The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-11-18


formed travelling acquaintance with her,
Mrs. Elwood's pleasant smile upon
hearing this encouraged me TO ask if her
mother was living with her, adding that
should be pleased to renew the acquain>
tance if she was.
The reply was in the affirmative.
You will meet her at dinner, which is
served at two, and she will be glad enough
to have chat with you venture to say"
wrote out my telegram to father, and
Mrs. Elwood promised to have it a;tend>
ed to at once for me then after doing
everything that kindness could suggest,
che left me to the rest | was beginning
very much to feel the need of 81
y tidy looking little maid came to me
when tho dinner bell rang, to show me
the way to the dining room and there
the first person | saw was my little old
lady, already seated near the upper end of
the long table
She bowed and smiled when she saw
me, bat we were too far apart TO engage
in any conversation. After the meal was
over she Joined me, shook hands very
cordially, and invited me to come and sit
with her in her own room
| was glad to accept the invitation, for,
in my loneliness the kind face of this
chance acquaintance seemed almost like
that of friend and soon-in one of the
cosiest of old lady's apartments-I was
seated, talking mora cheerfully and unre-
servedly, than l had talked since my
baby's death.
I had expressed some surprise that she
had recognized re 50 promptly, to which
she replied: 20a -- 7g
81 had always good memory for faces,
though names am apt 70 forget; when
my daughter spoke 10 me about thee,
could not recall thee to minG-yet as soon
as thee entered the dining room, l remem-
bered thee"
''And yet I 90 not look much Ike did
two years ago." said sadly.
THAT is true, my dear; thee has alter
| ed very much. | almost wonder now that
l should have recognized thee SO prompt
! ly. Thee has seen trouble, fear" she
added, gently touching my black dress.
"Yes,'' I said, ''I have had both sick
ness and death to battle with, | neither
look or feel like the thoughtless, happy
bride, who you met two years ago.
sis it thy husband who has been taken
from you?"
"Ob, no! ! no. cried, the ready tears
raising to my eyes - don't think could
have lived if had lost him. 1t was my
baby that dlei-that was hard enough ,
the dearest little blue-eyed darling you
ever saw-just ten months old
My old friends face betrayed her sym>
| Pathy, as she sat silently waiting for me
to regain my composure. After little
while she sighed:
sit is hard to lose child, whether
young or old. | can fully sympathize with
thee in thy trouble, for | too have lost a
son since saw thee, though wea- no out
er garb as badge of my bereavement"
looked at her, little surprise mingling
with the sympathy tried to express.
81 thought l remembered you telling
me you had but one son %
''That was all" she said sorrowfully
"God never gave me but the one, and him
He has taken away"
l stared at her now IN cndisguiscd as
tonishment.
''Was not that gentleman surely. mad
am l was not mistaken in thinking the
conduclor-the gentleman who brought
you into the cars when we met, two years
ago-was your son ?"
"You are right; he was the son O
whom have spoken"
'"The one>eyed man 90 gasped, for.
getting delicacy in astonishment
The old lady flushed u little.
eyes. friend, understand whom thet
means ; my poor Robert had lost the sigh
of his left eye"
81 saw that man this morning" cried
"I saw him from the car window, before
we entered Lancaster. What strange mis-
understanding is this %
''Thee has mistaken some one else fol
him, that is all,' said my companion
gravely. ''My boy thee could not have
seen, for he died fifteen months ago, OF
the 10Th of this mentb. He died O
cholera sitter two days illness. Thee
could not have seen Robert"
81 did thought did y l cried excl
tedly, and then related to her the whole
incident. dwelling particularly upon the
signal had seen him make-a signal
had never seen but once before in my life
and then made by him when he explained
| it to me. ''I was not mistaken" l conclu
ded II could not be your son was no
an ordinary looking man, and remembel
his appearance distinctly. Sure as ST
| here, l saw this morning the man who
you tell me died fifteen months ago."
The old lady looked white and frighten
ed, while, as for me, I was growing SC
hysterical with bewilderment and excite
ment, that she would allow me to pursue
the subject no longer.
She led me to my room and persuaded
me to lie down, leaving me then, for she
was too much agitated by the converse,
ton we had had to be able TO soothe Oh
Cfuiet me-