Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-28

Judge Corson knew the man Ben was
living with and evidently didn't think
much of him. He asked the man If
he'd ever taken out formal guardian
ship of Ben? The man never had, and
the Judge asked Ben If he had any rela-
tives. Ben said no. The judge said
Ben would be better off In the reform
school than with this man.
had relaxed all over in relief, but
when heard him saying this every
thing frightened up again. After all I'd
gone through, would Ben have to go to
the reform school? UnconSciously !
clutched Miss Prescott's arm. She was
looking at Ben Brace, little, and
spindly, and overworked. 1 thought OF
little Jack at home, and suddenly
knew there was nothing now l could do.
Suddenly heard Miss Prescott's
voice.
IF your honor approves" she said.
II should like to take the responsibility
for this boy myself"
I could hardly believe I was hearing
straight. But l was. 1t was like a
miracle 1 listened just enough to
realize that his honor did approve, mus
decidedly, to hear something or othe
about arrangements.
WHEN, three months later, Miss Pre-
w colt actually legally adopted Ben.
the town had something to talk about
for two weeks. In spite of the prejudice
against the idea of an old maid having
a boy to bring up, most people adj
mitted she'd do well by Ben. And a
good thing, it would be, plenty of peo-
pie said. 1t would give her something
to do besides going around town look
ing for something to improve. 1t was
an awful blow, of course, when the first
thing she did after adopting Ben was
to get our Mothers Club to work for
a special childrens judge and pro-
baton officers to be appointed in
| Verblen.
You'd think she'd have enough to
do at home now, bringing up Ben"
said Mrs. Frank Kirsted to me. with
out going into politics. But then, OF
course, you couldn't expect her to take
a real mothers interest in a boy shed
just adopted
A real mother-I thought suddenly o.
Miss Prescott flying over to Verblen to
save some boys she had never even seen.
And of all the rest of us real mothers"
safely, contentedly, looking out for our
own children and too busy to lift
hand to help some other woman's. II
little Ben Brace, who happened to look
like my own baby, hadn't been in the
scrape, too, I'd have listened as care
lessly as Dulcie when Mrs. Rapotowski
begged us to help her Nick.
A real mother could remember
the very moment when I thought
had become one, that scary moment
when heard Jacks faint, quavery
little inevitably cry and felt that he
and Jill were all alone in the world
except for me. But now, standing right
on the corner of Main and Water
streets, talking to Mrs. Frank Kirsted.
my own babies over 2 years old.
had the strangeSt sense of never having
known before what a real mother was
A real mother, who could never turn
deaf ear toward the faint, quavery CT.
of anything that was young, and help,
less. and in trouble.
Naturally, ! didn't go into this t.
Mrs. Frank Kirsted. She was too &C.
cupied keeping frankie from getting
run over, and wouldn't have, anyway
I merely said mildly that Miss Prescoti
would never neglect Ben any Mrs
Kirsted would just have thought hat
gone crazy, if l had tried to explain
to her what / was thinking. For
was hoping truly and solemnly the
having two babies Of my own wouldn
keep me from becoming mother.
(Copyright. 1927