Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-21


strike him. and the bOv. painting with in-
igraHt passion, with eyes and face
sfaUe, stepp.d back, and, taking some
co. ! st from the table, buried It bHndly
side Of its aim. Then Allen Wingate,
hife WITH suUpT s-ed wrath, pointed e.
fh. door and said: --Begune! never cross
threshold of mine again: never come
iutl my presence cor let me SEE your face
so lOns as you may liye!'
And he baO his desire. From the mo-
ment bis son turi ed from him his an
zuished face 10 the present hour, never
Dad that face looked into his own, except
as a phantom In his gh 'stiy meditdtions.
There - was present day and night un-
eeasIngly. ) year after this separation
ue heard in a roundabout manner that
his boy Howard bad been murdered on an
Indian tail in New Mexico months be.
FIRE Then be closed up his inner sell
/ and became Mere machine Of business.
I He planned and devised and executed.
and The world pr0spered with h'm, bui
ever ard ever there was the awful sight
% a white skeleton cleaning on the arid
afstoTn desert, u here human footsteps
never trOd. and birds OF prey
lowered over it. He lived
/ alone because near companionships
Veared nim, aud it was only Of late that
/ an orphan girl, a friendless waif, had
stnl into his vacant regard before be
was aware. Once as they passed down
tleir own street Lily Sterling pointed TO a
&c and handsome house a block distant
from the Wiugate stone walls. DO you
remember that house and the people who
used 20 1--we therey' she asked. Mr.. Win
-ate shook his head bankIy: nelghbOrs
cana and went. he took little account OF
them.
THAT was my earliest home. lived
there when ] was 4 little girl like your
( Lily. and she was my best friend and
9laymat-."
He locked gently down upon her. and
saw that her sweet mouth was quivefing
ana her eyes were full Of tears. Then it
all flashed upon him in a moment. He
remembered her fathers name in COM
merciai circles, and the financial disaster
that overlook him. He had never enter
tanned great respect for his business
abilities, and the bankrupt and his affairs
had utterly faded from view. And now
he was dead, and this was bis brave,
honest, self-reliant child, and she had
been his own dead Lily's friend. After
this he took the yoUng stranger unre-
seTvedly into a daughters place ia Bis
heart, and conceived plan that was to
make them both very happy forever after
ward, il Only-ifi
1t Was but the day before Christmas
eve that the two friends encountered each
other at the street corner she with her
happy face aglOw and agleam with inner
sunshine. ''Where are You going, my
pretty maidF' Quotb Mr.J.Allen Wingate
almost as iauutilY as though his p, al
were not whitening with the croWdiug
years. "WheTe? Al that is partly a
secret, but I viii let you into it if YOU
care enough 10 come along with me. You
know we are decorating the church and
must finish mp the evening there.
bus first ! am going to give the
last touches TO little house where some
Intimate friends Of mine are 10 spend
their honeymoon. THIS is to be their
future home and they are TO take immedi-
ate possession as soon as they are mar
ricd and l have been depUted to see that
everything is in order. See!' and
she held out big doOT-key
on her finger and laughed glertuliy.
While she tai e1 she led Jhe way ihr1ugn
quiet side street toward the suburbs,
and stopped before an Old fashioned
double cottage. with a wide balcony and
rabled roof, all set in a shrubberied gHr-
den. She seemed 10 tread upon air. and
her spirits brimmed over in her happy face
and voice. "lsu't it the sweetest. dea, est,
q9aiutest nook for two people to com
mence life ini Look at this maple Tree at
this window; imagine how the birds will
reVel IN It al spring and summer. and see
how vigorous those rose bushes are. They
VIII be ready with a perfect shower Of
blossoms next June; and the low win
dOws and the OalcOny-isn' [ it all delight
iul"' She danced from room TO room. eX-
cited, flushed, eager, putin. the finishing
magical touch with her def fingers to
everything. Every room was in order and
perfect III its arrangements; nothing could
have been suggested that they lacked.
They stood in the dainty parlOr after
each object mad been finally settled in its
place. "Nhen the lamps are lit and the
fires arc blazing the picture will be COM
plete,' said ne radiant Lily, taking a last
cOmDlacent glance over her work.
Yes said Mr.. Wingate, joining in the
grati6ed inspection, you nave fulfilled
your task well, and your friends should
be amply satisfied. DO you think they
Will be happy hereW
DO / think? L kR0lg they will"
''DO you think you could be happy
here?"
4 would be an migrate if l could not"
She SEEMED so buOyant and content that
as he looked gently down into her pure,
fair face he felt strong desire to protect
ard shield her from the weary work and
hardship of her lot, and his secret plan
took unprecedented shape and speech.
Lilly, suppose some one were to tell
you that a good fairy had bestowed upon
you a gorgeous Christmas present that
would make yO2r life hencefOrth per-
petual holiday, how would you like to eX-
change your daily task-wOrk and struggle
for bread for some of the ease and luxury
of existence that we all sigh for =
She looked at him, speeches. and be-
wildered.
al mean, little one, that L am getting
to be an old man. l am rich and child
less; when die strangers and aliens Will
squabble over and divide what j leave.
why not let me formally adopt you, give
you my name and make you my legal
herr"
Her eyes flashed and she drew herself
up with something like scOrn in them.
"NO; a thousand times, no. L have an
honest name; l would not exchange it
for another's unless L had the right to
bear it. do not wish to step into anOth-
er's lawful place nor usurp anOther's law
full heritage"
She stopped, blushing violently.
''YOur wealth, if you poured upon me
the revenues of an empire, could not
| make me happier than l am to-day"
'But there is no question Of another 9
lawful heritage. Ny own Lily is gone
| forever; cannot make her live again ex-
| cept In yeu. You are like what her Wo.
manhood would have been; / could not
wish her otherwise than as you areas
brave and patient, as true and unselfish,
| l did not think, nv child, this hard old
heart of mine would ever yearn over any
| living thing again as it does over you;
what comfort you might be to the lonely
old age that Is coming upon me-"
Her eyes gaZed firmly and steadfastly
| into his, but she did not take the hands
he held out to her.
| tsYes - shn said 81 rememher IiIv- She
| Der Howard, too" Here her voice fal.
tered and broke. 'Did 1 not tell your he
was my playmate and friend and brother
/ All hrs life we never forgot each other
You drove him from you to death; had
| you been more of a father you need moi
| now mourn yourself chIldIess.
Allen Wingate turned from her like a
| guilty being when she called Towards
name, but he could bear her reproaches
no longer. S'Child, child" he broke forth
''you torture me. You do not know what
| long years of unspeakabie agony have ex-
| plated that Offense. You cannot tell what
| secret torture bore in my breast while
that name never passed nay lips. Freely
would l give my all Of fortune and life il
/ could recall that hour Of my existence"
Lily stole her hand through his arm and
laid her flushed and fearful face against
his sleeve. ''Forgive me if / hurt you; j
wish 1 were really your daughter, your
very own. could love you dearly il you
We're my father. But money isn't every
thing to all of us; it hasn't made you
| happy; would not exchange my lot for
| that of any other creature on the globe