The Rock Island Argus., 1881-12-08

| story. her sorrow. her incompetency to
remuaerate the loss; and then umfoIled
her plan Of Restoring their value when
she had completed her studies, begging
him to take her watch as a pledge.
Il The professor listened quietly, with
his eyes fixed on the pale face at his
side, and when Mamie had finished,
simply remarked. Il ssI hJ6I
II am sorry. We will talk about it
soms other time.
| We rose TO go; but the invalid beck
Toned us to her, nlnrrnuring: i ss5iJJ1
$50 young and happy! God bless
your .97II5fJ
Then she looked at Mamie steadily,
and turning to her husband, said:
Her eyes are like those of Alice, in
the little picture. 9A6Aa
b. Mot usually; hut to-day they are"
said our professor, docking Esearchingly
into Nannie's clear blue eyes. ,se-ss-s s
Then we passed out, sad for our pro-
fessor and happy for ourselves; and
that day Witnessed VOW of Mamie
/ Barker's that her errors of judgment
| and conduct in her past treatment of
| our tutor should be atoned for in the
/ future. Ass 9sasfH @
! .. A week passed by. and there was no
recitation in Professor Sterling's room.
for he had buried his wife. ~;
Then we met quiet lonely man there
one morning, who mechanically went
through the recitation, and at the close
i requested Mamie Barker and myself to
| remain. He drew Nannie's watch from
| his pocket, saying:
-ds'1 did not know until to-day, you left
| this in my possession You win please
fol II fxyvy faN r.,
l can trust You newswithout this pledge.
In examining this watch, see upon it
| the name of Alice That is not your
.name?'' 's.s GaE.asjt eat - HfifG
.:No. Alice is my mothers name. ~
answered Mamie. 'It was her watch
when she was Alice Carroll"
a'ssAlice Carroll is your mother. thenr'
said the professor in a tone of amaze
ment, and with far-off look in his
deep set eyes. 81 knew her once" =
Then followed such inquiries as
old friends ever put, and our tutor left
us to wonder over this strange coinci-
dence. fI3
More than year had glided swiftly
by, and the pupils at Madame D'Or-
says were preparing for Christmas hol-
idays, when L entered the deserted
| drawing-room one dark rainy evening.
There were no lights; and as / CROPPED :
my way 10 the register was surprised
| to find achair occupied by q form
| wrapped in shawl, and a face muf1ied
in a handkerchief. 7f
"Ah," thought /, ''here is some poor
girl who has no home where she can
spend her vacation. -
But Mamie Barker low voice broke
the silence with: .-.- -rF r.s.-a
''Oh. Mary, 1 am SO wretched and
miserable"
as.You wretchedp' exclaimed. 81
thought you were happiness incarnate.
The pet of your scheelmates, the al
miration of your teachers, Professor
Sterling's acknowledged favorite, bear
ing off honors like Dutch woman
| black berries, and within three days of
home. I don't understand this emo
| tion.h - ss4
81 have been happy here she re-
sponded. ''and / have longed to go
home to mamma: but now, oh, Mary,
she is going to be marriedr'
l wlistled, impolite and unladylike
| though it was, for l knew not what
comment to make.
Yes" continued Mamie, checking
her sobs; Il have been pleased for a
| long time that mamma wrote me such
| happy letters. She has had much to
make her unhappy. When very young
she loved some one whom her father
| forbade her to marry. Then she mar
ried Clarence Barker. my father; and
it grieves me TO say he treated my
mother unkindly. / used to shrink
from him in dread; and hence my fear
of menL Aftor all mamma endured, I
| never believed she would marry again
and allow siep-father to separate U.S.
/ tried to comfort her, limiting that
this might be her mothers first love.
s.Yes," she answered. Mamma
writes me that before .sho knew my
father she loved this man who is to be
my ster-father. Step-f.lther, indeed!
How could my mother?'
Scarcely less resigned was she when
she loft for home, but the next day
came q note saying:
Il have come out of the vale of tears
and am on Pisgah's top. / met my
mother in melting mood in which |
have indulged since the receipt OF the
letter, and went about with my head
bowed down like 3 bulrush for the rest
of the day. just at night, / went out
for n walk, and who should / meet but
Professor Sterling. Oh, how glad /
was! l felt like sobbing out all my
grief, and answered his kind inquiries
with gushes of tears.
rs the child unhappy he asked
kindly, peeping into my sad face.
'''Yes. | am very wretehed y
I" :And is it because Of this new step
| fatherP' he inquired anxiously
Il WAS amazed mt his knowledge, but
supposed the gossip had circulated un-
til it had reached his cars.
Il acknowledged this was the burden
of my grief, and the professor said no
more until we reached home, and he
| accepted my invitation To enter.
Imagine my surprise when my
| old tutor took both my hands and said:
so Mamie Barker dare not trust
her happiness and that of her mother
in my keepingp'
at all rushed over me then, and
clapped my hands and danced for very
| Joy.
Before either married, my mother
ard Professor Sterling loved each 9TH
er The picture of Alice, of which the
| dying woman spoke, was my own man.
| mas, for the professors wife knew of
this former attachment
''The watch with the name of Alice
was the means of finding my mammals
whereabouts, for the professor never
knew my fathers name.
''Tell Jane Morton her superstition
in regard TO broken glass is all wrong.
Instead of being an omen of i'll, it has