Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-04-12

veal to no one the place OF ner retreat.
The care of the sick woman, and the con
sciousness of having done a good action, OF
ten relieved her young heart; but thf
wound remained in it.
After awhile the invalid recovered so ta1
that she could sit in chair in her room.
She merely said that she had met with al
accident to the head some months before
which affected her intellect. She had 6
vague recollection of having wandered fal
and long from her home.
She had lust confided these facts to Clara
but as little talking exhausted her, she
could notmention who she was or where she
lived.
She had become extraordinarily attached
of her eaSy-chair, regarding her with fixed
look of love and gratitude.
| AS she now sank into doze, Clara noise
| lesSly left the room and went OutfOr a walk.
! Half an hour later, a handsome young
gentleman, mounted on fine horse, stop
ped at the gate, then walked quickly up the
bath and marched into the room where Miss
| Deborah was dusting the furniture.
"Miss Dickson ?" taking off his hat.
sI'm Miss Dickson" said that lady.
"Well, madam, about month ago, my
mother, who had become somewhat derang-
| ed from an accident to her head, wandered
away from home. All this time we have
been unable to find her but l 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 de-
scription. For Gods sake, madam, tell me-!
We are all nearly crazy about it."
He was very agitated, and spoke most
eagerly-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, 1 says this is
young man. Sol won't deny it told
the poor sick old soul to git, as l suppose
others did before me. But my niece Clara,
how she did flare up, and wouldn't let her
90. And thank God she didn't 60, for she
was near deaths door. l didn't mean it
hard, young man; but tramps is my abom-
ination. Well, my niece Clara she says,
This aint no tramp, aunt! and she hung
on to the poor old woman and nursed her,
and kept death away from her, and did as
much as if she was her child. Now you
come up stairs but don't make no noise;
You see, we intended to ask her name, and
where she come from, this very day. If it
is your mother, don't give, her no shock,
and creep up easy. Laws! how you're
trembling!' ~
He was trembling, indeed, with love and
fear. He pictured his mother, haggard,
white, weak, merely paroled for time by
Death, before he made her prisoner for aye.
He stood in the doorway and propped up
by pillows in the big armchair by the Win
dow sat his mother-pale, indeed, but coun-
try air and wholesome food, and above all,
devoted nursing, had called back into her
face an expression she had wanted before
she wandered away. 1t was plain to her
sons loving eyes that she was on the high
road to complete recovery.
At the moment, she opened her eyes and
mother and son gaZed on each other; then,
with cry of love and joy, the son was
kneeling beside the chair of the mother
whom he had almost worshiped all his life.
Miss Deborah waited for some few min
utes, to be on hand if the old lady tainted
but she did nothing Of the sort. She cried
over her son, and called him by name again
down steairs, and out into the garden.
Meanwhile mother and son had happy
conversation. She seemed to gather new
energy as she spoke. She told him all the
devoted attention she had received from
her nurse. She praised her kindness, her
goodness, her beauty.
The keen old eyes had even detected that
she was unhappy, and, OH. how she had
longed to comfort her! She had only heard
her called Clara, and, of course, believed
her name was Dickson. How could she
repay this angel? Oh, how she loved her!
S'My son." She said, ''if could have such
daughter for life! If you could only for
get your foolish passion for that girl l have
never seen, and try to love my Clara, and
try to make her love you, how happy l
should be ~
But her son shook his head.
"Mother, the name brings up the pure,
beautiful face of my Clara, whom l have
lost. I can never love any one else, and
1 fear shall never see her again."
A step came quickly but softly up the
stairs, and turning round, as the door open
ed, the mother saw her Clara, and the son
his, standing in the doorway, gazing on
them with a strange look of JOY and fear.
But the next moment, "Clara ~ "Philip"
rang out in tones that only lovers can use,
and the two were locked in each others
arms, while into old Mrs. Duponts face,
amazement, and then unutterable joy, rush
ed, and she held out her trembling arms
and took her new daughters head and held
it to her heart.