Show DH n D n lf D J ll A Lt L LM M tt J r r l K f n trick CIUNI w a the iJ i cd V T ii but when wh n I got ot i 0 oJ the lh spot put und lint saw law lJ the lilt hit hll crowd 11 i round tile the window 1 ml a tall l II bluecoat JUt just opposite with I ey cell s working the four our ways way of ot o the It ft somehow got gt Into my knees laid nd made them thern wobbly as al a a marion marionette marionetti ette etti That what whal hat spoiled It When my nerves do n IL t turn they the want the tho whole hole stage antI work It all over oer me m tilt till Im I m dent deaf dumb blind and numb Nadirs Nn ls would have havo raved It If hed known know II hut but It tt was mighty different with him having watched tho baby for tor weeks week and mo with only thu tho velvet elvet suit and fLu yellow ellow curls to tu wo io 0 by Ten fen years oars In Sing Sing for tor pIng sound so no bad baI when you Oll r all It I over coffee and amul m mn the th corning but when it rIni in III a II girls ears IWI ar when sheH going at her liral big job It chokes chok Hut I v I tm h daughter laughter of at Chailey for or noth nothing nothIng nothIng ing The Tho ransom old oM Copper Ill 11 II give Ive fer that kid Idd II Il 1 make a s 1 of at ye Meg and bloated of ot every man Inan jack of at us had saI mill And that meant oh It meant enough to cat enl a n warm place DInco to 10 sJ elp p clean things to wear things and nd 1 for tor once a for the tile gani to draw a n long breath without fettling like a n bunch of ot white rabbits rabbit ait oit O lt In Inthe Inthe b the open with the hounds hound at their heels That nerved me itie and att ant I edged u In clos clo closer cloer er among tho the crowd If It Christmas 9 had been be n the lie next day lIu Instead of u It week tIff off the tha Jam around that have haft been bees any nAY tl r And nt out of at that jostling pushing swarm of at nurses mothers and children big 1 1 and little rich and und poor I to single irile out the tho with yellow curls and u n velvet clet It took Just jit ten minutes of ot It to convince me lilt that thai wan wao worse than an Idiot Dis m Disgustedly I turned to elbow my IW way WRY back to the curb when Yellow tripped over oer my III very van er feet teet It takes a tong long Ion time to tell It II hut It take tako long In the doing to step tell stepIn stepIn tellIn In between that midget millget and ancl the woman who sho was Wn grasping clasping jIa for or him to pick up Ull Master Velvet and tuck tue him under my long cloak and all then toMe lose myself melt anti and him In that vast vaiL kindergarten Velvet even eon know who hUll hud him until wo we were around the corner with room for tor him to 10 kick And then thenn a youngster howling because his RuNe nurse IB hI tearing him awny from a n toyshop la Ia too common n a sight to excite suspicion The fhe burly policeman even oven deign to glance our way WI Then the tha mite of ot chloroform on my m a CL I harmless drop rop did lt work vork and Yel Yet Yellow low CurIo Curia drooped on my breast and the big 1111 cloak donk Kept the secret tilt till I reached my little den denI I tossed tossell my bundle on the cot with a It touch louch of at bravado my lint big job done without a n hitch Good girl Meg regor a n chip o n tho Iho tim old block cried Nags as he bent over oyer Velvet who lay la In n a I heavy heay drowse drove For Tor live five he stood gloating over ocr the unconscious prize while I watched him thrilled by b the name lime thought Then suddenly to my horror Borror I r saw raw aV the evil smile emlie on all hla hia face change and n doubt faint at cit first but hut growing Towing Into n terrible certainty creep Into Inlo Its It II place With nn In oath he ho sprung sprang to the tim child anti and grasping one of ot his hk hl feet teet pointed a II shaking finger Oner nt at me You you yom ou he cried look lot here a millionaires with holes haleR In his hie hi shoes darns In Ills 1113 stockings V on his tile