The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-03-02


Shut don't know who you are"
"Hush 90 said the young lady. gen.
I tly. "You must not talk. / am here
to nurse you"
And then he found himself taking a
draught from her practiced fingers,
/ and then drifting off asleep.
81 have been very i'll, haven't ?'
said he when the doctor came at noon,
as usual.
"You have been as close to the
! Valley OF the Shadow, mere than once
as a man can be in this liFe," DR..
Delagood answered, grayeiy.
The major shuddered q little
heathenish old Sybarite as he was.
The Idea of death appalled, him, and
scarcely cared to hear how near he
had been 10 the solution OF the great
problem.
"But you pulled me through" said
be, with long breath.
"Yes, 1 and your patient little
nurse, who has just gone for hsif an
hours Sleep"
"Who is she, doctor % asked the
major anxiously.
.iShe is the niece Of one of the lady
boarders. Martin, / think they call
her. Her aunt went away as soon as
the fever declared itself-in fact, it
cleared the hotel pretty nearly-but
this girl would not allow any one to
suffer for want Of care and nursing, so
she courageously remained to take
care OF you"
"Why did she do that ?' asked the
major, little lump rising in his
| throat.
"Why did Florence Nightingale go
out to the Crimea? Why are all wo-
men born heroines at heart ?" retort-
ed the doc tor.
"God bless her :" muttered the ma
jor.
And then he turned his head on one
side, and a big drop or two FLASHED
down on the pillow.
Day by day he lay there In slow
convalescence, while the pretty young
nurse ministered to him.
"My dear" said the major, one day,
ST think am beginning to realize
now Whist the blessing of daughter
would have been had God given me
one. 1 have grown very fond Of
you"
The soft blue eyes beamed smiling
ly down upon him as he spoke.
"And 1 of you," answered the girl,
in low, tender accents.
"Are you much attached to your
aunt ?-Mrs. Fessenden, / believe her
name is.
"Yes,r said the girl, half doubtfully,
ST suppose so never saw her before
she asked me to spend the season with
her at Atlantic City last month";
SIS that all you have seen OF her ?''
"That's all.'
"Then,n said the major, 81 shall
ask her to let me adopt you. Will
you be my daughter henceforth 2"
She threw her arms around his
neck, and sobbed upon his breast.
"Do you really love me? Do you
really want me ?' asked she.
"I am all alone, my ehild,n said the
major. "And you will be the suu-
shine of my house."
"But you have q son 2n
"Yes," answered the major, slight
ly frowning. "Pocr Henry But he
has estranged himself from me-"
Forever ?"
"Yes, forever ~ (Siekness, you
see, had taken none OF the inherent
obstinacy out Of our old hero's charac-
ter.)
"Papa p'-she knelt beside the
n-piIlowed invalid chair which had
been wheeled out into the sunshine
on the broad veranda-"1 am to call
you papa, am l not ?"
"Of course you are, dearest"
The majors hand stroked down her
bright hair with a tender touch as he
spoke.
"Then, papa, tell me sohy you are
estranged from him ?n
"He married 10 disregard of my
wishes,n the major sternly answered.
SIS that such an objectionable
crime ?n
objectionable ? See here, Mary,
if he had not made such fool, such
an idiot OF himself, he might have
been yonr husband. You might have
been then my daughter in very
truth Stranger things have hap
pened.n ~ --'-s 4
URut that couldn't be.n -
"Why not ?i' demanded the major.
because he is my husband alreadyi
Oh, papa, dear, dear father Il am
not Mary Martin, and yet am My
real name is Mary Ariel Martindale
and Harry, away at st. Louis, is my
husband. / only came here to stay
with Aunt Fessenden until he could
make that little home for US which
we both had hoped and dreamed OF.
Will you forgive us both, papa, for
my sake ?n
81 suppose I shall have to-" said
the major, in extreme bewilderment.
'tKiss me, dear. Upon the whole.
Harry isn't such a fool as 1 believed
him to be And you knew who
was all the while ?' oI
"Of course 1 did.n
"And you kept it dark Sly little
puss Well, Mary-I mean, Ariel
"Yes, papa"
swell telegraph to Henry to come
right back. There's only three OF ls.
Let's try and be happy together"
So, through Arieps blue eyes and
heaven-sent face Harry Martindale
was disinherited, and through her he
was received back again into his own
inheritance.
"Own up, sir, that l knew what L
about" said Harry, as be stood there,
with Ariel leaning on his arm.
'sYou dog !" said the old gentleman,
facetioUsly poking him in the ribs,
"you've got the prettiest little wife
going"