The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1917-04-21
PAGE SEVEN

baby to my house."
II don't care to part with all that IL
left which I and my wife loved to-
gether."
A tender cord was touched in Miss
Redford's breast. She forgot her no.
ton of hating all men In this I'M
ion of a living man With a lead wo-
man, cemented by their child. She said
in a kindly voice:
1T need be only a temporary sojourn
IL you prefer 1t, till you a make other
provision. You can come IL you like.
Have you had a breakfastT'
NO"
"Do you know where to get one?"
mo"
81 can give you one"
"You are very kind, but 1 can man.
, age without your help. | think. The
baby
Yes. the baby. You will not let your
pride stand in the way of your baby.
Certainly you will carry her to my
home"
"Of course"
He took the child from her arms and
together they started for the house.
On the way he gave her a brief expla-
nation of the situation. He was an
artist and. like most artists who have
not made a name, very poor. Not being
able to keep up a home, he and his wife
and their child started on a sketching
tour, camping here and there, the hus-
band painting landscapes. The wife
had died. and the husband, not having
any other abode. stuck to his tent. 1t
was a pathetic story, and Miss Bed
ford's horror for man-at any rate this
particular man-melted before II.
When they reached the house she said
to him:
1T is I'm your power to do me a kind.
ness. Sit down to the same breakfast
table with me and your child. l shall
enjoy every mouthful you eat more
than you can conceive"
He gave i'm to this way of putting 1t.
Miss Bedford placed herself between
him and his child, and 1t Is question
able which she the most enjoyed help
ing, the man or the child. He had
managed to get the simple food re-
CURED for his little girl. Fol- her he
would take what did not belong to him
or accept 1t from strangers. but not foi
himself. He was very hungry and ate
a great deal, his hostess pressing him
to do so. After he had finished she
said to him:
you nave done me n favor: now
| wish you to do me another. Leave
the child here with me while you make
your sketches. You are welcome to
come here to see her whenever o
like. and you may feel privileged to
take her away when you can provide
for her"
The artist could scarcely conceal the
relief this offer brought him. "Since |
have only a tent for her." he said. II
have no right to deprive her of the
comfort you can give her"
"And you have no right to deprive
me of the happiness | shall have in
mking care of her"
An hour later the artist kissed his
child and took his departure. The tent
disappeared. and nothing was seen of
man or tent for several weeks. Then
he came to Miss Bedford's home with
a number OF sketches. One of them, II
water vista. the original being OF her
own ground. Miss Bedford very much
fancied. She offered the artist a good
price for it. He declined it on the
ground that through charity she would
pay him more than it was worth. But
when she proposed that he should send
it to Il dealer in New York to fix its
value he accepted the proposition. Miss
Bedford privately wrote the dealer to
fix q price she named herself. and this
she paid the artist.
Now and again he came in from his
Sketching tours to see his child. and
every time he came he offered to re-
lieve Miss Bedford Of her charge. She
invariably declined to he relieved IN
less he insisted on his right to take his
baby to himself. and the longer the re-
moval was put off the more difficult 1t
would be for Miss Bedford to give mp
the child. But the father would not
accept of the lady's hospitality. n
this made it awkward. IL he would
have made his headquarters at the
house when not out painting 1t would
have been much p~leaSanter. for the
child was constantly fretting for him.
Finally when he began to get some
return for his pictures Miss Bedford
proposed that If he would make her
house his lodging place when not out
sketching she would permit him to pay
a nominal board. After much bag.
Cling as to the amount. the lady de.
claring what he proposed to pay moth
ing less than robbing him, a compro--
misc was made aud for tho rest of thp
summer a room In a wing Of the house
was at his disposal whenever he chose
to use It.
The truth Is nature was working In
Miss Bedford. the artist and the little
girl to make the three one. They were
becoming necessary to one another. and
a time arrived when the woman found