Chapter 12 - Miri

By the time that Sally came after work, Henri and Miri were good friends. After the morning's shopping spree with the maid, Henri and Miri had a picnic lunch together and walked in the park. Sally came into the parlour to find Henri trying to teach Miri how to play a board game. He was smiling and looked very happy. She was holding a small very new teddy bear and she looked bright and happy too.

"Sally, this is my new friend, Miri. Miri, this is Sally." Sally gave the little girl a hug.

"I need to speak with Sally, Miri…" Henri took Sally to a corner of the room and said, "I must find out where she belongs…she says she lives under a bridge a long ways away. That's all she can tell me. That doesn't make any sense."

"Yes it does, Henri. There are still some Hoovervilles existing…you know, the shantytown areas where people put up shacks of tin or cardboard. Those that lost their jobs and homes…"

"Oui, I know of that…perhaps this is one of them?"

"I think so, Henri. I will look into it."

"Merci beaucoup. Will you find out if she has parents or relatives? Miri can stay here until we find out who she really is."

"Yes, my darling. I love you." She hugged him

Henri looked surprised, but gave her a kiss. They came back to Miri, who was talking to her bear. "Miri, you do not mind to stay here at my house tonight? I will have a room upstairs for you."

"A room, all by myself?" Miri looked amazed. "That's nifty! Henry, you're a nice man!

Finding that Miri had come from a shantytown not far away from his mansion, Henri donated money for several apartment buildings to be put up to house the people and created a fund to help them find jobs. He helped with funds to renovate several old apartment buildings to house more families.

Miri had no relatives. He discovered that her father had been killed in an industrial accident and her mother had died of consumption. There were no siblings and the girl had found shelter in the shantytown. The other inhabitants of the town had cared for her and several other homeless children by providing a ramshackle place for them to sleep and food when they could find or steal it. The children were on their own and often wandered about, some getting into mild trouble, as Miri had done or much more serious trouble.

Since no one claimed Miri, Henri had begun adoption proceedings through his lawyer. Henri had no idea that a seven-year old child could bring such joy into his life. She enlivened the whole household.

Miri's adoption went through and Henri asked Sally to be his wife. She accepted and they were married in a small quiet ceremony in a nearby chapel. There was only a small wedding reception, mostly consisting of Sally's friends and acquaintances and Henri's servants, as he had no real friends but Sally.

Henri broke off all the business relationships that he felt were not honest. He asked Josephs to put up the plain wooden cross that he had always had in his home, but had taken down and hidden in a drawer when he had started to do some dishonest things. It had then made him feel uncomfortable. It had always been a reminder to pray, and he had not prayed in some years.

Sally and Miri were a wonderful family and Henri tried to be the best husband and father he could. He arranged for a home tutor for Miri but Henri, conducting most of his business from home, was able to spend a lot of time with Miri also, teaching her many things and he took her for outings often. When Sally had a day off from the hospital, she joined them.