, 1881-04-29

bright smile lit up the baby features and
rendered more striking the memory OF
another smile that had once shed its roys
over his pathway.
Ellen was delighted at the prospect of
caring for this little one, whose coming
she felt wOuld dispel her brothers gloom
and bring Joy 20 them both.
That evening ON returning home
at n late hour, Mr.. Wells perceived
PROSTATE figure lying directly III front OF
his door.
Hello. Who is this? You Will freeze
to death i'll this binding storm, lie eN-
claimed. But the figure remained
motionless, ard approaching, Mr.. Wells
proceeded to uncover the face. AS the
CLEAN of the street-lamp fell upon the
upturned countenance of young, and
once beautiful woman he staggered
back, mutteriuG: "Oh, my God! Has II
indeed come to this? My poor, poor
Lucvw and raising the frail form in his
strong arms he carried her into the
house, calling TO his sister, who was sit
ting up waiting his return, to send for
physician and bring reStoratlVes, rs he
had Just found Lucy Shelton, dead, or
near so, mt their door.
Ellen, who had known and loved Lucy
dnring her happier days IN Chicago, as
surfing herself that she had only tainted,
Immediately set about bringing back TO
life the inanimate form. At length her
efforts were rewarded; the color came
slowly back to tine pallld cheek, the
beautiful eyelids quivered and revealed
n pair of blue eyes that wandered IN n
! restless, searching glance, from face to
! face, as if looking for some beloved OBJ
ject. In tones of piteous agony she
walled:
"Oh, my baby! my lost darlingT
| Then, as if speaking to some unknown
person she would clasp her poor little
/ hands and implore the restoration OF her
| child.
| The doctor declared hers to be most
! precarious case of brain fever, and that
/ her recovery would be almost a miracle
/ as some great mental sorrow was aiding
! the rayages of this terrible disease.
| For many weeks Lucy's life tottered
| on the verge of eternity. Mr.. Wells and
| his sister were untiring in their care and
| watchfulness, making every effort IN
/ their power to save the life of the hap
/ less mother of their little founding. for
as such both had grown to consider her.
! During her ravIngs she reproached her
/ faithless husband with having robbed
3
! child, and besought him, III plaintive
! tones. to bring back their baby, to tell
where he had hidden their child. On
! one occasion she pleaded so piteOusly
/ that she be restored to her arms, that
Ellen moved by her entreaties, brought
! the child and laid it ut her side; but in
stead of assuaging the mothers sorrow
] this only increased her agony, as, turn
| ing away from her little one, she accused
| them of trying to deceive her.
My husband has stolen my child,
/ she cried. "Oh! what shall do with
out my darlinc?"
/ One day, after Mrs. Parker lad been
| i'll for about for six weeks, Ellen entered
her room to see after her patients wants.
! On approaching the bedside thin little
hand clasped hers, and trembling voice
! inquired:
Have I been i'll long? Oh, Ellen
why did you call me back to,a life of mis-
cry and sorrow?'
Hush, you must not talk now. When
( you are stronger all will be explained"
( answered the delighted Ellen, and kiss
/ ing her pallid cheek, and recommending
! her to rest, she fled to her brother with
the welcome tidings of Mrs. Parker's
recovery.
| found hlm in a state of intense excite
ment, caused by something he had read
| in the newspaper, which he clutched con-
vulsiVely with one hand, while with the
other he pointed to paragraph which
read:
Last night during a quarrel in one
of the drinking dens of this city, young
man named Joseph Parker was shot by
an unknown assassin through the heart.
/ AS Parker is stranger in the city, his
| body will be in the morgue until to-mOr-
row, in case some of his friends might
wish to claim it.
"a terrible end to an ill-spent life" ="
was Ellen's verdict, as, glancing over the
article, she realized how Just are the
| punishments of an all-wise God. "Lucy
! has regained her reason" she told her
brother; "and is sensible of her child's
loss. We must conceal it safely and the
death of her husband from her until she
is sufficiently strong to bear this double
| shock"
''You are right; my dear sister," re-
| joined Mr.. Wells; but in the meantime
1 will have the unfortunate Parker de-
Gently Inferred
Accordingly he proceeded to the
morgue, and there recognized in the
/ DlOated, SCARED face the features of a
once brilliant man and the husband of
the unhappy Lucy. BY Mr.. Wells Or
ders the remains We're conveyed to the
nearest churchyard, and a plain marble
slab erected to mark the resting place of
him who had been the cause of his I'M
happiness and Of Lucy's misery.
Under Ellen Wells skiilful nursing,
Mrs. Parkers return to health was quite
rapid. Day by day she gained new
strength, till ut length the doctor pro-
nounced her strong enough to hear the
tidings of her chil2's safety. AS vet
Mr.. Wells had not seen her, and only on
] one occasion had she mentioned her pre-
servers name. This was when speaking
of her past wretched existence, she
blamed herself for having not only blight
ed her own life, but for being the cause
of his misery. She told Ellen
that her father had extorted q
promise from her to marry Parker
by avowing himself ON the verge of
bankruptcy, from which his marriage
alone would save him. Accordingly she
sacrificed her hearts dearest love in or
der to save her fathers honor Matters
got worse instead of better, after this i'll
fated marriage. Parker spent his time
and money ut the gaming table, and
finally not content with squandering his
own money, spent that of the firm also.