Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-09-06

-lSfScil INTO the vortex OF Sociii lie
NJ had ruled right royalty.
When Frederick Ware died. some five
ears ago, it was discovered, to the
.,,Tpr;se of his friends and the con-
esalation OF his wife. that he had man
Led to dissipate nearly the whole OF
he lor7e fortune he was known at one
tire TO have possessed
AT the eni MIS-. Ware found herself
with but enough to live on very com
fortably. il she were careful
After one or two changes she had
settled down In this pretty suit of
apartments in a quiet but thoroughly
good neighborhood. And here she had
come to a stop.
Through her pride she had gradually
dropped away from the associates of
her prosperity. until but few remained
to her of her old time friends
Therefore. with no active interest to
hold her attention. Katharine Wares
existence was about as dull and aim
less one as could be imagined She
herself was unhappy. '-unsatisfed and
restless" in the extreme
Secretly. she wished to marry.
So when Richard Davenport a
man Of high intellectually. enormous
wealth. but great eccentricity. had re-
newed the acquaintance Of other days
and had showed quiet pleasure in
her tactfulIy appreciative society.
Katharine had done her utmost to hold
his continued interest
Now. after a year Of their perfectly
innocent intercourse. this was the re-
suit,
Davenport could not offer her mar
rage. He had been. as was his invari-
able custom. absolutely frank with her,
and as for her own position. she felt
that without some break in the deadly
monotony Of her life she would go
mad.
Well. she had decided.
She had begun a feversh. sorting
oct process Of her selecting
this to be taken. that to be packed
away. when a knock sounded on her
outer door.
Hastily swapping out the lights, she
hurried out into the reception room
and opened the door
A young woman of pleasantly at
tractiye appearance, but laboring un-
der controlled yet very apparent ex-
element. stood without.
Mrs. Ware, do excuse me for com
ing to you. but I've just got word on.
the telephone Of big fire downtown.
close to our settlement house, and l
learn that many Of our people-chil-
dren chiefy-were caught In the build
ing and seriously burned or hurt This
means a great deal Of work for those
who can come. You spoke the other
day as though you were interested In
the work down there so I've come to
see If you viii go with me tonight
There will be so much TO do and SO
few to do It Won't you come. Mrs.
Ware? You are so capable. l know.
and you could help SO much"
For moment Katharine quite In
tended to decline. She would be very
busy herself this night Then some
thing = tie girls -nxious. quivering
face made her hesitate.
please" the girl murmured.
Every well. Miss Porter. I'll get
ready at once" Mrs. Ware said. her
decision instantly made.
A quarter of an hour later the two
had started on their way across town.
1t was O'Clock In the morning.
The duh. gray light was just begin
ming to creep through the dirty win
dow Of the small room on the top floor
Of a tenement house on the east side
This was the third place Katharine
Ware had been to give assistance to
the sufferers during this long. awful
night.
Most of those employed In the burn
ing factory had been foreigners, with
all the average foreigners dread Of
ambulances and hospitals. 80 1t was
that If by their own efforts or the as
sistance Of those in the throng there
to gaze at the burning structure they
could manage to crawl to their homes.
however miserable, they did so.
1t was to these unfortunates the set
Element workers were giving succor in
whatever way they could
Katharine. wearied almost beyond
endurance, was seated near the open
window with child Rugged to her
breast. He was asleep. his blue eyes
closed and his fair. softly curling hair
falling back from his forehead One
little. moist hand lay nestled against
Katharine's neck.
The womaE.s arm was numb and
strained from the weight Of the sleep
ing child. but she would not have lain
him down just then for worlds. She
was gazing raptly down at the little
face-surely there had never been such
n resemblance before!
Tie child seemed veritable reincar-
nation of her own dead darling-the
eyes. the hair. the very shape Of the
head, How could it be? And how came
this fair, beautiful child to be among