coat you 1 With a n gasp I loaned leaned 1 nearer only to confirm he sIt said Velvet It tt was wal but velvet darned and patched l thread threadbare bare stockings and lint holes holee In Inthe inthe the stumpy little Literally truck all alt of ot a heap I sank down by b that cot and cried like R JL baim while stamped around tile room lIke ilkI n a madman Great you are lire ho tie taunted when his hll hi string of at i gave out omit Turning philanthropist tt I reckon making us tm Into a s pauper limper Oh yer cr a 1 talented nut But I had my m turn at nt things n nut next and th thre r many choice loft aft after r I got ot at through I 1 been h n r I d by h t the gang jung with without without without out ft n vocabulary v a ry When hen henI I ed d both nomo to the tho end amid of at our I ar ft quieted q u down dOln ome mome I Well Seit what rye doing with wither yet er he asked ul ed sneeringly I 1 carried out Instructions and line the Ie blunder Is la ns aB much your fault Inuit an all a mine mimic Get Got your head heal to tl work mIrk and when youve a 5 scheme that shows show sense Ill do my part Im not scared of ot any rt next time prove that worth my while There Then Will wes no cowing me and 1111 I t looked In the face tac ns 18 a I 1 s sa said ld It sat Mt and amI thought furiously for fora or ora a minute his hla lingers drumming nerv nervously nervous nervously ous on his hi chair choir Then TIlen In his him usual calculating tone tono he began bean to think aloud Therell b tip an ad f fer er r him to marrow morning Velvets people h v seen better days dare and th thy y wont be glad Rind to lose loe him They may mil be able to 10 ratio raise enough dough to make the thing thin worth while No risk no rain gain gainWell Well feed and keep the kid till 1111 we see aee tho tim games Rames up then Father Joan Joltn or ortho ortho orthe tho the river Keep 1 lIp dark Mg 34 Me and Ind aee me It If Ite itye ye e can make up UI ter the rummy trick VO played u UI III Ill look in it If theres anything doing And with that he loft let mo me alono alone with Velvet Vein Maybe It wall wag th the tha disappointment or ortho ortho orthe tho the scolding 8 I 1 dont know but bul some somehow somehow how my mr nerves got lint to going again and andU andR ns U R I 1 sat tat there looking at lit t that steeping sleeping Infant the little face aee all alt at once onro seemed curiously white whit the body limp and lifeless The chloroform a horrible cold coM fear ten my may heart and Ind I lIS II to the tha cot Baby flaby My II own voice fright frightened ened coed mo me It was wu BO 8 shrill and scared Not an nn quivered Then with 7 hards g and nr my Illy hI i s kr fl 1 k IL kIng Ing Iulg III like c I l t i t I j m in mi i old 11 valet ILIUm i und U It ov 0 r baby s fate tato It H wan like Ilk g Into the tho wn after a taste nf fit c a Ii dun dungeon dungeon geon leon when I saw 1411 the th white while Up lipe open oen and the loot long 1011 lashes lub lift In tho the tusk dusk of the gloomy room all he be could see 1 I suppose was as a A I womans fate face act and hair as al I bent over ovel him hEm That what mads his him arms arm go 10 up In SUCh sudi 1 a happy hapY way lit m as aa he h Mother I suppose 11 it wo was silly of me m but a n afelt afelt felt the tears lerl come corn us as I I let tat his hi little tittle arms close around my neck and hU hb moist Hp cling to mine the tint first Ir t baby bab that r kissed kl eLl Meg Mariner Th atis what whit R it then and there thero the man or woman who uttered offered to tie harm harma harma a J hair of at that heat heal would have Ive rue to deal eal with arid from that minute one thought possessed me met to find the woman who ho owned l those tholo kisses Ido the woman who hat hal darned and patched and luv d oh h hi breathed d love lov that baby bIl I Mid And he ho was 11 emiah a 11 thing Me brown eyes eye that trusted everything and everybody a n diminutive nose that somehow poke of at birth