Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-04-21

May seemed to be turning the though,
over 10 her mind, and was perplexed wha,
to say.
"Now, muso't DO idlieE hore any lon
GER, hsda sa ssis tysh sdeep Sigh, looking
|st "OhsI .am 80 Sorfy dSrsyour' M!s said,
|fseling tba9 sfe had been laeking Ia syh-
pathy. Spno time Ian coming TO see
|the room cwhereS you :.iive; apa don't you
tMant i Dot ofsyiolets for the wi6dowIv al
Dadsstiopk this:hesdin a;aad wa3.s * ad,
"NoS1 don't wanevialets," he said tbus
Thank YOU, ,doarie:nn < 70 z ~,
II W6an he Looked Sioaind his forlors: room
Fsbs. night. he. shook hiahead again and
smiled ed = : very s palo,4 van smile. Did
any fpwerggrowS that eoald brighten it for
D He sat down and though. over all bis
lifs, Telling his story that day brought,aDl
50 wildly before hiol. :He took down a
bog ahd opened abit of yellow paper which
sbo hadlosd many timo. s;He road it
Carefully now, as.if ,heShad never seen it
before II ran thus: :, ; s. ah' 5,'
"THe child you seek vas given to Judge
sAllen Wentworth and shis: wife.s sSho WIS
oallea May, because she was, thorn iu that
)mouih let me:eutreat yoqSifs you really
care for her, to leave her 10 tho good hands
into which she has fallen. Il sanogivo you
no clew to the present home ofstke Went
worthsa & "NJARY IlANE.n7 z
Thete wero drops on thisbit of papor
where he had 5listered it With tears, but
now lie looked at il. with dry eyes. Ho
thought Of his weary pilgrimage from place
to plaoo to fiud the Wcnworths with some
dim idea of taking home his child, busi as
timc went on his love had grown purer,
holier. He would ouiy see his girl, with
his own eyes, know if she were happy,
but never disturb Der happidess. This he
had resolved upon before the spoyy morn
ing, whom he had at last found the true
place, after years Of fruitess effort. vS
Whom he sawythe gold haired sprito, with
her dainty ways, her ribbons and embrod-
cry, he could as soou have claimed her for
his daughter as he would ciaim an angel
from heaven. 3 He only prayed that he
might be- near her -rwhere he could see her
bright face and read in it her kindly heart.
If she had! been cold and proud, he could
have 1esaway, porhapa; but che was so
full of tenderness, 80 loving and gentle!
Twas balnl to his poor bruised heart to
be near her. Itwas bitter sweet. Hu felt
there was tender fattery in the name sho
called MIN ("Dads,') while the samo word
from tho street boys appeared an. insult.
Hs salded up the paper again aud looked
about the room. lie had nothing left from
tho old time but the little box iu which he
had kept tho few precious things of his life
all that had been saved from the wreck
which had swept away wife and child
Mrs., Rooney had kindly kept the box for
him. It held small faded dagucrreotypc of
his Dolly, but the pale face seemed fuBt fad
ing away into ghost.
There was a knot'of pibk ribbon there,
end lace collar with coral pin-the only
hnery the poor woman ever possessed
Should he. leave them to May when be
died? Should he let her know? No! He
resolved in sublime heroism worthy of q
martyr, that he would never let her know.
Why should he torment her with regrets
when he was gomez Yet sometimes be uady
craved word from her of love--suoh as
children give their parents. She was his
own, 10 spite Of all the barriers of time oud
circumstaucc-his Own, bis little girl Oh,
to feol once the arms about his neck! TO
hear her whisper, 'Fathcr!" To receive
one childike kiss! The longing was absolute
pain.
It was no small thing that this man cou-
quered such ongiugs and put them down
with strong huud. Frail and worn and
poor as was the outward tabernsc' o of flesh,
tho inner man had been renewed day by
day He came home every day to his
lonely room. IIe nude bmself bis Door
cup Of tea aud drank It, solitary and alone;
often pcturing to himself bright face
sitting opposite, a pretty white hand pour
ing it out for him.
"But throw away my blessog-I lost
my chance in life long ago!" he would mur
mur, with quiveriug lip. 79
This night sl! came strangely back 10
him. Ho felt restless and uneasy. He
thought it was beoause ho had told bis story
to May, and yet he wondered and looked
on as all the events of his life marshaed
themselves before him.
lie pat dreaming there till late, some :
times aoSipgs if n,ay be, but stsr,iug up
With suffocated feeling. The room wos
too wsrm and close to bin. Something
one of those mysterious impulses which are
inexplicabo to us- lied him out iuto the
street. /. was a clear, bright, starlit o xht,
and he walked on. Suddenly he heard the
elapg of q bell, and he recoIected thst
just such sound had echoed through his
dreame.
tFire! fire! frel'
Tho streets were full of tumult now.
Hurrying feet, cries Of "Where7 where?,
mingled with the alarm.
There was only one way for Dads to walk.