The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-09-09

He gave her half a crown as a contribu-
ton to her sorrow n then, singing out
and attracting to himself Noreen, took
her by the hand to the little corner
shop to buy her some sweets.
Noreen, black haired and violet eyed,
and in ole burst boots that belonged to
an elder sister, had lied steadfastly II
not consistently, to all and sundry over
Thu business, but she did moi lie TO
OFlynn. He a the way with him
where women and children were con-
cerned, and he had the whole story In
two minutes under promise Of secrecy.
She had been that fateful evening to
buy a tin Of salmon, carrying Pat. she
had planned to visit MAYORS front WIN
dow in the street beyond to have a
glimpse at the Christmas tree which was
being exhibited, though it was nearly a
month before Christmas, which she had
seen once already and which she proposed
to see every evening, If possible, Just as
people go again and again to see a play.
But Carriers had kept her waiting a ter
ribly long time-so long that only by
running as hard as she could pelt could
she do h business in hand and get
back without the chance Of skelping.
But she couldn't run with Pat, so she
stuck him in h doorway where she had
played so often and which seemed quite
safe-him and the salmon-and she
hadn't been more than a minute looking
into the window before she ran back TO
find Pat gone.
O'FIynn asked for nc more, not even
the genesis Of the suppositious big man
with the black beard. He knew. She
had not dared to confess her crime. Pat
had been took from her, and invention
had come to her aid. The big man with
the black beard too all the scolding and
skelping.
He left her happy with two ounces of
~licorice balls and a scarcely relieved mind,
for she had come almost to believe in
her own story. Then he turned north
towards Cunningham Mansions.
Pat had got to be returned.
There were no two ways about that.
You can't knowingly rob a mother OF
a child, even though the mother is a
Mrs. McGinnis and her habitat Conway
street, w.
Julia Corkran would have to come
down to a dog, or advertise for an infant
or get married and nave one in the nat
ural way. She wasn't too old. Sarah
had one when she was seventy. Anyhow
he wasn't going to be bothered any nor
in the business; he had trouble enough
in his practice presenting people with
children In the ordinary way without
this sort of thing.
He arrived at Cunningham Mansions IL
a distinctly gruf mood. Margaret lei
him in. She was all smiles.
She showed him in without a word-E
wonderful fact where she was concerned
showed him into the sitting room
where Julia COrkran, her legs on thu
sofa to use his expression, was seated IL
an armchair by the fire stitching.
The fac that she looked better wa!
nothing. What checked him was TIT
fact that she looked younger, more ma
terial, more full of blood"
He listened to her wonderful story o
the poor mite that had been left at tn
door, scarce needing, he knew the stor,
so well; scarce listening, occupied almoS
/ entirely with the change in her, a chang
Of which she herself seemed absolutel
{ unconscious.
Then he followed her into her bed
room, where there was a fire and wher
{ by her bedside stood a glorihed cot, il
? which his majesty, Pat, filled with tn
finest Of milk, was sleeping the sleep @
the just.
5 A new hygienic feeding bottle was O.
2 the dainty dressing table; things wer
4! warming by the fire.
He took it all in, n then, as h
watched her bending over the cot, h
{ took in the tremendous fact that he ha
4 made this woman a mother.
VI.
He had come to tell her the child be
= longed to another woman and had to b
g given Jack. He left without doing 81
He could not bring himself to the wore
= or the act. He told himself that b
q | WOOlA luoG do 0OOA GdhG a PAogO4 Oh
: shoot her, and hen he told himself tina
all the same, it had to be done.
This mental discussion took place
d he came along New Oxford street in til
!? direction Of where he lived.
His mind, made agile by the stimuli
n Of the business, sought hither and thitl
t. er for an avenue u Of his perpleXtt
e Maybe Mrs. McGinnis would sent to pa,
e or, at all events, stand of and adol
l. an attitude of benevolent neutrality fl
the child's sake.
The contrast Of the Corkran fiat ar
the McGinnis menage appeared befo
him, deluding him for a moment to b
lieve that no woman in her sane mir
~ would rob the child of it's present ar
y prospective advantages.
ID For a moment only. He knew the po
IS and he knew his people. He knew tn
s. if Pat were to be discovered in Buck1n
Id palace, in the monkey house Of the 70
or the children's ward of the WorkhOu
n infirmary, it would be all the same
* Mrs. McGinnis. She did not want a f
ly ture that she could not visualize for Il
s, child. She wanted Pat.
Id There was nothing wrong about Co.
way street to Mrs. McGinnis, who h
Id lived there all her married life-nothil
h but the absence Of Pat.
rs No. There was only one way out
TT restitution; and, arrived home, he call
r Norah down, closed the door Of the 81
tAAA6 4OOALAg GAA4 ORELACA AAAo AAAAAAAs
r: Norah had to do the business-it "
a woman's business, anyhow. She coU
see Margaret and a a talk with b
a and between them they could break it
the poor creature.
On Norah did not like the thing a bit, b
she assented. She never said a word
rs. show her feelings. She was that sort
"In go, when I've don me cookin
said Norah, and h went.
ne h was back just before OrFlynn h
returned from his evening round, ba
ok and sitting in the kitchen with a sha
over her head.
ne, ct couldn't find it in me heart to
Id, it," walled Norah before he spoke
in word. ST couldn't find it in me heart
Is, do it. It's the life and all he is to b
es and she wild her beautiful face like
.ys blessed Virgin hangin' over him. Su
ne, what's Mrs. McGinnis, lettin' him T
en- wild about the shtreets wild that gir1
ad Hasn't she enough childer not to
he botherin' about the cratur? You TOT
in me yourself the place was like a war;
i've wild them. Childer or not, she can sti
Of Hand nor foot viii I life for her to fe'
him back"
IT, "Then," said the doctor, I'll Just hi
se, to fetch him myself"