Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-10-25

great need for himself in the way OF
fathers. He had taken care of HIM
self since he could remember and felt
quite grown up and fathers usually
drank; but a baby like that needed a
father, and he liked Stars father.
But the dearest thing now in life
for him was little Starts kisses.
i To the father, drawn first by graft
tude to the boy who had saved his
child's life, and afterwards by h
boys own irresistible smile, these fire.
quent visits had become A pleasure.
There had been a little boy before
Starr am to their home. but he had
only lived a few weeks. The memoir
of that golden, fuzzy head, the little
of his son still fingered bitterly in the
fathers heart. When he first looked
upon this waif the fancy seized him
that perhaps his own boy would have
been like this had he lived. and a
strange and unexpected tenderness
entered his heart for Milky. He kept
going to the little invalid's room night
. after night, pleasing himself with the
thought that the boy was his own.
!, So strong a hold did this fancy take
, upon the mans hear that he actually
: began to. consider the feasibility Of
+ adopting the child and bringing him
up as his own-this. after he had by
! the aid of detectives. thoroughly
!. searched out all that was known Of
, him AND found that no one owned
Milky nor seemed to care what be-
came of, him except Buck and his
= small following. And all the time the
child, we'll fed, we'll cared for, hap
, pier than he had ever dreamed of be-
. ing in all his little hard life, rapidly
!. convalesced.
. Endicott came home one afternoon
+ to find Milky down in the reception
. room dressed in black velvet and rare
: old lace. with his glorious sheaf OF
n golden hair which had grown during
r his illness tortured into ringlets. and
: an .adoring group of ladies gathered
4 about him, as he stood with troubled
e almost naughty mein, and gravely re-
n garded their maudlin sentimentalities
= Mrs. Endicott had paid no attention
4 to the boy heretofore, n her sudder
4 interest in him came from a chance
q view Of him as he sat up in a big
+ chair for the first time, playing {
game with little Starr. His big eye.
and beautiful hair attracted her a
" once, and she lost NO time in dressing
him up i k a doll and making him F.:
- show at n of her receptions.
= When her husband demonstrated
- with her. declaring that such treat
Il ment would ruin the spirit of any rea
4 boy, and spoil him for life, sh'
&c shrugged her shoulders indiferently
apd answered:
20 wei what If it does? He's moth
u ing but a founding. He ought to b
% glad we are willing to dress him III
prettily and play with him for
a while"
a And what would you do with hin
- after you we're dom using HIM for
toy? Cast him aside?"
"Well. why not?" with anothe
shrug of her handsome shoulder
l. "Or, perhaps we might teach him t
n be a butler or footman II you want t
be benevolent. He would be charm
y ing in a dark blue uniform!"
= The woman raised her delicate eye
le brows, humming a light tune, and he
J. husband turned from her in despair
) Was 1t nothing at all to her that thi
That settled the question OF ador
e tion.< His wife would never be tn
II one to bring up the boy into anythin
life manhood. It was different wit
la girl-she mMst Of necessity b
frivolous. he supposed.
= The next morning an old colleg
i. friend came into his Office. a plai
man with q pleasant face, who ha
not gone from college days to a ban
ysslt 11c was 81 OHly u plAl
e teacher in a little struggling college i
ID Florida, and he came soliciting al
ID for the college.
!. Endicott turned from puzzling owe
the question of Milky. to greet hi
old friend whom he had not seen fo
70 twenty years. He was glad to Sc
y him. He had always liked him. H
T. Hooked him over critically, however
- with his Observation-Disclosures an-o
New York point Of view. He notice
4 the plain cheap business suit, wor
shiny in places, the shoes well polish
t. ed but beginning to break at the sid,
the plentiful sprinkling Of gray hair
and then his eyes : travelled to til
kind. worn face Of his friend. In spit
~ OF himself he could not but feel tn.
siIthe mar was happier. than himself.
- He asked many questions. an
= found aSkeen pleasure In hearing q
about the little family of the othe!
y and their happy united efforts Il
laugh oil poverty and have a goo
n time anyway. Then the visitor toll
~ OF the college. It's struggles, Its gres
needs and small funds. how it's orane
~ crop, which was . large part OF Il
regular income. had failed that yes
49,