Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-09-30

the two hungry men.
Mrs. Derwent poured out the tea
strong, hot aud fragrant.
sold Seaton, up in his big house
! yonder, don't often get such tea as
this, with all his servants" said
Tom, looking across the valley to
the brick and stone palace of the old
millionaire of the village.
| Poor man," sighed Mrs. Der
went. II do pity him r His wife
and daughter dead, and his only son
so wild and wilful and a wanderer
all over the world. Only last week
he told me, with tears in his eyes,
that he had heard of his boy, and
that he had been seen lately in Lon
don intoxicated and poorly dressed.
Yet when he wrote there to him
and wrote kindly-he had disap-
peared. If it was our Tom, Elihu,
l should just break my heart. Tom,
if you ever do growEunsteady and
run away, like Philip Seaton, you
will give your mother her death
blow. Remember that ~
"Thank God, it isn't Tom,
Martha Pm sorry, too, for the
man and for the boy. Mr.. Seaton
owns that he turned him out of bis
house in London in fit of anger,
and that the boy swore he would
never enter his doors again. Bad
temper on both sides, you see; and
So Why, Martha, what on earth
is that 20
Farmer Derwent might well ask
| the question and rush from the tea
table to the door, followed by his
wondering wife and children.
A procession of four of his neigh
bors was coming up from his garden
gate.
AT the gate stood a horse and a
light wagon, and from the wagon
the four men had lifted an mani
mate body and were bearing it to-
ward the house.
''The six O'Clock express had run
off the track, mile or two up the
valley" said Farmer Jones, as he
and his two sons and his brother-il-
law reached the porch with their
senseless burden. ever so many
people hurt, but able to go on as
soon as they got righted. But this
poor fellow is so nearly dead that we
thought we had better bring him
here, being as it was the nearest
house, and send for the doctor. We
knew that you wife could nurse him
if any one could Mr.. Derwent."
"You're right there. Bring him
right in" said the farmer.
His wife led the way to her be.
bed room, next the parlor.
Tom sprang on the back of a swirl
sorrel colt and set off for a doctor.
Half an hour later the supper table
was cleared, the dishes were washed
and put away, and Alice Derwent
sat pensively by the kitchen fire,
while her mother and father were
busy with the doctor in the spare
room, and Tom, hurfying to and fro
on their errands, stopped once or
twice to inform her that the stranger
was handsome, but dressed like a
laborer and that the doctor said "it
was nea chance whether LIE lived
or died.
Two weeks passed on.
The Decor came and went each
day, the neighbors far and near vol
unteered their sci yices-all except
Squire Seaton, who lived his usual
secluc / life in his great mansion,
buried in his books, and knew moth
ing of the stranger who lay at deaths
door.
"Poor boy! Alice, l wish you
would go in and sit beside him
awhile" said Mrs. Del went, on the
first evening Of the third week of
illness. Gle is asleep now. If he
awakes you can call me. If we only
knew his people l would send for
them, fear he will not last long"
Alice crept in, and took her place
in the nurses chair.
Tears of pity ''mmed her eyes .
she looked at the wasted figure in
the bed-the pale, thin face, the fast
closed eyes, the hollow temples I'M
| der tha wat nCg larnVUp ba-v,