The Indianapolis times., 1929-12-03

The baby was born, girl, q
beautiful little thing, that crept inn
mediately into my heart and nestled
there. l did not have her long, Ed
ma, I suffered agony at the thought
of giving her up. But there was
nothing else to do. She was all of
mine, but she was put down in the
hospital records as the daughter of
Mr.. and Mrs. William Johnson.
When I was strong enough to
leave the hospital, Mr.. Johnson
came for me in a cab. We drove
to the railway station. There we
were met by Mrs. Johnson, who had
given up the north side fat. 1t was
only a few minutes before time for
the departure of the Lebanon train.
II kissed my little one for the last
time and placed her in Mrs. John
sons arms. They stepped into a
cab and we're Whirled away. My
eyes blinded with tears. I groped
for the suitcase containing my
clothing which Mrs. Johnson had
packed and brought from the fiat.
l boarded the train. I have never
seen my baby nor Mr.. and Mrs,
johnson since.
Mother and l had been pledged
not to attempt to communicate
with Mr.. and Mrs. johnson. nor to
try to see the baby after it was
turned over to them. Everything had
been carefully arranged for a COM
plete change of the baby'S identity
in such a way that no one could
question the real Mrs. Johnson S
motherhood.
'She was to return home and tell
her neighbors and acquaintances
that she had kept secret her ap-
proaching motherhood as a surprise
for them; that she had returned
from Chicago and gone to the IN
dianapolis hospital. The hospital
records would bear this out if any
one were curious enough to inquire.
Mother and I kept our promise
faithfully not to seek them out. but
you can have no idea. Edna dear.
how hard it was for me. ! had
willingly agreed, but that was long
before the baby was born. and I did
not know then what motherhood
meant.
My heart ached for years-it was
only after you came into my life.
Edna, that the pain was eased. But
even then and all during the years
since I hoped that some day again
could see her and hold her in my
arms. l do not even know what
they named her-they said 1t were
better that I did not know.
Mother had prepared the way for
my return home-my employer had
departed for a European tour and
had decided against the heavier eX-
penSe of a companion on that trip.
But Lebanon, so long as it harbored
Stanley Crimell. was hateful to ME.
Il now loathed him as much as
I formerly had respected and ad-
m.red him. In a town as small as
Lebanon it was impossible to avoid
seeing or meeting him sooner or
later. I determined to seek employ
ment elsewhere.
With the training in shorthand
which Mrs. Johnson had given me
I succeeded in getting position in
a large manufacturing concern in
Indianapolis. 1t was there l met
your father.
You know the rest-that he was
the son of the president and ma
lority stockholder of that big buSt-
ness. I believe I loved him from
the first time l saw him. But /
was honest with him. Edna.
when he asked me to marry him
I told him all about Stanley Cri-
nell and-and the baby. He was so
good and kind! He said he loved
ne all the more for what he called
nv bravery in telling him. The
subject never was metioned again
until a year after our marriage.
when letter from mother informed
me that Stanley Crimell had died.
Il showed your father the letter.
Thank God! that scoundrel doesn't
:ncumber a decent world any more,
he said. That was all. A few
months later you we're born, Edna.
and in my Joy in you the old wound
almost healed.
Edna, your father left you and
me we'll provided for. Somewhere
in the world. maybe poor and
neglected possibly suffering for the
necessities of life, was this other
baby of mine. this girl now grown to
womanhood if she still lived. your
own sister.
L did not know what had become
Of the JonnsonS, whether they had
prospered or suffered reverses. The
thought that she might be in want
haunted me. We had so much,