The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-08-14

| Only the last few words of this discourse
came to Miss Eldridge's ears, and that
made SO little impression that she did not
| think of 1t again until weeks afterward.
81 shall stay here" she said to Nicode-
demus; land l will give you list Of
! things that want sent over. / shall keep
Phyllis with me for the present"
The latter point Miss Eldridge had care
fully considered, as she came down stairs.
She shrank from staying there alone, and
certainly it would not be exposing Phyllis
to any danger to keep her. Nothing could
be less like rayening wolf than this young
man in his present state.
So Miss Eldridge and her niece estab-
lished themselves in the Norwich hotel,
| and devoted themselves to nursing back to
conscious life and health this stranger of
whom they knew nothing except that his
name was John and that he was in some
way connected with some mysterious old
friend of Ithe squire.
For more than week the issue was
doubtful. The patient was delirious, and
the first long and refreshing sleep he had
had, he looked calmly up into Phyilis's
face, as she stood tanning him, and said,
interrogatingly:
| "YOu are an angel"
so, dear NJ" said Phyllis, blushing and
dimpling.
Owing to Miss Eldridge's vigilance no.
1t was striking fact that, although she
| blushed and dimpled, and said so, dear
| no." Miss Phyllis regarded the remark as
| a strong proof of returning intelligence,
and, strange to say, she did not repeat it to
| her aunt.
| that time, he began to mend rapidly, and
soon the day came for which Miss Eldridge
had longed-he was able to be moved to the
| squire's house at Greenvale. The hotel at
| Norwich was comfortless and noisy abode.
Miss Eldridge felt that the quiet and seclu-
sion of Greenvale would do her patient
more good than anything else could.
| The mystery concerning him had not been
| solved. He had asked where he was, had
| remembered the accident that had befalien
| him, and had inquired who was taking care
of him; but Miss Eldridge had hidden him
not to talk or try to think, and he had
obeyed with the docility that comes of
physical weakness.
1t was not until he was comfortably SET
tied in the squire's house, and had recov-
cred from the fatigue of the journey, that
| Miss Eldridge would answer his questions
| as to the reason Of her seeking him, and
| showing him such kindness.
The squire, who was confident that if his
| memory for names had failed, his memory
for faces had not, declared that he had
never seen the young man before, and he
was so puzzled about the matter that he
gave Miss Eldridge no peace until she told
the young man of the telegram.
81 am certainly John, but who r. Mason
| is do not know, nor how anybody at dis
| lance could possibly know what had hap
pened to me. am really afraid that am
| an impostor. Ihave become possessed of
your care and kindness by false Pretences.
Let me make all the amends in my power
by telling you at once who l am"
sit does not matter in the least. We are
4 10 Al, l.l.~
said Miss Eldridge hastily, her tender
heart sorely troubled by the young mans
LOOK of distress. "You really must no,
talk about it at all until you are stronger"
Several times in the course Of the next
week the young man reverted to the topic;
but always to be checked by Miss Eldrfdge.
It wounded her sense of delicacy that he
should feel obliged to give an account of
himself, and, for herself, she was quite
willing to take him upon trust. Moreover,
practical and prim spinster as she was, she
enjoyed the little touch of mystery. She
did not acknowledge that to herself, but it
had its effect.
She did not take as good care of Phyllis
as she ought to have done; she acknowl-
edged that afterward with deep penitence.
Phyllis read and sang to aim through the
long days of his convalescence. Miss Ell
bridge or the nurse was always present,
and there was very little talking. He was
a remarkably reserved and quiet young
man. Miss Eldridge could not see that it
made any difference to him whether Phyllis
or she was his entertainer. And as for
Phyllis, she seemed to regard it as rather
bore to devote herself to him.
One day Miss Eldridge suddenly awoke
to the fact that she had been vaguely wish
ing it were etherwisei Was she really so
attracted by this utter stranger that she
would be willing that Phyllis should fall
in love with him? Miss Eldridge took her.
self sternly to task for such an unprincipled
emotion. And yet he did not seem alto
gether unlike minister. She resolved
she would no longer blind herself to her
duty. The young man should be allowed,
encouraged, to give an account of himself
Miss Eldridge went out to walk to calm her
perturbed mind and reflect upon the situa-
ton, when she encountered Nicodemus
Twice already had Nicodemus expressed
an earnest desire to have an interview with
the invalid. Miss Eldridge had set it down
as that curiosity to which the rural mind
in general, and Nicodemus' in particular,
was prone, but to-day Nicodemus was so
persistent that it struck her as improbable
that his motive could be merely curiosity.
"What do you want to see Mr.. Conroy
for. Nicoiemus?" she said.
"Well, you see, ma'am, it's little mat
tor of business" said Nicodemus, looking
dowucast but determined. There's some
L
"What is his line?" was on Miss FL
bridges surprised tongue, but she checked
its utterance. What she would not hear
from her patient himself she could not
allow Sicodemus to tell her.
"lt's something that | suppose YOU
wouldn't approve of, though you don't
seem to think there's nothin; CIT of the ,ray
about him. want to find out all about
that lottery that he's runnin', and, if it
seems all fair and square as they say it is,
l want to buy ticket"
"Nicodemus, what are you talking about?
exclaimed Miss Eldridge, in Mortified &C.
cents.
Didn't you know, now, that he was
lottery Teller? That's what the landlord
over to Norwich said, that he didn't be-
lieve you knew it, for anybody would most
as quick take him for parson by his looks,
but l told him you WANT one that went to
work with your eyes shet, commonly.
kind of wonder that he didn't speak out,
and tell his business, but metbe he got an
inklin' that you didn't set much by lotter-
les. Ever sence l heard Parson Godfrey's
sermon about the one tarlent pve been
maxim up my mind to buy lottery ticket,
and it does seem to me real kind of provi-
Dental that he should be hove off them
cars right in my way, so to speak, for he
can tell ME all about it, and they do saw the
International Colossal Gift Enterprise, as
he calls it, is all square. That sounds real
genteel and moral now, jest as he looks,
don't it. There's church members over to
Norwich has got tickets in it. They say
he's got real persuadiu' manner"
No more did Miss Eldridge wait to hear.
With head erect, and mien that BODIED i'll
to evil doors, she was marching toward the
house.
She had been imposed upon! The strau-
ger whom she had watched and tended and
brought back from the gates of death was
wicked man. guilty of the immortality which
she despised almost more than any other.
She had been basely deceived! And vet.