The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-07-11
Nora in Role of
Kidnaper
By HORACE BRIGHT

child crying in the basement. You
can hear it if yez listen when you
be passing" said Mrs. Grady to
little Mrs. Flaherty, the carpenters
wife.
The two women we're residents IN
the same tenement house In the
city. Mrs. Flaherty's deft fingers
kept the interior of her four rooms
almost spotless. But Michael had
been out of work for six weeks.
and cleanliness was about all that
Nora F'laherty could manage. She
could not provide more food for
the four hungry little mouths.
Day by day Michael tramped the
streets in search Of work. And
every evening the bread and milk
somehow seemed to go less far.
The children were growing thin.
Bridget, the Oldest, was FIVE, and
the rest followed at regular grada'
tons down to Phil. the baby Of ten
months.
IF it wasn't for the children,
Nora," Michael would say visit
fully, "you and me could start out
on the tramp and do chores in the
country"
That had always been their long
ing-a country home. But 1t
seemed more remote than ever,
now that there were six mouths to
feed.
Nora Flaherty listened as she
stood at the entrance of the tene-
ment house. Sure enough, she
heard the pitiful cry, and the
mother instinct overlooked In her.
Softly she crept down to the base
ment. Upon the floor, crouched
up a pile Of rags, the little boy
lay.
That afternoon Mrs. Grady came
to the door of her tenement.
Its all right, Mrs. Flaherty."
she said. somebody's written to
the Children's society, and they're
going to take the child away. The
mans been put in prison for stab
bling another of thin Poles whin he
was drunk"
To Nora the thought Of the little
dark-eyed boy growing up inside
the shadow of the society's big
rrack-like building was dreadful
to contemplate. .
Suddenly a burning thought came
to her that made her sit up and
stare wildly about her. Why not1
Why not? In another minute she
had crept down to the basement
again to where the boy was lying.
She lifted him in her arms and
hid him beneath her shawl, and q
couple of minutes later he was rest.
Ing upon her own bed.
Ten minutes later, when the boy
was asleep, Mrs. Grady came to the
door.
Mrs. Flaherty!" she gasped,
"the man has come from the So
ciety, and what do yez think? One
of that Polack's friends has been
and taken the child away" 81
Nora Flaherty looked at her
friend with u stare Of misunder-
standing.
1.-THE man from the society is
asking If anybody's seen the child"
continued Mrs. Grady. "Yes didn't
happen to see him, did yez, Nora3"
NO." answered Nora F1aherty
In a mechanical manner. mo. I
didn't"
But after her visitor had, gone
away she sat beside the bed in
fear and trembling every time. a
foOtstep sounded outside the door.
And. there was another reason for
her dread. It had been an i'm
pulse to take the lad an impulse
which she had not followed to its
logical conclusion. Perhaps she
had merely wanted to give him
some bread and milk and to show
him a little Of that mother love.
But now. what would Michael say?
He loved his children and he
had always been kind to her, but
well, another mouth to feed
meant q dreadful tax upon their
scanty means.
She sat there in an agony Of sus-
pense until she heard her hus-
bands tread along the hall out
side. In another moment he was
In thu little tenement, and. as she
went out to meet him. he clasped
her in his, arms and kissed. her.
She looked at him with pride. What
a. good husband she had! He
never drank or beat her, even II
he was little petulant at times.
And he had been so patient all
through that dreadful time.
"Nora. GIRL" he exclaimed, tive
got a job, and I 60 to work the
day after tomorrow. And It's In
the country, lass! It's in the new
Richardson plant, twenty miles
away-a steady Job. my girl. and
all expenses paid. And we move
tomorrow I"
He saw strange look In her face.
She was trembling.
"What is 1t, Nora?' he cried, con.
sci0us of some dreadful fear.
She told him. And then she led
him to the bedroom and showed
him the pinched little figure upon
the bed, and the dawning smile
upon the childish mouth. She
turned down the coverlet and
showed him the weals upon the
little body. @
michael, my man." she whis-
pered. there's only four of our
own, though, praise God, therell
be more coming to us later. Can't
we feed FIVE. Michael?" 87T'
The man looked in dazed way
into his wife's face.
"Good Lord, Nora I" he ejacu-
lated. sis It to keep the little nip
per yez, mean2" aa
Michael! Think of one. of our
own babies growing up in the so.
ciety's home-in the city, without
ever sight Of a tree or a flower.
Let me keep him, Michael! I've
asked little, Of yez before. but now