The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-03-17
A RECOVERED TREASURE.

"Must you 60 out again, dearestP"
Helen Tracy's wistful blue eyes were
lifted to her husbands face as he came
into the sitting-room with his overcoat
on. He vas a tall, stately looking man,
with q high forehead and clear brown
eyes, and the p~leasantest of smiling
mouths; but Helen's face had a some
what ia its blonde, oval beauty that re-
minded you of the hunted fawn or the
wild bird stricken down by the sports
mans shot. She was fair as a lily, with
hair of bright, rippled gold and large,
v%iolet-dark %eyes-such a one as you
might fancy Saxon Rowenato have been,
in short.
eyes, but I shall soon be home, Nell,
so don't worry yourself about me. Har-
ry is asleep, I see."
AS he spoke he glanced towards a
velvet-cushioned sofa, where a beauti-
full child of scarcely three summers lay
nesting in the flushed, lovely sleep of
infancy, with his dark curls thrown
back from the dimpled cheeks and one
hand underneath the head.
eyes; he has been in the garden all
the afternoon, and fell asleep almost the
minute his nurse brought him in"
DR.. Tracy stood a moment looking
down upon the child.
elbow pretty he grows. All, Nelly,
we have the most precious treasure
Heaven ever gave to his children in this
boy"
Mrs. Tracy's lip quivered-the dewy
shadow crept into her eyes.
"Oh, Henry, if l only had my little
Bertha, tool"
"Still brooding on your lost one,
HelenP My dear, l had hoped that time
was healing up that wound in your
heart. Is it wise, is it discreet, thus 10
forget the bounties Heaven has given
you in the one gift he has withdrawn"
eff l could only be certain hat she
was indeed lost, Henry" sobbed the
fair-haired woman "IfI could have
planted daisies above her grave, and
counted her growing years in heaven
but l a not. She may be in want-she
may be ill or suffering, and l so power
less to aid her"
"There a be no doubt that she is
dead, Helen," soothed the husband.
Were it otherwise, your brother-in-
law would long since have commune
Gated with you"
"IfI could only believe tiff l could
only ease this aching at my heart" re
iterated Helen. ado not think me I'M
grateful, Henry, but indeed 1 a not
forget my little lost Bertha"
At this moment Harry sat up on the
sofa, loudly claiming his mothers at.
tention; and DR.. Tracy went away with
the pleasant recollection that Helen was
smiling back to her boys smiles. All!
where was there ever magnetism like
the touch of a child's hand to soothe
the aching heart or headP
The flaming crimson belt of the late
sunset glowed suddenly above the leaf.
less October woods; the tall trees tina,
skirted the lonely road on either side
seemed to stand like gaunt sentinels
DR.. Tracy buttoned his overcoat one OF
two buttons higher a he drove along
the solitary highway, and felt the raw
piercing chill of the evening air; and
all the time he was thinking of Helen's
, words.
She was a widow when he married
her, this fair Saxon beauty widow
whom the death of her handsome
foreign swindler of a husband had sci
free from a bondage almost worse thar
slavery. Francesca Petroni died; but
Paolo Petroni, his brother, lived, Q
dark, designing man. Bertha, their in
FAINT child, had been consigned, by
,F~rancesco's desire, to his brothers. care
during the illness that proved fatal tc
him. All the widows subsequent eff
forts to gain possession of her little ont
Gvcre futile
"My dear lsistcr-in-law," said tn,