Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-31

name was Bertha Craton anu .ii;'e she Was d
| bov T do not think it was a very bad mistake
my thinking she was an anger, Ior her toucn
seemed to enthuse new life into me-nott WASH
| the old lady's stmulants-as from that time
on, all did seemed to prosper
II think and always shsi, saa a,al rs SEM ,
| dollars went for more pictures, ana Iollowing
her advise. was very successful anu 'raVeieo
aTbis out.of,door life was better than medi-
cine; SO winter found me restored IN heaith,
with some money ahead in case OF second
rainy day, should 1t come Went o g Da OK 10
| teaching, and so continued for two years, when
position In mining company; o %iIa s;a rarge
in nar lie was Hs5sd i,s ms from WHICH,
but what became ofyour sblue-eyed angelo"
Interrupted.
Dick added, smiling. II am glad Of it, for after
all she is the best part Of my story: Snakes ss
p I,es was not so very far frrm wrong wnen ne
! pictured his heroeS-aU herO1neS.
"To go back to the chrome pedler's history.
| So soon as able, he purchased one of those line
only chrom mos were " very good and quite the
rage then Ito him it looked very much like his
blue eyes,, and thus armed, ventured to call on
the young lady aud again thank her for ner
kindness TO him. He told her of his bettered
fortune, and presented the chrome She re-
lnents, where he met her mother, frai and
| fretful Looking invalid, who regarded him. he
thought rather suspiciousiy.
as, happening to mention Chicago, he found II
10 have been their former home, and they were
that wicked "a but bn SH and
| friendly city, Yes, Denver was beautiful but
they preferred prefer their old home, it was SO much
"Their history soon learned. 1t was a COM
mon one. The husband and father was we'll.
soon after, leaving these two alone in the world.
Mrs Cfatons poor health rendered change
ofclimate necessary, so that they had come here,
ana through the kindness of friends, Bertha
obtained q good position in the schools as
teacher.
"But they were not much acquainted in the
city, and as Mrs. Grafton said, so often lOnged
for old friends and Chicago A long talk on
the subject on that city followed, in which the
good graces, by mentioning the name of rich
Chicago uncle OF his. This produced a sensa-
knowing a little of fellows family makes with
the OLD folks, at least; for uncle's name
Was mentioned. Mrs. CratOn's manner changed
at once and was mostcordiaiiy invited to stay
to tea (where met the landlady again. and
after that we hung up Beatrice and enjoyed a
del Il evening of visiting. Reluctantly
least with the blue eyes, who. was conceited
enough to think, smiled most kindly on me.
something of a correspondence, and her letters
were always so bright and cheerful, 50 running
Ta xes neh of good
ing, and quite insensibly to me, perhaps, they
did much in influencing my life: Often when
life, when he is knocking around alone so, par
ticulariy out west here, is full of all sorts of
temptations he would never meet at home),
the thought OF certain pair of blue eyes kept
me from it..
about the time gained the position in the
mining company's office wrote to Miss Cra-
ton, asking if again might call. Receiving no
reply wrote again, fearing that the first letter
had miscarried, but again received no answer.
1t TOOK away half the pleasure of my bettered
fortune, for, to be frank with you, this fool of a
young pedler, who mind you, had not seen his
guardian angel, he called her, in two years,
aSfl
far as TO dream sometimes of home Of his own,
with pair of blue eyes for its sunshine. After
two months OF waiting he could endure the sus-
pense no longer, but resolved to visit Denver
and see her at all hazards. He soon found him.
self ut the clearinghouse door again. and as he
stood there, could but think of the changes the
two years had made. Instead OF the timid,
shabbily dressed and emaciated young peder,
here was strong, well-dressed, and seit-pos-
sessed young man of the world whom he was
sure, Miss Bertha would never recognize as
ever having seen before.
"Old Mrs. Brown again opened the door. and
smiling, bid him enter. 1t took considerable
explanation to make her believe that he and
"'Why. she exclaimed, you can't make me
think that such a handsome young man as you
be, was ever that sickly chrome pedler-you are
twice as big as he was, and he didn't look half
SO old you do.
"When once convinced she had much to say.
and it was some time ere was able to learn If
Miss Grafton was at home. The old ladys smil-
Ing countenance changed. she isn't here. she's
gone, says she; we will never see her again.
Gone. l gasped; she isn't dead, is she?'
i don't know, perhaps she is. You see them
pesky school directors here gave her place to a
man, about three months ago, it was near
election time, and they wanted his vote and in.
huence for something, spose. ANY way, she
lost her place, and as her invalid mother had
to get worse and die about that time, what
with funeral expenses and all the poor chiid's
money was soon all gone. She tried for ever
SO long to get work here in the city, but
it wasn't no use; people are shy OF bir.
ing strangers, specially a very pretty girl
and as she kept mourning SO for her mother all
a m (Sh q rffti cifr t~,r
that fretful mother of herS). / says, "Why
don't YOU try out of town for work p So off
one day she gOeS-Over a month ago it waS-and
hain't heard nothing from her since. half
believe she has gone and killed herself or else
she would write to me. Some of her things is
here yet, and there is some letters, too, come
here for her.
Bertha dead that could not be; or in want
let me Know Of her distress lett ans ss a md
hurt, yet proud, too, of the brave spirit that
would ask favOrs of no one.
"Determined 10 find her, I advertised in
several OF the papers, inquired of her few city
friends, and visited the neighboring towns but
an III nv, VAN. NO one knew of her whereabouts,
wishing TO give up the old life and forget-and
be forgotten.
"Baftied completely reluctantly went back
to business, but try as I could, the thought of
Bertha, and that perhaps she was in want
haunted me. found myself, when in a crowd,
anxiously scanning its many faces. and the un-
expected meeting Of a lady on The street would
cause my heart to beat faster, thinking perhaps
Il grew to take a great interest in the poor of
the state, and did much for their aid. as the un-
expiainabie feeling that my guardian angel
was in want somewhere, constantly haunted
me.
Thus year passed away. Spring came and
with IT. ruInOTs OF trouble in one OF the com.
pany's mines. They sent me to investigate
cold and disagreeable afternoon it was that
found me stepping from off the train at D. a
snail and unpromising mining town, some
hundred miles from Denver. Picking my way
through the unpaved and muddy streets as
best could, my eyes searched an xiousiy for
either hotel or boarding house, and at last dis
covered q long and much-battered- up looking
frame building that, from its size and the large
door Of entrance led me TO think it was eli Their n
tavern or church, and as in this country the
latter are never so common the former I
ventured to ascend the steps, and finding the
door open, looked in. y long, low room, filled
with rough and much nlarred desks, met nv
gaze, and the odd assortment of books and
states, baskets and paper wads, that orna-
mented desks and floor, told but too plainly
that had unexpectedly come to a schoil that
had just been dismissed.
Curiosity to know what sort of educational
advantages such iorlOn town would possess
made me step into the room and look around
more closely Evidently there was some one there
who had an eye for the beautiful. as the marred
wall ugliness was partially hidden by a num-
Der OF chromos and woOd-cuts while plants in
the windows tried to make amends for the
absence Of either curtains or blinds. At the
opposite end Of the room was the teachers desk,
a high, rough affair, and hanging over it was,
what looked out of place with such surround
ings, y handsomely framed picture. A second
glance at 1t held me spelI-bound, and made my
heart almost stop its beating. 1t was, no, it