The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-12-04
Thanksgiving day /" was the senten.

| tlOus reply.
"Ah ! so it is. had forgotten it. 1t
is day not down in my almanac"
The girl stopped as if to say some
thing, but changed her mind and went
on with her work.
A door opened and a little fairy of a
girl perhaps six years old came in to the
room. She stood with her hands be-
hind her, and watched the "man eat.
His plate was nearly empty. He felt like
one intoxicated.
Were you ever hungry, little one 2"
he asked of the miss, scraping the last
crumbs off his plate.
Lots of times but never so hun
CRY as you. And I don't eat in the
Kitchen
"Nor I, either, always but 1 like
it.. said the lieutenaut. rubbing his
mouth on the back Of his hand in lieu
of napkin. " In fact, it's fine."
Don't yes talk too much now, Miss
Laura |" ordered Bridget, kneeling to
baste the turkey. The small girl shrug-
.ged her shoulders and pouted.
20 Is you really tramp ?" asks Laura,
] coming little nearer.
! ."A first class one, " says the lieuten-
ant. look at my boots, " and he bal
ranced his feet on his heels.
"They's real funny. They's laugh
fpg;" said the child, stopping over to
ftudy the chasms in the toes.
Don't your papa wear such boots ?"
inquired the man. -. 2:
" amt got no papa" the girl re-
piled.
" Nor I, laughed the tramp, but the
! child was Verv sober,
" My names Laura, what's your
name ?" she asked moment later.
" My name ?" said the lieutenant, his
face becoming very grave. I" My name
haven't any. 1 lost it long ago."
" Did anybody find it ?" was the ques-
tion sagely propounded. She stood
close to him now, one hand on his knee,
and wistfully looking up into his face.
A something he saw in it overcame
him, and he bowed his head. in his
hands.
"Don't be imperent !" said Bridget.
"Lave the man alone think you'd
better be going, SIR"
The leftenant raised his head.
"I think so, too" He looked again
into the child's face-stooped down and
kissed her. -"
"My hat |" he demanded, sharply, as
he turned away.
1t was near the dining room door,
where Bridget's dress had swept it. He
stopped to pick it up. At the same in
slant the door opened and a handsome
woman, richly dressed and not more than
thirty years of age, stood in the door
way. As he rose his face looked into
hers. His hat dropped from his hand
and he staggered back. :.
go God I" he cried. 9 1t is Marian"
A quick cry of surprise and Joy came
from the lips of the woman. Sne placed
her hands on his shoulders and gazed
lovingly and mutely into his face. The
mans head slowly dropped.
Husband, look at me ~ she cried,
catching his hands in hers.
"I cannot, dare not. See what I
am Remember what I was-to you,"
he said.
always my husband, James, and
always forgiven"
"Always your husband ?" standing
erect and with a wild vigor in his atti.
tude. " Marian, heard that the law
had freed you from me, because | struck
you when was drunk, and in my shame
deserted you when was SOBER"
1t was all false. / have waited for
you for five long years. l knew you
would come back some day. Now you
are here. Poor, poor husband How
you must have suffered Come with
me Laura, child, come! The back
way is clear"
Still he hung back. "I am not tit, I"
he said. 81 am forever disgraced. Let
me go away and come back again some
time when am no longer tramp"
james, this is Thanksgiving Day.
1t is our day, if anybody's. You must
come. You are no longer a tramp,
thank God Come ! 1t is home again
for all OF us y and putting her arms
around her husband she led him out of
the room and ont of his bondage.
An hour later the tramp sat at his
wife's table as a gentleman, dressed in
black clothes, his hair trimmed, his
beard cut in civilized shape. The trans
formation was complete. To his wife,
, her father, her brother and her brothers
wife, he told, after grace, the story OF
his self-imposed exile, of the shame and
remorse which had followed him for
years, of the strange faith which had
brought him back that night to the
presence of one whom he had supposed
[ to be thousand miles away, and for.
ever lost to him.
Happy No home ever knew keene1
Joy than waited upon this reunion nc
home ever had such pathos at its Thanks
giving dinner. OF all his heroism none
was nobler than that which made f" Lef.
tenant Jim once more husband and
! father-the heroism of confessing an6
! regretting the greatest wrong of his
life.