Grand Forks herald., 1917-02-14
...ALICE DEVINE
EDGAR JEPSOM
Copyright by N1errllC c..

they were very sympathetic, begging
Alice not "to take on" Many of them,
too. had stories Of lost children to tell:
stories they had heard from friends
or acquaintances, mostly of children
who had been lost and never found.
They were not cheering; but they
went along with us to tell them.
BY the time we reached Bond street
We had gathered round us an enthusi-
astic little band of rather more than
all our inquiries in a thoroughly con-
fusing way. Several of the women
who had Joined us kept pioneering
scriptural consolation to Alice; but
fancied that they always quoted
wrong.
We plunged into the region beyond
Bond street; but there again we found
search party was now two hundred
strong; and found it so much more
embarrassing than useful that 1 sug-
gested to Alice that we should allow
it to go on searching by itself. Alice
said that 1t would be best; and sud
denly we slipped into tea shop. Only
eleven Of them saw our move and
!! sons of the kind who generally use
tea-shops. at once proposed that l
should pay for their tea. When I re-
fused, they went outside. leaving only
six These six seemed bent on having
substantial meal; Alice and I drank
our tea and left them at it. When we
came out we found the five waiting
+; patiently to take up the search with
| US again; but a taxicab was passing.
we jumped into it and drove back to
Garthoyle Gardens. Alice was dispos-
| ed to he dispirited and gloomy; hut l
cheered her up by assuring her that.
though we had failed. some one else
would be sure to have succeeded and
that by now Lord Cantelune had been
restored to Gwendolen.
AS we drove along there stared at
us from the posters the words:
Lord Cantclune Stolen.
| When we came to the garden. we
found it fuller than ever. Most of
my tenants and many of their serv-
ants had come into it to discuss the
kidnapping, and get the earliest news
of what was happening So far the
police had no news of the missing
baby: none Of the nursemaids had re-
turned with her accompanying police
man; they We're hunting still: AMI in
view of the hour, l fancied that each
nursemaid and her policeman were at
the moment hunting in a tea-shop at
the nursemaid's expense.
Gwendolen Binns was in great
form, holding forth to a dozen pant
she had been dogged by suspicious
looking people for several days. and
having her portrait taken in the part
OF lost Lord Cantelunes devoted and
sorrow stricken nurse for all the il
Illustrated weeklies. Frederick clung to
her side. sharing her glory. In the
middle Of 1t the Marquis of Alperton.
! r ~, f.<
the scene, promptly discharged her
from his service, and bade her at once
pack her boxes and clear out Of his
house. She went, protesting in shrill
/ howls.
Then came the news that the Eve
ming Herald had offered one hundred
pounds reward to any one giving in
formal ton that should lead to the cap
ture of the kidnapers; and one Of its
chief editors rushed up to me and
asked permission to establs a tenn
porary office of inquiry in the garden.
had just refused to allow anything
Of the kind when the Honorable Isyn-
| go D'Eresby. the father of the angel
child. came up to me. We always call
looks so like it. The angel-child must
! have got her beauty from her moth
! II say. Garthoyle; have you seen
that little devil of mine anywhere?"
| he said in his drawing way.
mo; what is it-a fox-terrier-
dachshund-collie? Dogs aren't ad-
mitted in this garden, don't you
know" said.
Dogs! It's not a dog! It's my lit
tie girl. mean-Polly. No ones seen
her for hours: and I've come out to
look for her. Her nurse has gone off
with policeman to hunt for that
Cantelune baby"
perhaps she went with them" I
said. though I could not remember
having seen her go, or indeed having
seen her at all.
NO, she didn't. I've found that
out" said the Honorable Byngo.
IT hope to goodness she hasn't been
stolen, too," ] cried.
mo fear! I should be sorry for any
one who stole Polly. But don't let out
the papers, too. She'll turn up all
right know Polly. It's only that
her mothers nervous"
/! The Honorable Byngo spoke as if he
did not realize his privilege in having
such daughter: and Polly did seem
to me to be poor name for an angel
child.
''I tell you what She's gone off
hunting for this lost baby on her
own" I said.
THAT'S It, TIL go and tell her
mother" said the Honorable Byngo;
and off he went.
About six pairs Of nurses and po-
licemen trickled slowly in. Not one Of
them had found any trace of the miss
| ing baby. No news had come from
any of the outlying police-stations.
The affair was beginning to look very
serious indeed. BY quarter to seven
all the nurses and policemen had
come In. There was nothing that l
could do: and there was nothing to be
gained by staying in the garden.
asked the inspector to let me know
the moment anything fresh turned up
and went to my house
Richards met me in the hall and
said: "Tf you pleace, m'Lord, little
Miss D'Eresby has brought baby for
you to see: and they've been waiting
for you most of the afternoon"
''The-the deuce she has, / said;
and I sat down on a chair.
Yes. m'Lord: and I gave them
some tea: and Martha helped Miss
D'Eresby feed the baby. He's
sturdy little chap, m'Lord.'
Sturdy little Why you
All London is hunting for that baby!
Where is it," howled
"It Is upstairs in the library,
m'Lord. M-MMiss D'Eresby pre-
ferred the library, b-b-because OF the
view over the garden. m'Lord," stam-s
mered Richards
1 rushed upstairs and dashed into
the library. The angle-child had her
elbows on the window-siIl and was
watching the crowd in the garden.
he - -