Part 21 (1/2)
Both children regarded the strange lady with breathless interest when the lawyer seated her in the roo the rich, handsome and powerful people of the earth She had what in later years they learned to call refineive it no naett and the landlord's ere suant in appearance, though her face was anxious and her eyes were darkened by crying
”This is Mrs Tracy froo yesterday, and I telegraphed for her a half-hour or so before the child was taken out of the house She came as far as Indianapolis, and found no Pan Handle train, this e and drive over Mrs Sebastian, will you be kind enough to set out so for her to eat as soon as you can?
She has not thought of eating since she started And Mrs--what did I understand your name to be?”
[Illustration: ”THIS IS LORD'S DAY,” SAID WILLIAM SEBASTIAN]
”Padgett,” replied the children's guardian
”Yes; Mrs Padgett Mrs Padgett, irl ith you some days, she would like to make some inquiries”
”But the child's taken clear away!” exclaiett
”If you drove out from Injunop'lis,” said the Quaker's wife, ”you on on the 'pike”
”The shoagon took to a by-road,” observed the lawyer ”We have ht for them to carry off that child,” said the Quaker's wife, ”and if I'd tended the door they wouldn't carried her off”
”It was best not to arouse their suspicions before she could be identified,” said the lawyer ”It's easy enough to take her e know she is the child ant”
”Maybe so,” said the Quaker's wife
”Easy enough The vagabonds can't put themselves beyond arrest before we can reach theainst us if we meddle with them unnecessarily Since Mrs
Tracy caedparties drawn up for exaes and sizes”
”Did she,” inquired Mrs Tracy, bringing her chair close to Grandlasses, ”have hair that curled? Rather long hair for a child of her years”
”Yes' for a child about five or six, as I took her to be But she was babyish for all that”
”Yes--oh, yes!” said Mrs Tracy
”And curly How long since you lost her?”
The lady from Baltimore sobbed on her handkerchief, but recovered with a resolute effort, and replied:
”It was nearly three o She was on the street with her nurse, and was taken away almost miraculously We could not find a trace Her papa is dead, but I have always kept his memory alive to her My friends have helped me search, but it has seeer”
Grandlasses and polished the at Robert Day and Corinne ”I had a scare at Richmond, in this State”
”Are these your children?”
”My youngest andaith the little girl, and their gettin' lost, that put me to such a worry:”