Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-03-22
you may depend upon it. and it has
touched her brain"

Aoohou d iulAuto dt Her WOtuu say SHE
was tramp all her days. But she
has come to. Are you Letter now,
my dear2 Could you take glass Of
milk ?"
The old woman was seriously i'll
too i'll to be removed, even il there
was any place to remove her TO /; SO
that Aunt Deborah was obliged to
digest the venom of her spleen against
tramps and trampdom as best she
could, and the invalid was placed in
Miss Clara's own bed and the doctor
was sent for.
When Mr.. Dickson, Clara's uncle,
came home, he entirely approved the
proceedings, and declared he would
never have held up his headif thelow-
est of Gods creatures had been driven
from his door to die by the roadside.
Nothing could surpass the devotion
of Clara to her invalid. The latter's
dress had been removed and some of
Miss Deborah's substituted. And now
that she was cleaned and .'tidied up"
she presented much more aristocratic
appearance than Miss Deborah herself.
She was i'll high fever and re-
quired careful nursing. Her rawlings
were incessant, and Clara could gather
from them that the surroundings of
her life must have been elegant and re-
fined, but no clew as to her name
Clara's devotion had its origin in her
pity and charity, but indeed she
felt the necessity of the occu-
patton afforded her by this good
action to fill the void left in her heart
by the first great grief of her life.
Clara Story was an orphan, her
parents having died when she was at
an early age. She had spent a year al
ternately at her paternal uncle, Mr..
Story's, old home in Chestnut Hill, and
at her maternal uncle, Mr.. Dickson's
farm in Bucks county.
At Chestnut Hill she had met Mr..
| Philip Dupont, and after short court
ship accepted him as her lover No
girl was happier than Clara. She loved
Philip with the whole strength of her
strong heart, and she knew that she
was beloved by him.
In the midst of her joy she received
letter from Mr.. Dupont's mother
forbidding the engagement, and charg-
ing her, ifshe loved Philip unselfshly
to break it; otherwise she would de-
stroy his prospects in life, for his
mother would disinherit him and his
friends forsake him.
Clara could bring her husband abso-
lutely nothing but her worth and
beauty, for both her uncles were in
straitened circumstances, while Philip
moved in the highest and wealthiest
circles.
She sent the letter and engagement
ring to him, and Immediately went to
Uncle Dickson's, charging her Uncle
Storyto reveal to no one the place of
her retreat.
The care of the sick woman, and the
consciousness of having done a good
action, often relieved her young heart;
but the wound remained in it.
After awhile the invalid recovered
so far that she could sit in a chair in
her room.
She merely said that she had met
with an accident to the head some
months before which affected her in
tellect. She had vague recollection
of having wandered far and long from
her home.
She had just confided these facts to
Clara; but as little talking exhausted
her she could not mention who she
was or where she lived.
|
She had become extraordinarily at
tached to Clara, and would lie back on
the pillows Of her easy-chair regard
ing her with fixed look of love and
gratitude.
As she now sank into a doze Clara
noiselessly left the room.
Half an hour later handsome
young gentleman, mounted on fine
horse, stopped at the gate, and dis
mounting tied the animal to post.
He then walked quickly up the path
and marched into the room where Miss
Deborah was dusting the furniture.
Miss Diekson?' taking off his hat.
I'm Miss Dickson" said that lady.
"Well, madame, about month ago
my mother, who had become some
what deranged from an accident to
her head, wandered away from home.
All this time we have been unable to
find her; but had traced her to this
neighborhood, and but an hour ago |
learned that you had charitably given
shelter to one who seems to answer her
description. For Gods sake, madame,
tell mel We are all nearly crazy
about it."
lie was very agitated and spoke
most eagerIy-indeed, with tears in his
eyes.
Aunt Deborah dropped the duster
and said:
when this old woman came, all
torn with travel and all over mud, ]