anti and breeding Oh I 1 know 1 It even If It I was 1111 raised on the Bast I Side sweet et full lips 11 1 a 3 mop of yellow curls the curl curls that had caused his bl undoing poor hooT kid kidI I once In III a 11 while 1111 lark dark evil face tace would come between mo nio md the boys hoys and give 10 me tho the shudders Father Johns John s or the river ho had bad said sil and he knew as A well welt OH as I that the river was less lese to be dreaded aga you I 1 swore und mid made the sign of o the und and 1 Meg Mariner has hu never n or yet et b been en known to break that tha oath How I was ats U to pre pro prevent prevent vent It so iso easy euay e llY as cia tho the saying so but 1 I would somehow I would Hut But here bore I was wa And hero was the boby To hand him over to the police as to land myself behind tho tIme bars l tn and life lICe tastes good tit lit 20 even If It one ona has to 10 gill fill ones by emptying other peoples people pockets To answer eel ad that might appear Wits was Just as nil dan dall cerous I was rui ai 11 helpless as liS tho the baby bab Hut I lose hope nil all night I Ilay Ilay Ilay lay and thought and 1 planned Iud and every time I 1 rom near despairing the pres pressure pressure sure of at that little lit tie head hoad h would make me memet set met my tei te teth th again Ills yellow curls wore pillowed on my m arm he lay thor thero until It ached but I loved the ache nehe for tor forlie he lie calm as 11 If It hed been on his own oln mothers breast bren t and In trusted me me mc It was waa nearly morning when I thought thlu ht of ot Sergeant nab Hob of ot the tho Army Yes Yell a n queer friend for tor Meg Mariner to have but the beat friend n Il poor eVer over owned l lWe We went vent ent to 10 school together tos for I did didKO didgo didgo go KO to school once ones If It you dont clont be believe believe believe lieve me rue I 1 ran can show you OU a picture of ot George Washington ton presented to Mar dar Margaret garet Mariner by her for tor being a 1 girl A 4 good Hob flab Well her NAirA my may In fa ta father a atimer timer ther had said for or the more ye 1 eddi e cate em the smarter rogues they be he Why If It yo 0 n m mt me wag Wa Nags Nag we be safes nt at our I time limo o 0 wed be n Il life lite In Insurance company And so NO I went to school Just long lOll I enough to 10 learn to love cleanliness bet better tom ter than filth to love sunshine better bettor than gloom Bloom nl to use u my wits to tu got Kat the time better of ot stupid stupidity It and to know kilo Hob Bob BobI I and despise him for his hll stupid belief belle In goodness Why Shy he lie even Ien believed h lIell me mao good goal At nt heart Id battered that be tie belief lief lIet pretty hard harI heaven heayn knows and ILIIlI tid laughed In III titS his hi face tace when he lie risked 11 01 ml me meto to be bo his hll I had list n a 1 picture of cm my myself self pelt In lit a hideous collecting pennies In It a tambourine I 1 know a quicker quieter way say wa of collecting pen pennies nies niesI I seen Been Bob Hob for tor months only once or twice tice Id III heard beard his bla big hiI funny voice alee ringing out above the tho others on oil the It U would moan men a n fight with Ith my pride Irl e to appeal to him now Id Ill boasted so 10 0 of oC my easier euler way Hut the thc ghost of ot ofa ota ofa a show Iho when morning came and aid the tho baby bab saw aBW that I his hl mother Ills His HI made roads n it limp rag rg of at me nieL meI I hated myself worse than Hob hates hate sin lilli How lIow I 1 coaxed for a harder hartler than I ever coaxed Dad Iad to lot me out ou t of ot u a 1 when I came caine home hOlM empty handed banded nut lint It until after afler u a 1 and ane breakfast Cut that a laugh rip rIll rippled pled over kim hll pretty tip lips again I came across something wonderful as all I undressed him I bad let him hInt sleep In his hi clothes for tor covers arent I plentiful In Megs ICK