The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-04-07


Elizabeth put her hand on the skinny
fingers. "Take care of the children for
me, Sally"
"Sartin. Yoh's not goin' fur?" with
a vague alarm.
But Elizabeth made no answer. and
disappeared in the darkness.
The letter which Danford found on his
return contained these words:
have an incurable disease. have but
little while to live, and will not stay TO he
come an object of disgust and loatbinr 70
YOU and the children. Do not try TO find me-
| You never can do it. My measures are too.
well taken. You shall know when I am
dead.
There was not a word of affection or
of farewell. She could not trust herself
to that.
In these practical days, whatever a
mans agony, he acts promptly and prac-
tically. In day Danford's friends had
set all the machinery of ADVERTISING
telegraphing, detective agencies at work :
but to no effect. They searched distant
places first-the scenes of those old eX-
cursions of which she had talked so
much, the homes of her school-mates,
the county in Kentucky from which she
| came.
"She would not 60 out of sight of me
and the children" poor Danford insist.
ed: but nobody needed him. DR.. Prev.
for reasons of his own, never made him.
self known in the matter, and Elizabeth
had not limited her disorder to the old
family physician. He would tell Rich.
ard" she said Simply because she had
taken no measures of precaution, she
had left no clew whatever.
Month after month passed. Danford
was at work again at his desk. When
work was over he walked the streets un-
til late at night. 1t seemed to him that
every moment be would meet her or hear
that she was dead. The horrible cruelty
of her conduct to himself never occurred
to him; it was only of her, dying alone,
perhaps in want, that he thought. The
police reported to HIM, from time to
time, their superhuman efforts But we
all know to what these efforts usually
amount in cases of disappearance
Mrs. Danford knew the city was her
best hiding place. Nowhere could a
human being sink as securely out of
sight as in the monotonous blocks
of Philadelphia, with their million
of inhabitants. There was little
that was distinctive about Lizzie.
A thin, oldish .looking woman, who wore
cap and spectacles, lodged in room
over a bakers shop in Kensington, and
earned a dollar or two week by slop-
work. She brushed against policemen
every day. Sometimes at night, wrapped
in cloak, she carried basket filled
with shoelaces and pins to the depot,
and sat in a dark corner until the pas
sengers to Germantown had gone out.
She usually fell asleep, when her sun
bonnet covered her face. Richard OF
Charley came to that depot once or twice
Danford saw the wan white hand which
held the basket, stopped, and then went
on. Another night Charley asked heI
the price of something, but she made nc
answer.
After that she was not able to leave
the house for weeks, until one night
feeling that the end was near, she took
her basket, covered herself in large
cloak, and found her way out to the
depot in Germantown. She sat dowr
outside in the dark shadow made by 6
freight-car and waited for the trains
! Danford was in the last Some people
stopped him close beside her. she coulC
have touched him by putting out he
hand.
1t was her husband whose clothe.
brushed hers, the man whose head haC
rested on her bosom. With feverisl
swiftness the old days when he was he
lover came back to her, all the romance
the passion, of her life she was girl
beautiful; she heard that soft music
again which sounds but once in life
Then she was conscious of The horrible
death whose grip was on her, of even the
miserable cloak in which she was
wrapped. 1t seemed to her cruel tha
when she was an outcast, her body giver
up to slow decay, that Danford should
be coming home from his work quietly
as though nothing had happened. Hi
was dressed carefully, as usual, hi
'HAShSAS maui u llllulcu. OuI Ol lUt
car, too, stepped the very Annie Ware
of whom she had thought so often lately
She stopped and shook hands witt
Richard.
When he went up to his own house
his wife followed him. He opened thu
door with his latch,key, went in anc
shut it, she standing opposite. Tn,
wind blew tiercely the snow and slee
full in her face. The shades were no
down in his room. She saw him turn VI
the light and stoop over the crib. Thel
ne walked across the floor with a little
white-gowned figure in his arms.
Nelly Nellyw cried her mother
one ran across the street, she raised hel
hand to beat upon the door, and ther
she turned quickly and went back to tn,
depot, and so to town. A stout gray
haired man followed her, entered tn,
same car, left it as she did, and. A mo
ment after she reached her room owe
the bakery, was knocking at the door
She opened it.
" DR.. Thayer!"
Yes, Lizzy. Any fire? I'm hal
frozen"-bustling forward to the stove
so as not to look at her.
lou-you had no right to follow
me"-standing at bay, her eyes blazing
80 my God! why didn't Won com,
sooner?"-crouching on the floor besid,
| hin, cobb;n,, -. ItoNi DNolN'