Drusilla with a Million

ght the words: "Funeral of General Fairmont." She read of his death in the little town in the Mid

d the paper wit

And he'

. She could almost hear her cry, "Don't leave me, Drusilla, don't leave me!" when John went to her and asked that they might marry and meet life's battles together. Drusilla never for a moment blamed her mother for her selfishness in demanding all and giving nothing; and she never would admit, even to herself, that h

phone Mr. Thornton. She could never get used to the telephone

or could the baby at the gardener's cottage evoke any enthusiasm, although she carefully looked over

lla hardly allowed him to be seat

little town in southern Ohio. I want to know how he is getting along, what he is doing, how he is living. I want you to send some one out there and fi

tarted to sa

t to know, and letters won't tell me nothing. Do this for me-send some one; 'cause if

and touched th

hn Brierly meant all the world to me once, and although I'm old no

face before him, and a softness came in

Doane. I'm always glad to

times you have to be backed into the shaf

me see-I'll s

I want to know jest how he's fixed; and I don't want him to feel that any one's inquiring into his affairs, 'cause t

rnton l

I don't think it is necessary that I go myself. I have a very c

o at once. Can't

him all the details. But I'll start him off the first thing in the mo

r the return of the man from Ohio. Finally he a

in her high

impatiently. "I'm nigh

ew a bundle of pap

d regarding the present circum

usilla. "I ain't seen him for mor'n fort

smiled at he

ingularly well preserv

s, or somethin' to eat. What does h

spare man, with white hai

yke beard? You

d to a point-rather a

ntleman and looked it

in the best

is he-m

never

seeing beyond the men to the lover who had

e live

of some people with whom he ha

in bu

ntil the panic of 1893, w

he live on?

of the wreck of his bus

uch ha

dollars a year; just enough to keep

happy? Did you

es not seem unhappy, but he is a lonely old man. All

does h

s his

to say that if he'd attend to business mo

erk la

l man, and he seems to have paid very little attention to the making

lla s

in Silas Graham's grocery store when he was a boy, and Silas had to keep pryin' him out from behind the barrels to wait on customers. Silas said when he let him go that John

ng else you woul

itatingly. "I guess tha

t for a few

e seem

trong a

he could trave

s perfectly able to

thank you very much, young man. I suppose you have a lot

handwriting that, although a little feeble, was still familiar to him. He took it home from

R J

have no home at all. Years ago your home would have been mine if you could a give it to me, and now I want to share mine with you. I'm not proposing to you, John; we're too old to think of such things, but I do want to die with my hand in some one's who cares for me and wh

SIL

u. This is a threat, John. You see if I am sev

it from her head. Some one had told the newspapers about the baby left on her doorstep, and that she had refused to send it to the police, and one morning

aten charity bread and it was bitte

und a little boy about two years of age standing there with a note in his hand. The grounds were searched for the person who had brought the baby and left it standing there, but no one was found-and he, too, was added to the butler's growing family. In the next week eleven children were brought to the house in aristocratic Brookvale, and Drusilla was frightened at the inundation of young that she had brought upon herself. They were of all kinds and all descriptions. There were John and Hans and Gretchen, and Frieda and Mina and Guiseppi, Rachel, Po

eyes twinkled misch

erous additions to t

there and tell me what to do. You got me in

stopped i

ouble? How did I get

ms and babies having to be all dressed in the same way, and have all their hair tied with blue cord, and eat porri

id a few things

any baby I'd ever held in my arms goin' to a place like that and bein'

ntion jelly-mo

ouldn't let Mr. Thornton give that blessed l

d already decid

said, 'but still,' and I don

I say, Mi

in. I got eleven babies on my hands,

s a questio

estions, and the answers ain't found. I wash my h

a sat back

responsibility on me. Wh

d have been called a snort. "He says jest what you'd suppose

ton a little sadly. "I don't see wha

nt for you. I've heard that with every baby that's come. N

keep them,

eleven babies and they

ad better head

jest come and there ain

watch the gates, and arrest the next

Dr. Eaton, they're the cunningest lot of babies! I go round every night to see 'em undressed. I've took more exercise t

sensibly, Miss Doane. What are

do you

to do with yourself?