apartment That was Will nothing more nor less leall than a gold sold locket underneath his hll little shirt at nt attached to 10 a slender thread threat of ot a B chain Nags shrewd guess V elvet people had s seen leen en better days came to 10 tome me Ine then As Au I 1 pre lol the clasp of the locket I dreaded to see pee the usual lucks locks of ot h lr as clu ti even to a n female Hut But faces aNI looked out one onea oneR a R womans with the time some wida trusting eyes eye as ai time the the other othera a mans young you II I and tine fine the nostril proud the th lips as a sensitive as II ala a girls I knew It I crIed I could have drawn a n picture of f them both I IThe The baby peered down Into my InY hand hane Mother he cried ant and then the hap happy py Iy laugh came cn cnA A line Itne to headquarters headquarter brought Ser Sergeant geant Bob Joll In k time his hi i blue coat matching his hll eyes en In n it e way to o startle one Men have hare no right to I such eyes In trouble little woman T he lie asked liked with a hand han laid on my rny shoulder Bob Rob always Iwa act acta as a melt If there were a great rat at hungry lion Iton around the corner lust jut waiting ailing to eat me meI 01 I shook my head hearl sot Net ot this thai tit Dob the troubles In me Ine Its Il tI a II funny timing thinK tnt It for tor a thief to want to return something got ot clear away aWl with nut Hut Hob nob only to h hear ar one on word Dont call clI yourself that Mar tar Margaret garet It hurts hurt Once In Ii R while hUll Bob Doh DohI rails roU me by bT the old school name mind and mindI nd I I 1 never can hear It without holding my m head a little higher a tu It ira s what I f am we vi i int cither ither of ot tie U I Mink th that tt Hit tills thu time lime my mir I 1 sip Ml IP pose polio i call 1111 H It U ins RiY lon ion science cl nce hurts woree wor Uati appendicitis a II Us I 1 knew It would some someday day tIa itch Dob gave ve a glad m en mI enI I silenced hint with II 1 looe lc It usual to hun hUIT ih II u o appendicitis R I ne need l a 1 t d tor quick will you oU bi u It 1 Flippant as I my mity words worde w iO Ie o tiey had a it serious Ii ill It WIIt otsy to ionus ore 1 to thoe tho e honest blue eyes that his hili old ole schoolmate lied hud rubbed robbed a n mother of her l liLliy e tell me mae Meg MegI I Iwas Will was never quick like you vou at it guessing Ju riddles rIddle ts Is your our trouble and anti how tan can I help Bob nob looked us Ita a stern RN his gentle mouth mojlli let lut hIm hImor Tor or answer I took away time the crude screen that hid hili the window Velvet wit Mill In the tha tim Hill util playing with an old cracked teapot and antI some lumps of augur what I stole tole was nil all I Isaid said uld For l or a R full tull minute e Hob Bob never spoke o but hut I could MO see hl hi his blue oyes 0 grow roW lark larl with pain anti and his hll hands go 0 out omit as IS If It ho he wanted to 10 push away awa the i a p c J i a pt V Vj VJ VV VS VV j J V S V lt 4 1 S I I IV l V V VV VV VV VJ VF V V V I V J 4 F Pj T c cI I V I thoughts that would woul come Hut at last he lie spoke Meg you ilc that Every word hurt him ane and me meI I could face any time but not mint Hob nob I ven en look his III ui Wily way a SI al I stammered nut Hut it Il was wall to be ho for only a R little while till a ransom was IU paid and ard I 1 meant to 10 take such sudi good 1 care of at him Hob flab I a mistake A he ii h took me up lip eagerly I know knew what he h hoped and that made mad It till still harder to go IJO on onI I L wn to o have taken a 1 rich mans child and sot got time the wrong one n baby Meg even a rich mans malis baby has baa a 1 mother I thought of ot that tbt liob honest I I forgot that any an one his has hasa hisa a mother I never hail had one ont Hob HobI I know knon Meg and his him tone lont was wae soft MItt again as u he said lalli It Hut cant you ou Imagine what that poor childs child Dont I winced under |