The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-03-09


Her ladyship and myself are on
wonderfully good terms, considering our
limited acquaintance, laughingly re-
Joined his sister. "Come and see her
new quarters, but, as she is asleep,
you must make as little noise as pos
siblei"
"Ohl hol the little tyrant has issued
her DEGREES thus early in her reign, "
gayly retorted Mr.. Wells; "but she'll
not 6nd an obedient subject in me;" and
with stealthy steps he followed Ellen
into the next room, where. lying upon an
impromptu couch, improvised with an
armchair and pillows, was the form of
the sleeping child. AS. Mr.. Wells stood
gazing at the infantile face, the blue
eyes opened and looked up at him, while
a bright smile lit up the baby features
and rendered more striking the memory
Of another pair of eyes that had looked
into his, another smile that had once
shed its rays over his pathway.
Ellen was delighted at the prospect of
caring for this little one, whose coming
she felt would dispell her brothers gloom
and bring Joy to them both.
i That evening, on returning home at a
late hour, Mr.. Wells perceived a pros
trate figure lying directly in front of his
| door.
Hello! Who is thisP You will freeze
to death in this binding Storm" he
exclaimed. But the figure remained
motionless, and, 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, muttering: "Oh, my Godl Has it
indeed come to thisP My poor.
poor, Lucyw and raising the frail
form in his strong arms he
carried her into the house,
calling to his sister, who was sitting up
waiting his return, to send for a physi-
clan and bring restoratives, as he had
Just found Lucy Shelton, dead, or
nearly so, at their door.
Ellen, who had known and loved
Lucy during her happier days in Chi
cago, assuring herself that she had only
tainted, Immediately set about
inanimate form. At length her her
efforts were rewarded; the color came
slowly back to the pallid cheek, the
beautiful eyelids quivered and re-
vealed a pair of blue eyes that
wandered in q restless, searching glance,
from face to face, as if looking for some
beloved object. In tones of piteous
agony she walled: "Ohi my baby my
lost darlingl" 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 miracle,
as some great mental sorrow was aiding
the ravages 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
hapless mother of their little founding,
tor as such both had grown to consider
her.
During her rawlings she reproached
her faithless husband with having
robbed her of her only source of hap
piness-her child, and besought him, in
plaintive tones, to bring back her baby,
to tell her 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 entreat-
les, brought the child and laid it at her
side; but instead of assuaging the
mothers sorrow, this only increased her
agony, as, turning away from her little
one, she accused them of trying to de-
ceive her. Myshusband has stolen
my child" she cried. "Oh what shall
/ do without my darling ?"
One day, after Mrs. Parker had been
i'll for about six weeks, Ellen entered
her room to see after her patients wants.
On approaching the bedside thin, little
hand clasped hers, and a trembling
voice inquired:
Have 1 been i'll long Oh, Ellen!
why did you call me back to life of
misery and sorrow P"
Hush; you must not talk now.
When you are stronger all will be ex-
planned, answered the delighted Ellen,
and kissing her pallid cheek, and recon-
mending her to rest, she fled to her
brother with the welcome tidings of
Mrs. Parker's recovery.
On reaching MIR. Wells' study, she
found him in state of intense ex-
citement, caused by something he
had read in tho newspaper which he
convulsively clutched with one hand,
while with the other he pointed to a
paragraph that read:
:" Last night during a quarrel in one
of the drinking dens in this city, a
young man named Joseph Parker was
shot through the heart by an unknown
assassin. As Parker is stranger in the
city, his body will be in the morgue
until tomorrow, 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, land 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 mean
time 1 will have the unfortunate Parker
decently inferred" ;"
Accordingly he proceeded to the
morgue, and there recognized in the
bloated, SCARED face the features of
once brilliant man and the husband of
| the unhappy Luny. By Mr.. Wells