d, between you and me and the gate-post, Dr. Eaton, I'm not used t

an do that's worth while. There's a whole lot of babies in the world that need a

give them

ould give them a better

rin' what to do with it. I want t

ng that they'll have love and care instead of being brought up by chance or c

His eyes grew bright, his voice earnest and thrilling t

ylum and see all the little tads herded around in bunches by paid nurses, and no one really caring for them, no one tucking them up at night, no one singing them little songs, no one hearing their evening prayers, it seems to me that I must take them all away with me. It seems

y wiped the tea

st make me cry. But

ouse? You don't us

shakin' around loose. Young man, there's twelve empty bedrooms in th

fill them up? Of what us

woman's got so many rooms when there's lots of people

ou've too much; a great many

it to take

e to figur

d help, and they ain't enjyin' them so much as I am. First thing I know the hull cahoots of 'em'll leave,

it over and let you know wh

I'd take to raisin' children at my time of life; but you never c

something. If it doesn't work, you can always send them to the police th

e no worse off'n when they come. Wel

tart somethin

from Drusilla herself, which showed that it was of the utmost importance to

over at once," she said. "I've got ano

, and he found a very excited little woman,

the way. I've got the car and m

but stepped into the car, and g

ton la

ry, Miss Doane? I

d and pinched the baby and made it cry, and then the poor little mother who was waitin' somewhere to see her baby took in, come to see what was the matter, and they took her. I can jest see it all-the poor little mother in hidin', waitin' to see her baby t

dollars that were so badly needed in the home. They were all there, those hangers-on of misery-the policemen, the plain clothes men, the probation officers, the cheap lawyers, the reporters. Here and there was an artist or a writer

rose and stood before the Judge with a baby in her arms. At first she was so frightened that she could not answer the ques

e will not hurt you. Just te

so low that her words c

know it

ow it was wrong,

as I could. She's my baby-and-and-I wouldn't see her again-and I just kind of waited round-"

yet you cared enough to go to her wh

n' might be hurtin' her or she wasn't covered up w

that way, how cou

one would speak to me, and it would hurt Mother so. I jest couldn't. She's only two weeks old, and you know when you leave

tained, questioning face

ing to do if the

rk somewhere, but you can

ou no f

irls in the stor

to leave the bab

d so I left mine, thinking that if she saw her once, she is so pretty that she'd have to love her, and she'd have a chance

some of the homes that a

didn't kno

at would have helped you. Didn'

to Mother, and I didn't want her to know and feel bad, so I didn't talk

nt to keep

s face br

I can't! They tell me there's n

you

jest give me a chance! I'll work my fingers off for

but he was interrupted by a little o

me that girl and the

es at the excited, flushed face

t's

l and the baby, and I'll take her.

n silence; then the young man besi

th you a moment

r. Eaton, and the kindly-faced, white-haired probatio

re of Miss Drusil

ed those who were entwined in the meshes of the law from the onlookers; th

ced in the motor and whirl

quiet for a

found our nurses. Here's our first one

at would be rat

as in just the same fix as this one. Now, look at that letter of John's mother. It sounded as if she wouldn't 'a' left him if she could 'a' got work to keep him.

t how can we get them? They natur

ertise in

ey would be afraid it would be

live with them while they're doin' it. Tell 'em I give my word that nothin'll happen to 'em. Git that yo

d thoughtfully f

k, and again

dvertisement and put it in all the papers-Dutch, I

house in Brookvale Drusilla was ve

o one of the spare rooms and see she has a bath and the baby some milk. Have you had your dinner? No; of course not. Jane, git her somethin' to eat-somethin' sol

hird floor, where there

in! Now, how many beds can I put here? We'll take them big tables out and we can put a lot of beds side b

looked at

could put six little beds along each side, and a couple in the other room

we need-beds and whatever babies should have-and send them right up. Tell the storekeepers that they must git here at once or I won't take 'em. I can

n the billiard room, and the little mother was installed as fi

-when Mr. Thornton was ushered in. He was more severe and uncompromising tha

nervous. She said, as if it were the usual

. Thornton? Won't you h

u. I came to

. Set right down and we'll have a comfortable visit.

ner is wait

call it lunch. I think a great big dinner at night makes yo

n to court, and brought home wi

ws does travel! How

the evenin

but what I git in the papers. I don't need to talk to

She took her glasses from her forehead, where they had been resting

em!" she stopped to comment

own," she said, handing the

he used when trying to frigh

statement that it is all a mistake, and that you d

s jest what they are-wanderers. But they won'

do you

nton. I mean to give that m

, Miss Doane; or at least I hop

plain Am

nd those children that have been l

m to be one since I got all this money; a

ch child that it should be sent, along with the others, to the p

ion. Them babies of mine was never ordained for a home-the kind you mean; and I won't put 'e

mpossible, qui

impos

te client, Mr.

sent me these. I feel that I'd be a goin' against His plans if I didn't keep 'em. My old heart's jest full of love that's goin' to waste, and I want to give it to some one, and," laughing, "I can't waste much of it on you, can I? I don't want to die with it all shet up inside of me. I want to love these babies and learn 'em to love me. Why, what chance will a baby brung up in a 'home' have to know about love? How can they ever be l

ornton

t is a disgrace to the neighborhood

a flush

it a 'home'! It's a home, but not the kind

You will get into trouble, and

laid her hand on M

was a hand to do that. But when I do you'll be the

looked down into the earnest face of the li

nnected with the business of the estate; but of course

rew a sigh

almost always come here to scold me. You ain't near so stiff inside

and kissed the w

babies or no babies

hat you want to say'll keep till next time, and I know i