Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-11-13


added the house-keeper, though maybe
NOT, for from what could hear she had
made runaway mstoh.'"
"Do you remember the name Of the
officer :" asked Mr.. Curtis.
"No, queerlY enough" replied the
colonel, II cannot recall it, though 1t has
bsen foating about in my brain almost
within reacn ever since began this
story. Ieould get IL easily enough from
the papers At my house, however,"
The oo,onel unused in silence for q
while and then suddenly looking up as
the recollection flashed through his mind
he turned to old Tom and said, "By the
by, Mr.. Lsndstreet, l reoollect the
womAn's name now. II was the same o.
your own. 1t was Margaret Leland
Lsndstreet."
my God /" cried Tom, twas the mans
name Grantley ?"
aYss,n now that you mention II l remem
Der that WAS the nams-Hepry Grantley," I"
repl' ed the colonel.
"0h my Godi My Maggiel My Msggiel"
cried Tom throwing his arms on the table
and burying his face In them with q
groan.
"His daughter" whispered Mr.. Curtis
to the shocked and as,onished colonel,
and there was for little while complete
silence in the room.
Presently Tom Landstreet lifted his
head from his arms and without shame
or conosslment sopped the tears from his
face with his great red handkerchief. He
had too much OF this boy IL his emotional
nature 10 refrain from weeping and was
toe -aaush gf'a seen 70 bs ashamed Of his
tears.
"CeIonel, /" he said, "this is terrible
thing you've told me. The Margaret
Landstreet who was the wife Of that d-n
Yankee captain WAS my daughter. /
have not spoken her name before for nigh
fourteen years. ] might have forgiven
her for runnin' away with that laftenant,
but never heerd tell till now that he
had married her. WAS afeared she had
disgraced Maria and me as we'll as de-
serted us and never hearin' nothin' from
her l become certain Of II. She's an
honest woman it appears but / don't
know more'n you do what's beoo ne OF
her. Its awful to think OF. II she's
alive she must be found"
Then followed long discussion as to
the possibility Of the lost daughters
existence and the suggestion by Col.
Butler that il still living she was as likely
TO be found in New York as anywhere
else, since Il was from Brooklyn that she
had disappeared. Tom Landstreet seemed
to seize on this suggestion as the only
possible explanation and before he went
down stairs 1t had became fixed idea
with him that Maggie living or dead was
to bs found in the metropolis. In view
of the conversation In the smoking room,
then, II Ia no wonder that Tom Landstreet
came down into the supper room with
grave face, nor that he hsstened after.
wards to take his wife off for strcll.
The MET little woman wept at the revival
OF the memory OF her lost daughter but
there was more relief for her in Discerning
her husbands present feeling than in
clearing away the suspicion from MagSie's
name. She knew her girls as few mothers
do, and in her heart she never had be.
lieved that Maggie had strayed from the
path of virtue, however she might have
forgotten filial duty, In yielding to her
romantic passion for the handsome young
soldier. That Der child might however
have been deceived by mock marriage
mad sometimes occurred to her as an
explanation OF her failure to ever write.
But Mrs. LAndstreet listened with but
ianRuid interest to Toms declaration OF
his purpose 10 institute search for
Maggie. She felt sad conviction that
nothing short Of death could have kept
her silent during all these years, know
ing, as she must, how that
mothers hesrt had yearned for her. l.
never occurred to her, Of course, that
Maggie had mothers yearning love for
her own boy strong enough to enable
her to undergo anything rather than
bring home to him the knowledge that
he wss, as she still put 1t In her mind, q
child OF shame.
''I fear it's no use, Tom," she said,
"Mageie is dead and 1t grievss me
to think that she died without knowing
that her mother loved her always and
ioreRve her at once
"God bless you |" exolsimsd old Tom
fervently, using his Makers name as he
hsd probably never used It before, "you
was always better thsn me and ye loved
Maggie more than l did, which never
before believed was possible. l fear |
was hard upon the girl in those days
Can We forgive me, Maria ?" and big sob
buUuh tno blu luhh . iAhh0f
Msria's arms were straightwAy around
her husbands neck with all the loving
fonduess Of bride and her kisses ON his
great red face were as tender, albeit less
impassioned, as any she had ever given
it In its oomlier days, and as he stood
there folded to the broad breast of her
rough, swearing spous3 there was prob
ably as true and tender love scene be.
meath the trees of the lawn az had been
enacted on that back porch soma time
before between her daughter tnd Barlow.
Bat Mrs. Laudstreet was q thorough
woman and an experienced wife. Though
in her quiet way abe ruled In most things
the business man who now held her in
his arms, she knew that not often would
he be 60 completely IS wax in her hands
as now, and so The improved her op.
portunity
~ do not blame you for your anger
then Tom," she softly said, "but II was
grievous thing to me not only to lose my
daughter, but to hear her cursed by her
own father as a thing of ehsme."
$50 II was," humbly answered Tom,
$50 It was, Maria, but didn't then
know she was married, and didn't have
much command Of my temper In them
days, Maria"
Sad as were both their minds at recall
ing their loss, 1t brought faint sugges-
tion Of q sn lie to Mrs. Lands reet's face
to find that-sb huebsud thought he had
outgrown his lack OF self control, but she
answered, 81 hope then, Tom, you will
net treat our remaining daughter harshly
II shs also disappoints you in her choice
Of = sweetheart"
s'Not much danger Of that, reckon, +"
answered Tom cheerfully, "Csrswell seems
to have put that d-n Yankee school
master out Of her head"
IL was afraid you had that idea, Ton" "
replied Mrs. Landstreet, shut 1t isn't
true Mr.. CRrswell is engaged to be mar
ried and Katie knows all about 1t. That
is the very reason she is 80 openly iuti-
mate with him, and you, man-like, mis-
understood her"
"Well I'll be d-d," exclaimed Tom
evidently not feeling that his prohibition
extended to swearing In her own pres,
enoe
81 hope not Tom," she answered
quietly, "but at any rate don't N ak,
Katie miserable as you did Maggie in ,st
you do not like the man che loves"
.sDo You think she seriously likes tha
d-n Yankee 2" asked Tom.
"There's only one Yankee Rbout here
answered Mrs. Landstreet, "and yor
seem quite willing to give Katie to him
But koow what You mean. and viii
answ you. Yei. do think she hke
Mr.. Barlow very much, and from the lool
Of her face as she came in to supper to
night after long talk with him hav,
~ =