The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-05-17
afraid he is gone away!"-and the child

hJSStu tl0 Jllu 1dCC. anu ucll the child
tenderly. until 4 gentleman came III
search Sit.
,"Bertie, where are your" he called.
"1iere, papa, with a kind strange
lady: was efraid you had gone away
"Gone and left my little boy! That !.
hardly likely. THANK the lady, Berthe
and, madam, accept my gratitude also
for you good ness. l was detained by
some confusion as so my luggage. Cal
[ 81 Of any service to your"
"No, thank you," replied Alice; and,
as the gentleman disappeared il the
darkness, and Alice trudged along, fol-
lowed by the boy who bore her trunk,
she rather regretted her. refusal of as
sistance, Ifot the strangers fare hid In
tereste.i her.
Alice's school-ft1en.!, Julia Lawrence,
had married coon after leaving Mount
9 ~ where the two girls had grown
very fond Of each other, and had often
written 70 Alice asking her to come to
her, 70 admire her husband, hef new
honse, and all the delights OF 4 young
wife Unteftunate'y, at the time Of
AlEa's sudden departure from her
not'lef, Mira. Lawrence had gone on a
few days Whit to her new relatives. So,
7whef the traveller arrived, expecting q
hearty welcome, she found only dull
faced servant to receive her. Neverthe-
iess, the servant showed her to her
room ana left her prey to the most
melancholy reflections.
Mrs. lawrence would be home in
three days, Bridget had said; but three
DAYS seemed century to Alice, who, at
lat, g keep from crying outright, set to
N a hor |.Ii ~
no, instead OF her own familiar belong
lngs. sire saw before her a cigar case, a
pile OF snowy shirts, an embroidered
snoRtng-Cap, ana in one end the little
sosks, coliars, and suits Of boy.
Alice stared while she mechanically
htted the laaec,iline effects one by one,
until pile of letters suddenly reminded
her that she was an intruder, and she
hastily put the things back with woman.
~ precision, tenderly smoothing the
childs coats, and thinking photograph
of lady that lay among them Was one
Of the piettiest 3 he had ever seen. Then
its Likeness. to the thin little face at the
stat.ot, struck her, and IT, all fashed into
her head a. once. This trunk must be-
long to the gentleman with the nice
eyes; and not withstanGing her depres-
sion. SHE broke into a merry laugh as
she thought of his astonishn.ent when
he Should find i,etticuatb, slippers, rufiies
etc, instead OF his own we!l-known gar
ments, sThe laugh however, ended in a
despalring thought in respect of her
own predicament. What was she to do
with all those sensible. useh,l things
she had selected with such care?
"After ALL" $! ,e thought, "Dale's Sta
ton ishot 4 very large place; and | will
send that brilliant-looking maid early to
morrow morning to ransack one part of
it for q man and boy, while 1 myself
will search the other"
. After an early breakfast and interview
with the servant, to whom she explain
ed her dilemma, Alice set forth with de-
termination; but, as she turned the COR
11er Of the street, she saw the gentle
man whom she was seeking, coming to-
wards her. -
t"'Oh." she cried, "you must be the
gentleman want"
Is, "And vou,' he said, smiling down on
her and interrupting her, "you must be
the lady want. | have come to throw
myself on Your mercy, and hope that
you have not been seriously incon.
venienced by my mistake"
ooh, no." cried Alice, forgetting some
how all her troubles in the presence of
This comparative stranger, "Bnt your
son-did he not need some Of those dear
little t!,ings?'
"rhe poor child is i'll to-day, 1 am
sorry to say, and has spoken several
times Of the kind lady at the station"
"Oh, how ! should like to go to see
him!' said Alice, impulsively. Then,
coDventionality asserting itself, she add
ed, Bat Ibeg your pardon; perhaps"
s'"Your, offer accept as frankly as it
was made; besides, know already that
you are alone in your friends house.
The lady with whom am stopping is an
acquaintance Of Mrs. Lawrence; and
Bridget has, even at this early hour,
made 1ler md yonr dilemma subject of
gossip With my friends servant. We
had no sdihiea!ty in drawing conclusions
as to your identity. Will you kindly
come at onee3 And in the meantime I
will see to the restoration Of your prop.
This was but the beginning of series
of little cOurtesies exchanged between
Mr.. Carlton and Alice Bird. Under var
iOns pretexts he sought her society and,
when Mrs. Lawrence returned, she was
surprised to find two persons chatting
comfortably together in her drawing
room. She kissed Alice, who introduced
her to Mr.. Carlton, and told her of her
visit to his little son.
But indeed" broke IN Mr.. Ca1lton,
laughing. II can no longer pose in the
character of q devoted father; BERTHE is
my brotheT, and not, as Miss Alice has
insisted all along, my SON"
"But the photograph Of the lady in
your trunk? Surely, she is your wife?"
"She was dearly loved sister who
died year ago and lett her delicate lit
tie son to my sole care. | have brought
him with me here for change of air and
scene"
Alice's face had during this explana-
ton grown terribly red, which she would
have given worlds to prevent; and, when
Mr.. Carlton looked at her with mean
ing look she conld scarcely understand,
she turned suddenly pale, and would
have fallen but that he held out his arm
to supporther.
The poor darling is over-tired!" cried
Mrs. Lawrence, sympathetically. II
will call John to hel p her to her room,
and she shall be made to 60 to bed at
once" $A
But, before John could be found, Mr..
Carlton bad kissed Alice and begged
that she would send him away because
he had loved her so short time.
T. Ithink must have loved you from
the fret she said simply. "But I must
Tell, yon howibad am. have run away
from mamma and Robert Sih,ns."
Robert Simms." cried Mr.. Carlton
the scamp who is notorious land
shark. and trying this minute to cheat
me out of the very prettiest bit Of prop
erty in the world! What claim can he
have upon my Alice?"
I'VE owe him money" said Alice
with doWneast eyes.
Very we'll. my darling; we will
pay him, and he married with
clear consCiencea as soon as the law al
lows"
The recreant John having at last
been discovered, Mrs. Lawrence on
coming to take the tired guest to bed,
found her resting happily against Mr..
Cartoons shoulder.
Tlle1t Northwest.
Puget Sound correspondence of the New
~ t as @ss.Ss ork Sun.
Puget Sound is ravishingly beautiful
archipe lago There is not so lovely
body of water on the earth. Tourists by
tens ar ttnI,aant}s will 90 YEARLY tn Taco.