Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-05-10

! VII oOos IN ~ BOooibiO ehte shi'
my child!" exclaimed the tramp, in
voice of deep emotion.
Mrs. Comstock looked eagerly at tn
man whose still handsome face, albei
Scared with traces Of sin and degrads
ton, assumed an expression of woe pit
full to behold.
"Tell me-" he nturmured hoarsely
twas your mothers name Mary Davisp'
When Ted nodded an assent TO tn
question, he bent over the child, on hi
knees, saying: "Oh, Jack, my poo
little boy, l thought you were in HEAVIER
long ago!'
Mrs Comstock, who had grown pal
TO the very lips, turned away, murmur
ing in an agitated voice:
81 will consult my husband as to
''You need not, Bessier' interrupted
the tramp. starting to his feet.
"How dare you address me by tia
name!" she cried, in n tone of indigna.
ton.
II beg your pardon. 1t escaped my
lips involuntarily, he answered hum
bly,.
His abject air of misery touched her.
eff this child is yours, l too have q
claim upon him. But you may be
mistaken" she observed, more gently.
~ can soon determine that point, ~
he went on. "When l took him from
you l marked the initials j. H. on
his baby ARM
While he was endeavoring to roll up
the chlld's sleeve, Mrs. Comstock eyed
him distrustfully. This may be trick
to exort money from me, she thought.
Suddenly the tramp leaned forward,
kissed the small thin arm, and burst
into sort of wailing cry.
"Oh, Jack! my poor little chap, 1
did not intend to cause you so much
suffering!"
'Hush!" said Mrs. Comstock gently;
81 the servants in the dining-room may
hear you.
Then the maternal instinct in her
breast told her that this man who, in
her girlhood days, had so grossly de-
ceived her, was not playing her false
now. She bent over and laid her white
face against the suffering one of the
child
The tramp raised his soiled hand. and
was about to lay it on her head, but
withdrew it again, saying:
Believe me, regret this more, in
tinitely more, than all the wrong-doings
of my life. After the divorce was grant
ed you / abducted the child, partly be-
cause loved him and partly through
revenge. / gave him to the woman
Davis, and shortly after was obliged to
absent myself from the city for two
years. When / returned she had dis
appeared l made inquiries among her
former neighbors, and was told that the
child was dead
ct was Jack Davis-Ted's brother
who died, whispered the sick boy,
who family comprehended that he had
found his father at last
81 knew of your second marriages;
envied the peace you had found, and de-
termined to keep the child's death Sc
cret, hoping thereby to cause your heart
q pang of anguish when remembering
his uncertain fate. My wicked inten-
tons have rebounded upon myself. God
knows l would give you all the misera-
BILE years / may yet live could | undo
the cruel deed. l will take him to n
hospital and when he RECEIVERS will. for
his sake, try to redeem myself"
mo said Mrs Comstock, "you shall
not take him from me again. Stay
moment, | will tell my husband all and
see what he will suggest"
''Oh, Bessiel spare me the shame of
the man who occupies the place
in your heart | once filed" he pleaded
sadly.
Love for Jack Holbrook had died out
years before; yet she pitied the trem-
bling outcast who had strayed to her door
-pitied without being able to connect
him with the handsome, dashing, young
fellow who had won and trampled upon
her girlish affections.
my husband is the soul of generos-
ity and will gladly help you to begin
life anew. Hark!" she went on, assum-
ing listening attitude, 81 hear his
footsteps now, he is coming to see what
has detained me so long"
Mr.. Comstock entered the kitchen
and was greatly amazed when in few
hurried words his wife explained the
state of affairs.
''Do whatever you please, my dar-
ling" he SAID, 81 will consent to any
thing that will make you happy "
Jack Holbrook looked at the woman
who had once been his wife with bit
ter pang of regret, then at his own tat
tered garments, and flush of shame
rose to his cheeks. At Bessie's request
he carried the sick boy upstairs. An
hour later the family physician arrived
and declared the child to be dangerous
ly i'll with pneumonia. Through the
long hours OF the night the discovered
pair watched at the bedside of their dy-
ing child.
Who shall say what Jack Holbrook's
reflections were as he reviewed his past
life of folly and sin that had led him,
step by step, into the lowest depths of
degradation.
In the midst of his most acute suffer-
ings poor little Jack vaguely wondered
why the pretty lady kissed him so often,
and why, when she left the room for n
moment, the man who had befriended
him kissed the same spot her lips had
touched. The doctor returned at an
early hour and said the child could not
possibly recover. Everything that tend
erness could devise was done to assuage
his pain, and at nightfall the frail body
was at rest. An hour or two before he
died Bessie raised him in her arms, say
ing:
look at me, Jack. / am your own
dear mamma who lost you long ago. l
have prayed every day that you might
be restored TO me You are going to
God my darling, but we will meet again
in heaven. DO you think you will
know me, Jackp"
"Oh, my boy!' said his father, "for-