The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-07-10

nothing, and previous short allow
ance had enfeebled him. When
night came he staggered to his Of
flee to find that after repeated warn
ings the landlord had taken posses
sion and locked the door.
With his brain whirling and his
limbs tottering with weakness, DR..
Cotton wandered, he scarcely knew
where. Hunger and fatigue were
doing their work. He walked sever
al blocks when his eyes fell upon q
carriage standing at the curb. A
coachman in a livery sat upon the
box and the door stood open. just
then q lady came out Of an adjacent
house, and walked toward the vehicle.
The famished man saw that she car
ried the pocket-book in her hand
The demon of hunger suggested
robbery as his eyes fastened upon the
well-flied treasure. He darted for
ward so quickly as to attract her at
tention and for minute she looked
fxedly in his face. A strange ex-
preston passed over her face, but it
seemed scarcely that, of fear. She
hesitated q moment, and then laid
the tips of her fingers upon his arms.
"I have been waiting for you," she
said ;l"get into the carriage please"
Wondering at the meaning Of her
words, and scarcely knowing or car
ing what he did, DR.. Cotton did as
the lady requested him.
"Drive home," said the lady to the
driver, and away they were borne up
q fashionable avenue.
"She has mistaken me for some
body else, he thought, and I must
undeceive her"
Then he said aloud, "You' have
doubtless made a mistake--at least
I have forgotten you if I ever had the
honor Of an acquaintance"
"No, sir" was the reply, "I have
made no mistake; but the explana-
ton is too long to be made here
Will you not wait till I reach my
home"
DR.. Cotton assented, wondering if
the whole adventure was a creation
OF his feyered brain.
They arrived, after short drive,
at brown-stone mansion Of cohsid-
cradle size and beauty. The carriage
stopped, and the lady led the way up
the stairs into the hall. Here the
weakened strength of the doctor
gave way, and he sank into the chair
half fainting.
"Why, what is the matter?" asked
the lady in great concern. care you
ill?"
The lady hastily summoned the
the servants and had him assisted to
an easy chair. Tempting viands and
generous wines were placed before
him, of which he partook with good
effect, feeling stronger and better i'm
mediately thereafter.
The lady had absented herself dur
ing his repast, but nowshe returned,
diyested of her street dress, and
wearing rich robe. For the first
time DR.. Cotton studied her face,
he thought, the most perfect in love-
illness he had ever seen.
"Are you prepared for explana-
ton Of my rather strange conduct"
she said.
DR.. Cotton bowed.
"Do you not remember me?" she
asked.
"Do you remember" she contin-
ued, sin Baxter street years ago, Of
talking with a dirty, ragged little
girl-of telling her that she was too
pretty to live there, and Of sending
her to the Girls Refugee"
After thinking moment, he said
he did remember that circumstance.
'I am the same girl, " and she
smiled merrily at Colton's look of
amazement. 1 went to the Refuge as
you told me to do, and was kindly
received. I proved an apt scholar,
and at the age Of seventeen was able
to get situation as teacher in one of
the public schools. l had thus been
employed but few months when a
wealthy retired merchant, named Ar
thur Ralston, formed my acquaint-
ance and asked me to marry him. -
had no friends and his honorable
conduct won my esteem. I married
him, only to become within a year, a
widow with fortune. All this time
1 have never forgotten the author Of
my success, and have always longed
to reward him in some way for the
advice which proved SO valuable
And I fear," she added kindly, "my
assistance was badly needed.
"1ndeed it was" and Cotton re-
lated his career.
DIR. Cotton slept soundly thatnight
under the roof Of Rosa Ralston.-
The next day he returned to his Of
fce-his protege, as she called her
self, insisting upon furnishing him
with money TO pay his rent and re-
deem his pawned instruments and
clothing. And her bounty was SO
skillfully bestowed that it did not
seem like charity, "only interest on
an old debt, as she expressed it.
They were married on Rosa's
twentieth birthday, and now DR..
Cotton, happy in the possession of
lovely and loving wife, fortune and
q large practice, can complacently
contemplate his days of starvation
and despair.