The Washington times., 1922-11-12
GIRL REJECTS
, WEALTH To GO
F. T0HERMOTHER
Promise to Be Heiress Fails to
Keep Her With Fashion
able Aunt.
REFUSES TO BE ADOPTED
There Is Only Poverty at
Home, But She Hears Call
of the Blood.

R COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. IL
BY all the rules of reason, Gladys
May Savage is a foolish girl
but maybe there are times when
the rules of reason do not count.
Maybe Gladys knows lot more
than the learned judges and the
wise aunts and the kindly philan-
thropists who tried to advise her.
You never can tell much about
giTlg, after all. They are as mys-
teriDns as their mothers.
For, you see, Gladys is one OF five
children-soon there will be six
and the whole family is supported
by the salary OF her father, $50
week.
There are children running all over
the little house, IL would seem, and
dessert is scare and movies are
luxury and a new dress is something
In the nature OF an event.
Poor Little Rich Girl.
GLADYS doesn't live there. though.
She lives with Mrs. Susie Il. Fisk in
Chicago and Mrs. Fisk is d wealthy
woman. the wife of the president OF
the Pure Food Company, and instead
of a crowded little flat, Gladys has
been living with Mrs. Fisk, her
aunt. in a fashionable hotel, with
electric lights, restaurant, elevators
and everything. Toys in plenty are
there for her and theaters when she
wishes to go, and frocks Of silk and
pumps of patent leather. Also auto
rides aplenty.
Lucky girl, Gladys. every one
agreed, and a sweet youngster, too.
For twelve of her fourteen years,
she has lived in this atmosphere OF
comparative luxury except for little
trips home, and finally Mrs. Fisk,
who is herself quite young, decided
to adopt her. When she explained 1t
to Gladys, the girl agreed. II
wouldn't make any difference in her
mode of life, she was told, and 1t
would put her in the position of heir
to a considerable fortune.
Ungrateful Gladys.
So Mrs. Fisk filed an application
for adoption and notified Mrs.
Savage after a week or so. She sug-
gested that Gladys write a note to
her mother at the same time, so
that Mrs. Savage would understand
the girl was eager for the legal adop-
ton.
But the girl had been thinking the
thing over and when she slipped her
little note into the envelope for her
mother ii read:
please do not let anyone adopt
me-"
Mrs. Savage read Mrs. Fisk's let
ter once and Gladys note about
thirty times. Then she sent a letter
to the Chicago court protesting
against the adoption. Mrs. Fisk was
amazed when informed of it.
why, Gladys loves me-" she ex-
claimed, land she wants to stay
with me, I'm sure. We let her go
home for a visit year and half ago,
and she stayed three months. When
we went for her. during the holidays,
she didn't have whole shoes or fit
clothes for street wear.
Il told her that If she came she
must stay with me always and cut
out all connections with home. She
has always been a good child, but
1t is easier to handle a girl Of that
age when she thinks you have the
legal right to tell her what to do.
my mother took Gladys when she
was only two years old, and she al
ways lived with us. Dad and
mamma adored her. We lived in
Columbus then, and Gladys ran back
and forth between her two homes
but she never even slept over night
at her real home.
Mother died about six years ago
And l cared so for her.
when i married Mr.. Fisk it was
with the understanding that Glade
was to live with us. And so now
for five years she has been a pal,
a comrade-more than a little sister
to me.
"She can't go back to poverty
you can't support family Of seven
on $50 a week. And that's all her
father makes"
Wants Her Mother.
OF course, some sentimentalists
might say that Mrs. Fisk's error was
In making a pal out Of a child who
didn't especially want to be a pal.
but maybe wanted a bit of mother.
pie might say
But there's no answer to It,
When they took Gladys to court
she stood alone before them all, be-
cause her mother had not the train
fare to go to Chicago, and then. too,
that other baby will be along any
day now. So Gladys stood before
the Judge and he, asked her IL she
really intended to give up her
wealthy aunt and the big hotel and
all the rest of IT, And Gladys said,
in very firm voice. although her
LIP trembled a little:
ayes. I do. I want to go home
to my own mother. Oh, 1t isn't
as IL I didn't have everything
wanted with auntie and uncle and
I love them to death
but I want mother and home
--and all the kids! Everybody
knows everybody else back in my
home. It's not like this big city.
And we have big, nice back yard
20 play in, and I can fuss over the
baby, and when the other baby
comes can take care Of that one,
too. Oh, II will be fun for me after
30 long"
Gladys paused. No one spoke.
Mot even Mrs. Fisk nor the kindly