The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-04-29

opened and looked up at him, while a
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 dispe1 her brothers gloom
and bring joy to them both.
That evening on returning home
at q late hour, Mr.. Wells perceived a
PROSTATE figure lying directly in front of
his door.
ssHello! Who is this? You will freeze
to death in this binding storm, he ex-
claimed. But the figure remained
motionless, AID approaching, Mr.. Wells
proceeded to uncover the face. As the
CLEAN of the street-lamp fell upon the
upturned countenance of a young, and
once beautiful woman he staggered
back, muttering: sob, my God! Has it
indeed come to this? My poor, poor
LucyI' 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 a
physician and bring restoratives, as he
had just found Lucy Shelton, dead, or
near SO, at their door.
IL.
during her happier days in Chicago, as
suring 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 revealed
q pair of blue eyes that wandered in q
restless, searching glance, from face to
face, as if looking for some beloved OBJ
iect. In tones of piteous agony she
walled:
"Oh, my baby! my lost darlingp
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 hap
less mother of their little foundling, for
as such both had grown to consider her.
During her rav1ngs she reproached her
faithless husband with having robbed
her of her only source of happiness-her
child, and besought him, in 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 at 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 y
she cried. "Oh! what shall do with
out my darling?"
One day, after Mrs. Parker had 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 a trembling voice
inquired:
"Have 1 been ill 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 fed to her brother with
buc WciCOiA0 tAuAASS "a AIos dIhcI .
recovery.
On reaching Mr.. Wells study, she
found him 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 quarrel in one
- 5,~.,~ J1,. <>f l..
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.
ssA 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 al1-wise God. sLucy
has regained her reason" she told her
brother; "and is sensible Of her child
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
I will have the unfortunate Parker de-
Gently Inferred
Accordingly he proceeded to the
morgue, and there recognized in the
bloated, SCARED face the features of a
once brilliant man and the husband of
the unhappy Lucy. By Mr.. Wells or
ders the remains were conveyed to the
nearest churchyard, and q plain marble
slab erected to mark the resting place of
him who had been the cause Of his un-
happiness and of Lucy's misery.
Under Ellen Wells skillful nursing,
Mrs. Parkers return to health was quite
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 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 a
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 ILL
fated marriage. Parker spent his time
and money at the gaming table, and
finally not content with squandering his