The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-27
THE
FOUNDING
By ELINOR MARSH

LuWdTu IttuuUAu anu LIS WIG WSH'
chidless. Mrs. Redmond especial.
ionged for little one to care for an(
TO love, and her husband, whose active
life did not seem to require 1t, was dis
appointed on his wife's account
One evening there was ring at the
Redmond bell. Mrs Redmond went t.
the door and there found a basket. I'm
der a soft, warm blanket lay a baby
BOY fast asleep. Taking up the has
aet. she carried it into the house, re-
moved the child and made an exami-
nation of everything that might fur
nish clew to its identity. But there
was no clew.
For seven years the Redmonds gave
the little fellow everything to make
him comfortable and happy. Then one
day he disappeared.
Frank-they had named him Fran
cis-was playing on the sidewalk when
gentleman approached him and,
after asking him where he lived and
the name of his parents, told him that
If he would go with him around the
corner he would buy him some candy
Frank consented, and as soon as they
were out of sight of Franks home he
was put into a carriage and driven
away.
When the boy was missed his foster
parents believed that he had been kid
mapped by some one who would apply
for a ransom. They had saved some
money and expected to pay 1t over for
the boy, but no demand was ever made,
nor was he returned TO them.
( Frank was taken to the home OF the
man who had kidnapped him and from
there to an office in big building.
The boy noticed on the door of the
Office the word Surrogate" but he did
not know what 1t meant.
This is Thomas Barton Clarke"
said the kidnaper. sole heir-at-law to
the estate Of his grandfather. William
Cook"
Frank heard the man beside the desk
say to the kidnaper that he was APP
pointed guardian, and $1,000 year
would be paid from the income OF the
estate for the child's maintenance.
Frank grew to manhood under the
care of this guardian. who pocketed
the sum put aside for the boys sup
port. When Frank came of age he
suspected that his guardian. who was
now dead, had doubtless kidnapped him
and kept him in his possession to Sc
cure this income. Frank had dim
of his foster father and
mother, but had no idea who they
were. He learned that his possession
of the estate he had inherited had been
and that the evidence of his
Identity, trumped up by his guardian,
was very thin and would have been
contested by other claimants had they /
had means to do so.
But now that the estate was about
20 be turned over to him these claim
,nts dubbed together and brought suit
% prevent his having it on the ground
hat he was not Thomas Barton Clarke
Meanwhile an evil fortune befell Ed
ward Redmond. He lost his savings
~ an unfortunate investment and was
AIKEN ILL., Doctors bills and q cutting
,ff of income through being laid up
him. and he and his wife
we're on the border of starvation.
One morning Mrs. Redmond took up
newspaper to examine the advertise
nents, hoping to find something that
he could do to earn money, though
he was really too old to fill any but
light position. when her eyes fell
lpon one asking for information con-
erning a couple who had brought up
rom babyhood to about seven years Of
ge Thomas Barton Clarke. !
Mrs. Redmond had never heard Of
'homas Barton Clarke, but 1t occurred /
o her that he and the baby who had
cen left at her door and whom she
ad called Frank might be one and the
anne person. She told her husband of
er suspicion. but he poopoohsl her
or her rainbow hope. However, she
yrote an answer to the Advertisement
The next morning Frank drew up be-
ore the house where he had lived as
child. The street looked familiar.
lie rang the Redmond bell, and an old
'oman came to the door. 1t seemed
, Frank that he had seen her before