
tent" asked Miss Bedford.
mot a crust" replied the man sadly.
"Go to my house and tell the cook to
give you some Of the cereal she Is pre-
pairing for breakfast and such other
food as she can find that will do for a
baby's food"