The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-02-10

the sleeping child. As. Mr.. Wells stood
gazing at the infantile face, the blue
eyes opened and looked up at him, while
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 o.
caring for this little one, whose coming
| she felt would dispell her brothers gloon
and bring JOY to them both.
That evening, on returning home at o
late hour, Mr.. Wells perceived pros
trate figure lying directly in front of hi;
door.
"Helloi Who is thisP You will freeze
to death in this binding Storm" he
exclaimed. But the figure remained
motionless, and, approaching, Mr.. Well:
proceeded to uncover the face. AS the
gleam of the street lamp fell uron the
upturned countenance OF young, and
once beautiful, woman he staggered
back, muttering: "Oh, my God! Has il
indeed come to thisP My poor,
poor, Lucy" and raising the frail
form in bis strong arms he
carried her into the house,
calling to his sister, who was sitting up
waiting his return, to send for o 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
bringing back to life the
inanimate form. At length 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 restless, searching glance,
from face to face, as if looking for some
beloved object. In tones of piteous
agony she walled: "Oh! my baby my
lost darline!" 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 a most
precai ious 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 failhless 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
sgony, as, turning away from her little
one, she accused them of trying to &c
ceive her. "My husband has stolen
my child" she cried. "Oh! what shall
without nv darling ?"
One day, after Mrs. Parker had been
Ill for about six weeks, Ellen entered
her room to see after her patients wants.
Ga approaching the bedside thin, little
nand clasped hers, and a trembling
voice inquired;
Have l 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 Mr.. Wells study, she
found him in state of intense ex-
citement, caused by something he
had read in the newspaper which he
ccnvulsively clutched with one hand,
while with the other he pointed to a
paragraph that read:
last night during 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, g ancing 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
uulll Sllt Is
to bear this double shock"
"You are right; my dear sister," re-
Joined Mr.. Wells: "but in the mean
time will have the unfortunate Parker
decently inferred"
Accordingly he proceeded to the
morgue, and there recognized in the
bloate6, SCARED face the features OF q
once brilliant man and the husband ol
the unhappy Lucy. By Mr.. Wells
orders the remains were 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 unhappiness and
of Lucy's misery.
Under Ellen Wells skillful nursing,
Mrs. Parker's return to health was
rapid. Day by day she gained new
strength, till at length the doctor pro-
nounced her strong enough to hear the
tidings of her child's safety. AS yet Mr..
Wells had not seen her, and only on one
occasion had she mentioned Der pre-
servers name. This was, when speaking
of her past wretched existence, she
blamed herself for having not only
blighted her own life, but for being the
cause of his misery. She told Ellen
that her father had extorted promise
from her to marry Parker by avowing
himself on the verge of bankruptcy,
from which this marriage alone would
save him. Accordingly she sacrificed
her hearts dearest love in order to save
her fathers honor. Matters got worse
instead of better, after this -fated mar.
riage. Parker spent his time and
money at the gaming table, and, finally
not content with squandering his owr
money, spent that of the firm also. A
or;siu puoa inauitahle and when at last