Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-12-24
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\NON> AAA> LII ANC<h ISA AhAVHsJ
ed. The young woman was very
poor, although she had been rich, and
her necessities were sore. The man
knew her needs and took great pains
to provide for them in such a way
that she should never know or gus
pect whence the help came. He
threw in her way the only profitable
work she knew how to do. But this
was not all, nor half. When he part
ed with the woman he loved, he for
ever surrendered all idea of renewing
the engagement. He was convinced
that he was unfit to make such wo-
man happy, and, like the hero he was,
he sacrificed his own life to hers
There was way in which he could
restore the woman's fortune; but it
involved long years of toll and priva-
ton and suffering. TO accomplish it
he must give his time and his means,
and risk his life itself in climate
which at certain seasons is dangerous
ly unwholesome."
Mrs. Hepworth was looking over,
not at, Miss Middleton as she told
the story, but she felt that the black
eyes, full of tears, were gazing stead
lily at her.
Nevertheless, the great soul of the
man bravely breasted the difficulties
and the dangers Of his task. 1t was
his plan to work out the terrible
problem under an assumed name, and
then, without her knowledge, to con
vey the redeemed estate to the wo-
man, record the deed, and disappear
forever from her world, poor, friend
less, and a wanderer.
"Year after year he toiled and suf-
fered. He lived meagerly and work
ed increasingly. He was sick many
times, and alone always, with neither
man nor woman to give him greeting,
and no companions but the negro
laborers he employed.
"F'inally his work was done. The
estate was restored to it's former fruit
fulness. The rice fields were repaired
and leased for term of We. rs at a
rental which would place the woman
he loved, not only beyond want, but
in well nigh atfluent circumstances.
The deed to her was made and re-
corded. The agent was instructed to
give a copy of it to the woman, but
to conceal the giver's real name al
ways, and the man sailed to day for
China. The agent was woman
the sister of the hero-and after the
manner of q woman she failed to
keep the secret of his heroism."
Mrs. Hepworth leIt the piazza and
retired to her room. Ruth sat still
for half an hour, and then went to
her friend.
"Will the agent help the unworthy
woman to pursue a purpose as relent-
less as the man has pursued his?" she
asked.
"What is the purpose?"
"To spend every cent Of the in
come from the estate in search for
the hero; to bring him back, and
show him that he has tanned the wild
beast"
at would be useless. He has bid
den his sister good-by, and, upon sail
ing, changed his name again, that
search might be vain, and the gift
The next day came another letter
for Mrs. Hepworth. This time it was
from physician, and it said:
"Your brother is very i'll with
country fever, from which he cannot
recover. The fever came upon him
two days ago, as he was upon the
point Of leaving Middleton Hall, and
his strength is SO reduced by over
work that the best remedies | can APP
ply have no effect. If you wish to
see him alive, you must come to Mid
lleton Hall at once.'
vi.
A fortnight later, Fred Breese, pale
and thin, but free from fever, sat with
-wo centlewomen in the piazza at
Hall. For some reason,
which the doctor never could guess,
his remedies began to do their proper
work on the very day on which the
younger of the two women, the black
Eyed one, had suggested that the sick
nan should get well in time to keep
Thanksgiving with her on the last
Thursday in November.
This year Ruth says she has some
hing to be thankful for; and rs she
says it she broods over the quaint old
;arven cradle, where Master Freder
ck Middleton Breese Is learning by
that the bend of his elbow
is an effective barrier to the swallow