The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-06-03

| pairing the meal that Matties dett little
fingers had been wont to set out with
so much quietness as well rs celebrity,
did not fail to greet him with the ques-
ton: well, how is shef"
"She" had come to mean Matte in
the vocabulary OF the farmer and his
sister.
about as usual in health" Drew re-
piled, lifting the now five-year.old
Harry to his knee; "but troubled in
mind; though, to be sure, that is as
usual, too"
"She is out of her mind" exclaimed
Mrs. Bankes, irritably. Every one but
yourself knows that; and If you do not
know it, it is only because you are as
mad as she is-or any one might think
so from the way you 60 on"
NAY, nay" said Drew gently, as the
butter dish was set upon the table with
q vehemence that made the teacups rat
tie. "There are no signs of madness
about Mattie--unless you call her trust
in her husband by SO hard name"
Husband! pretty husband, indeed!
I've no patience with him, nor with
YOU, either. As if it was not a COM
mon tale enough! II would be better
to persuade the girl to come home and
get to work again than to encourage her
in her fancies, while you pay another
servant here-and times so hard as they
are."
"I was thinking to-day" the farmer
went on, softly passing his broad palm
over the blond head OF the child upon
his knee, ~ was thinking as 1 came
along of how it stands written; He that
loveth not his brother whom he hath
seen, how can he love God whom he
hath not seenP"
At that instant the sbadowy form of
some one going round to the front door
passed the window, against which the
fog pressed closely. Drew set little
Harry on his feet and rose slowly, lis
tening with intentness and a surprised
look that made his sister ask what allied
him.
Rover-the dog does not bark; who
by the mercy of heaven, it is the man
himselfp' cried Drew. as the door
opened with suddenness that caused
Mrs. Bankes to drop the plates On the
brick floor. For Adam Armitage stood
upon the threshold; Adam, pale and
worn, shadow Of his former self, but
himself Enthusiastically.
Adam looked around the room as
though seeking 8 ON cone, smiled in his
old fashion at Harry, gave half cnri-
Gus, half Indifferent glance to Eliza
Bankes, and then turned to the farmer.
y, Dizzy" loifS y, he said simply where is
Mrs. Armitage is waiting for you at
Stonedene. sir; there was some talk of
your coming back that way"
"Waiting" Adam threw up his hands
with a passionate gesture; what can she
have thoughtp"
"She has thought you were gone after
all upon that voyage, and that your let
ters had miscarried. Sometimes she
has thought that you We're dead, Mr..
Armitage, but never" Drew broke
off and held out his hand: We knew
you could explain what has happened,
sir" he concluded.
Adam drew his own hand across his
eyes, in the way man might do who
has lately been reused from bad
dream and has some trouble to collect
!, his thoughts.
"That has happened" he said,
} which, if it had not befallen me myself
and become a part of my own expert
!, ence, l should find it difficult to believe
possible. A strange thing has happened,
, and yet "-here the old smile they re-
membered so we'll broke slowly like
light over his face" and yet thing not
more strange, as the world goes, than
! that you-l say nothing of Mattie-but
that you should have trusted me
, throughout. detected no mistrust in
J your voice, no doubt in your eyes, not
, even when they first met mine just now.
J They call mine rare case, friend; they
! might say the same of your belief in
me. But-Stonedene, did you sayF
2 Walk with me there, and hear my tale
as we CO."
. This evening; and in this mist; and
you, sir, looking far from WELL" began
: Eliza Bankes. Matte has waited SC
long already that one night more will
: make but little difference"
: One night, one hour more than
can help will make all the difference
, between williul wrong and misfortune
that has fallen on both alike" said
Adam. He would not be dissauded
, from setting out at once, and in another
minute the Two men were pursuing theil
, way through the driving mist, Adam
, talking as they went.
After parting from Matte he haG
taken train to London, where arriving
his mothers house in Grosvenor treet
, within a few yards of which his cat
overturned and Adam was thrown out
/ falling heavily upon his head. After s
long interval, however, he opened hi!
2 eyes and recovered consciousness anC
} as he did so slowly at first, after time
more fully, the astounding discovery
! was made that memory was entirely
| gone.
! However, this state was one from
e which, SO said his friends, science coulC
g at will recall him, and the operation
1 necessary to restore Adam to himsel
| was deferred only until his health ad
s mitted of its being attended by a mini
s mum of risk.
1t was while Adam was in the stat
e above described that Drew had seer
| Mrs. Armitage. A proud woman, sh
/ was ill-p)eased to hear he had married
4 a farm servant; for that was the on
a fact that, stripped of Drew's panegyric
upon Mattie's superior education ant
s refined manners, alone stared her in tn
2 ace.
!. Hastily resolving that there was n,
r need to embitter her own life by an at
!. tempt to recall to her son this ill-fatet
e marriage, she did not hesitate to de
G ceive her unwelcome visitor. Chang
s of scene had been ordered for the pa
f tient, and before Drew called at tn
e house in Grosvenor street for the secon,
t time Adam and his mother were gone
!, 1t was in Paris, months after, that tn
f operation was finally and successfull
e performed, and then the first word O
g Adams was Mattie's name. The tirs
v effort of his newly-recovered power
was to relate to his mother the histor
of his maria op and IN yrite IN his viii fn