Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-09-26

now ana these girls often play III 10 gss
|. vacation.
Bat il that is 20, us > shame yoa
should be disappointed about your lress.
Why don't yoa fad out If this sewing
| gifl is really i'll or not?'
Ella opened her eyes. "Hov can :"
"Wby, 20 10 her home, wherever il inay
be-
"Go to her home' Why. Mr. Alton.
it is probably in some wre.ched tenement
house,
Are you afraid 10 80 ttere''
"Of course | am"
"Thsn Ill tell you what. have found
something can do for yeu. will 60
and find out about this delinquent, If you
| will get me the address.
"Oh, how kind you are! Bet II 10
| really not worth while besides. II she 10 i'll,
| il might DO Of soae horrid fever."
II am not afraid Of that" he smiling'y 70.
piled, ..and should like TO be able to do this
for you. But if the girl is IL, suppose
| nothing can be done"
"Oh, of course not unless can coax Du-
ollie to do tho rest Of the quilting herself
But il is really too much trouble TO ask Of
| you.
However, Mr.. Alton insisted upon going, |
| and, after somc further talk, il vas agreed |
that MISS Bond should get the address, and |
then he would hunt up the seamstross.
| 81 suppose he intends TO offer her some
| thing handsome to induce her to do it,
said Mrs. Bond, after he had gone 81 think,
Ella, you surely have him now. twas al
most like IN accepted lover to offer TO do
this.
And the mother and daughter congratu
lated themselves on their success; for about
those days, things were almost at the las
gasp with the Bonds. Mr.. b nd was trerib
mig on the edge of bankruptcy, aud the
@hols family were looking forward to The
hope Of this wealthy marriage for Ella as
means Of rescue from othsrwise hopeless
smbArrass
Meantime, MIR. Alton walked away from
the house. thinking . good deal Of the
young lady he had left. lie admired her
on many accounts. since his return from
Europe, he had been more attracted BY her
than by any woman he had met. There
sAs brightness about her. . sparkle 10 Der
manner that pleased him. and wearied BY
long rowing. b. had very nearly decided to
propose to her, and 90 settle for life; but
} something in her manner had Jared upon
him. There WAS hardness in her tone
. | when she talked of the poor sewing girl
4
Of the real illness Of the forlorn toiler, il
had made no impression upon her. There
had been no kindly suggestion Of charity
aud good will from Miss Ella-only . pro-
found indifference t. everything but her
: dress.
u Then Mr.. Atoms thoughts wandered
I back, as they often did, to the one love Of
!. ms early li.e-,bs gentle blue-eysd girl he
had known in his boyish home. How kind
she was in illnsss-What = ministsring an.
gel she had been to the sick aud poor in the
10 usigh borhood but she had doubtless for
). gotten him long ago. He had heard of her
marriage whom he was in Europe; the
promise she had given him when they
parted she had broken; but although he
II was free to marry now, no felt, even when
% he was with Ella. lie should take the step
!, rather from ssnse of duty than IRON any
" such hope Of happiness as he had dresmed
IN nf when he stood under the chestnuis IN
the moonlight with Tia. fair young girl by
1 his side.
MAY" he had whispered then, " IL yor
will not be engaged TO me, will you, a
- least, promise not 10 marry ii. my re-
or turn ~
10 And May had given him tho pledge, s,
n. solemnly that he never doubted she woul,
keep It. However, that was all past now
y" rnd It Was folly for him to think of It Still
aia Ella Bond was very pretty girl, and woul'
ill grace his handsome house. So he wen
Inc back to see her again. and was very devot
ed IN lis manner, lingering long with he
=. after he had rot tho address which he cam
nd for, We parting with her. after all, withou
tic the decisive word.
h.. al, does not come from the heart" b,
| ~ a =. ~
= have to give, oven TO such a fascinating q,
he that?"
bs Then he drove away to find tho sewing
girl, ~ he had promised. 1t was not very
\. far, after al, from Elias own home-only
- across an avenue or 50. Mr.. Alton mad,
his way through one row OF tenement
houses, up all tao dnry slaircsses to tn,
- the top floor and ba X room, where b,
uad been directed but he knocked twic,
at tae door before a feeble voice reached
tlm that seemed TO authorize his entrapce
lie bowed his tall head to 20 under ia,
~ low door way, ami then inuni himself in
On small room, neatly lurnished, although
OF cherries. because without fire. The sur
ne was shining, howevei, and through the ont
small window, which was open 10 aimi
tue warmth md brightness, the beam.
Nv Tell Ia q shower oi g cory on the golden hail
.. and pale ani lovely face OF the Young cir
r. who lav on The low bed. The turned in
startled surprise at the sound Of the s,ran.
I'd gers entrance; then her blue eyes diated
lie with a look OF intense happiness. and she
OF held out her arms with g,ad cry-"Iom
10 Tom have you come at last?'
* Mr. Alton sprang to her side. MAY =
:, he said; "May" Then he drew back
70 suddenly. and added 81 had no thought
of Rndng you here Mrs. Clinton"
q The light faded suddenly out Of tho fair
face. and the sweet lips trsmbled ~ she
t. faltersd her answer: "rorgive me, Mr..
II Alton. had forgotten for moment how
long 1t IVES since We met but you are mis-
taken-l am not Mrs. Clinton"
re You are May johnson ystw he ex-
ID clai ned.
Surely"
= "Bu.l heard you we're married 90 long
t. ago"
NO; that vas my cousin. Marv John.
u son. who married Mr.. Fred Citation
g. And you have been true all The time :
Oh, MAY Nav my love my own
" found 1t last!' And the pale fac. Wa
suddenly gathered % close to his own thu,
d, faint color came back to the thin cheeks
y in response to the ardent caress.
FOR . time, there was not much connec.
- ted conversation between these two, rsuni.
~ ted 90 strangely bat, at last, May told
8 her story. It Was one that has often hap
psned in this country. Mr. johnson had
is died, leaving bis only child heir to nothing
10 but encountered property. After settle
1t 0snt bed been made of his seemingly
70 prosperous business. May had found hsr.
L. self utterly without AZ income. Then
u began the weary struggle to earn her own
g. living. She would not accepts home Of
4 dependence offered by some distant rela-
I tives, but came to tbs grea. city, where
| sha had fund enninrment artar .s.a.