Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-02-23

carefully IN the cool, soft linen she
brought for the purposn.
"W nv. it don't feel like the same
arm !" Fred exclaimed, when she had
finished &; involuntarily he glanced at
the other hand, which he for the first
time, realized with faint emotion OF
shame. t. be almost as sadly in need
OF washing as the other had been.-
When Bessie cane the next day she
noticed that it was almost as white as
her own.
Every day for four. weeks did Bessie
visit the Wildbnrns on her errand OF
mercy. andismayed by the elbows" oi
old Nlldburn, or the fidicale of her
friends.
Il should h.. We lost it, dare say, il
1t = - he< Ffor you, Miss Bessie.
t'rsi sai3, the last day she came. "fm
a miserable wretch, heaven knows; but
! slan't never forget this touching
his arm.
Il am so glad | could help you, y
she said gently.
"Nell, you're the (ir,t one," he sail,
ii httle bitterly.
As | said this was ten years before,
and though the years had brought
many changes, the ameliorating intiu-
rnces had been few in the life of FIR, d
Nildburn. The drunken father and
Invalid mother had both died leaving
Fred quite alone in the miserable,
tumble down old house where he
lived. lie had not improved with the
years; or the contrary. he had grown
mere reckless aud disoTderly continu
uahy, until people sad he was utterly
aud totally depraved, without one good
impulse in his heart.
There hal one thing happened dur
ing these ten Years which | emitted 10
mcutIon. Bessie Brandon had married
Henry Upton, but no one in Maid
stone ever knew OF the terrible night
which Fred Wlldhurn passed when he
heard OF it,
Nobody ever should known what a
miserable fool he had BEEN" he said
tiercely.
lie need not have feared his secret
Sas saie-for no one ever Was wild
enoagh to suspect him Of feeling any
sentiment, particularly where the pet
,rd daughter was concern.
Henry Upton was al h0nored and
highly respected citizen. He was in
riIigent. educated and wealthy. and If
h. looked down from his sublime
night OF virtue and attainment little
cou;empluously upon poor, miserable
Fred Wildhurn, 1t was certainly no
more than his neighhoFs did. And If,
~ aay possibility, there had been any
.Its,r trickery or unfalrHess in the settle
meat oi the legacy, he could easily ex
a,5s himself upom the plea that 10
w.uld only tc curse To Wlldburu ii
h, bad ii. lea ipg him into deeper de-
bauCt,ry. n hry.t, he { ula usr Il wise
IS and for TIE benefit of morality aud
f. ,gJon. The fact hat Wl,dburp did
not So 1t IN that li-h; was only an,
othcr proof of his innate drpraslty.
prop.r SAID plously.
pfou hid null some four miles
from y NaiustoHr, by the main road, but
scarcely three by i cut across country.
Ii Vas little molc t "a bride path,
though pton sometimes drove
through with hls drag He started
there one Wild. chilly December morn.
ing. promising his wife to return early
II c4me on 10 snow, as 1t promised too.
It US pl.rciug cold. aud the wind
blew in fierce. htgul gusts all the fore
noon. ,IGst after room it began snow
iug-not as usual. IN iine, light parti-
cles. but with Wild. tempestuous
force thar carrlyd all before it. Long
before night the streets we're block,
AIDED, and the wind roarcd and shrek d
up and down them like madmen.
Bessie Jptan paced the floor Of her
pretty sitting room, more excited and
neryoHs than she had ever been IN her
life before. She had, naturally, Il cool
quiet temperament.
If only he did ut start she said
HnXioGsls "If he saw the herceue,s of
the storm in s,ason 10 stop ut the
MIll-, instead of attempting TO brave
it,"
The night cams down early. bur the
mill owner came not. and his wife.
though still aHNious, had settled down
to the belief hat he would not come
TIL morning. Spddenly loud neigh,
filing between the pauses of the tenn
pest. struck her ear.
Henry has me now she ex-
claimed, and catching up lamp
she hurried to the side door connect
ing with the stable.
OnLy Il rau'iug, terrified horse, the
broken harness dangling from his
foam, sides, met her applied vision.
For nom mt she sank, dizzy AID
faint, in chair. She WAS alone hes
one serv Ut, having gore away for the
day, had teen prevented from return
ing by the storm.
Fred Wildburn was sitting over ii
smo'dering fire, inwardly cursing the
storm that kept him in. 1t WAS not
IA pleasant hcmc-thpre was that ex
cuse for him. The walls were dngy
with smoke. the floor was bare and
dirty, the chairs and tables were brok-
en- and dilapidated, and had that ter
rllle, dreary look one s es sometimes