Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-06-15

| y 10 you not remember me, JanoI' nc
said. Where is the ringi"
Jane felt her heart throb violently.
81 1havo it,p she replied, "but did
not think to see you again. Why arcyou
heref"
'I believe l am dying" he said, quiet
ly resting on the hay his handsome
head and reaching out to her one white,
shapely, though very thin, hand 81
don't ask you to do anything for me,
Let me die alone. ! am not so bad as
you may think me. I've committed no
crime. went to prison for half muir
| dering n man in fit of-drunken pas.
sion. I've never touched liquor since.
Bnt no one cares for me, my mother and
sisters are dead, and the brother who
should have helped me stole my property
and left me beggar, and the girl was TO
marry Tilted me for rich old man. No,
Jane, there is nothing for me to live for.
came up in this loft hoping to die alone
and unnoticed. came here, for here il
was / heard the first kind words which
had greeted my ears for months"
He sank back heavily At the conclusion
of this long speech, which had evidently
tired him greatly to utter.
on his head.
"You are burning up with fever" she
said, quietly, land lying in this cold
barn, too"
~ am not cold. Thchay is soft to lie
on" he replied.
Jane took off her heavy cloak and laid
It over him.
"There, stay quietly here until / re-
turn" she said.
He made no answer, but lay still, look
ing at her with sad, weary, blue eyes,
which Jane thought so beautiful.
With feet steps she returned to the
house, and burst into the kitchen, start
ling Mrs. Crane so that she overturned a
cup of milk she held.
40 dear, Mrs. Crane" she cried, and
then began to tell her of the poor man
lying in the barn, emitting to speak of
the fact that she had met him before,
but Mrs. Crane interrupted her
You'd better call father and the hired
man, and make them get him out and set
him tramping."
But Jane begged and pleaded that she
should nurse him, for he was burning up
with fever aud not able to walk. Oh,
would let him occupy her own little
room, and she would sleep on the kitCh
on sofa. ..s
What! take drunken tramp into the
house to nurse" cried Mrs. Crane, but
the end of it was that Jane coGxed her
into allowing the poor N an to come In for
just day or two, and so she ran back to
the barn, and with the help Of the hired
man got him into the house and on to the
white, sweet bed in her own room.
y Leila was wild with delight, and pro-
neunced him perfectlyelegant, and IN.
sisted on being allowed to carry up all
his meals.
eve must find out all about him."
said Mrs. Crane, softened by beseech.
ing look from the large blue eyes of the
F'dTunken tramp" e
But it was long before they even knew
his name, for it was five weeks before he
regained possession of his right senses
again, for when they brought him from
the barn he was delirious with fever, and
talked necessarily about julia" and
"my poor mother" and "that hated
Phil" Jane watched him night and day
with unfagging devotion, learning
through her very care of his wants to love
him dearly. But for five weeks she was
obliged to nurse and watch him, and then
he began to recover. They would not
let him talk at first, for he was very
weak, but Leila during the time She was
constituted as day nurse, while Jane slept,
told him long stories Of james goodness
and loveliness, and so it was no wonder
that when the pale nurse entered the
room her patient watched her every mo-
ment.
When he was able to talk he told them
that his name was Eugene Lauretson,
and was the son of wealthy and respect
ed parents. But his parents died, and it
was found that every cent of the prop.
erty' had been left to his brother Philip
Previous to his fathers illness Eugene
had been in some far Western State, and
was recalled by telegram saying his
mother was dead. He hurried back to
find that his father was lying i'll and de-
lirious in the house, and in another days
time he had followed his wife to the 9TH
er shore. Eugene was unable to speak
even aTparting word to the parent he
had loved devotedly, and 50 he was to-
tally unprepared to find that every penny
of the immense fortune, which he had
naturally thnught would be divided be-
tween himself and elder brother, had
been left to Philip, who had hated him
from childhood.
, Friends and acquaintances told him of
long aud very black stories which had
been in circulation about him, and which
had broken the heart of his father, whose
fov ha H.
II had been reported that he had led
wild and vicious life while in California,
and he never doubted but all these fab
relations were the work of his brother
Philip, who had schemed to get the
fortune for himself, and basely sue
ceeded, old Mr.. Lauretson not thinking
1t wise to leave his money to dissolute
scoundrel, such as his favorite son had
been represented. His letters, appealing
to Eugene for the truth, had never
reached him, and the old father had died
believing his younger son scoundrel
and thief Eugene had left his native
city, and mad with bitter thoughts had
begun TO drink, and in a drunken quarrel
had nearly killed man who had insulted
him. He had been sent to prison for six
months, and on coming out, disgraced
and penniless, had wandered from town
to town in search of work, and when
Jane had seen him at the pantry window
he had been about to steal in order to
satisfy hunger which was consuming
him.
The Cranes listened to the long story
of Eugene Lauretson and pitied hlm
deeply. Mr.. Crane offered him work on
the farm, but he would not accept it.
lie said to Jane one day that he had
friend out West who had started a farm
where land was cheap, and if he only
had a few hundred dollars he could join
him, and soon secure a comfortable but
hard-wOrking living.
" You shall go, Eugene" said Jane, in
her usual quiet manner. have 800 |
saved, and you shall have it all. When
you are able you shall pay me back"
At first Eugene refused this generous
offer, but Jane persuaded him into taking
the money, and with many promises TO |
lead a good and useful life he nrenared |