The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1918-12-21
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
s ADOPTING FRIEDA s
Dy JANE osooRMG.

= Dy JANE OSBORNE -
TRANSFORMATIONS
''Oh, Miranda. viii you hold the door
open there1 I've got little girl In my
arms. You haven't heard Of any.
one that has lost q little girl, have
youf"
With these words Peter Hobson
broke the news Of his discovery late
that memorable night In midsummer.
He had been on his weekly trip to the
nearest settlement, 20 miles down the
valley. Usually on such nights In sum-
mer Miranda doaed In her chair with
the screen on the front door unlocked /;
for Miranda had lived alone with her
stalwart brother too many years to
fear tramps or thieves on their desc
late side Of the mountain.
'"WheSs In the land Of the living did
you and herr was Airanda's NOT too
hospitable comment. But. a. Peter car
ried the sleepins child to the light Of
the solitary lamp that smoked and
nickered In the draft ON the living
room table, the sisters weather. beaten.
HARDEST features softened and q smile
broke over her face. Hadn't you bet
ter set her DOWN. she asked. She
was pulling at the ruined white PETIT
coats which had become crushed In
the strong mans arms. I'VE must wake
her up and ask her who she ID. Her
mother must be worried almost sick.
Peter. isn't shs prettyr'
Peter made NO comment, but from
the tenderness with which he brushed
with his big clumsy hands . golden
curl that had fallen across Fneda's
face Miranda needed not to be told
that the big brother Of hers had lost
his heart to the child he had found.
He had heard cry In the thicket Of
tie woods a. he was coming home
about Is miles down the road. It
was Just turning dark at the time. He
stopped his horses and followed
through the painless woods for few
rods and then came upon the little
gin. She was crouching under the
side Of q large bowider. and at first
seemed too startled 10 speak.
"she started to tell me about her
SELF" Peter explained to his sister.
1Did tell me her name was frieda.
and then she tainted away In my
arms. How old should you Judge her
to ber
sFrom the way she Il dressed she IL
sisable child Of nine or ten-can't be
any more"
Just then the little girl walked up,
and Peter and Miranda hurried to at.
tentiou. With q little milk and some
Of Alranda's good bread Frieda re-
gained strength and before many min
utes had passed she WAS laughing mer-
rily and perfectly at ease with her
generous hostess.
"You are 20 GOOD to me-" she said
sleepily. '.No one was ever % good
to me in the world before"
'Now. do you want to try and tell
N whose little girl you aref' Peter
asked patiently, kneelins down be-
fore her.
mo. no, no." she shook her head.
Maybe tomorrow But this 10 70
nice"
A few minutes later Miranda had
shown the little giri 10 the spare
ROOM"
The morning brought NO news Of the
lost child's identity. Miranda and her
brother had thought she would be able
to explain or give some clew a. to
who she was. But to all their queries
she had but one reply-T don't know
Il am 20 happy. Let me stay" By
the end Of ten days 1t seemed 20 APP
parent that her identity would never
be discovered that brother and sister
were making plans for legally adopting
her.
It was two weeks after Frieda had
nrst crept into Peters arms and his
heart down there on the mountainside
when he opened a New York paper. to
read this heading: movie actress SIN
missing. Film company now planning
to make search Of mountainslde." And
then Peter read the article that told
that two weeks before a cinema COM
pany had been taking pictures Of
big feature play along the mountain
side. A company Of Is juvenile act
resses was included in the scenes.
Somewhere one Of these girls. who on
the day Of her disappearance was
dressed to impersonate a girl Of ten or
twelve, had been lost. A glance at the
newspaper account was enough to as
sure Frieda that her secret was
known. She looked at Peter very
wistfully.
II didn't tell You before. because 1t
was like heaven here with you and
Miranda. I got lost that day with the
company. before you found me. There
was thunder storm and everyone ran
to shelter and when 1t was over was