The Penn's Grove record., 1885-01-03


gladly have laid down his life.
"Let me think, " he cried unsteadily,
almost piteously-''let ms think % And
then there was a long silence.
From breaking the heart of the girl
he well-nigh worshipped his soul re-
coiled in horror but yet hls outraged
humanity cried iereely for vengeance.
Could he forego his reyengeI
Time passed unheeded until-clang,
clang la ~neighboring church pealed
out the hour, Gregson raised his head,
unconscinnsly counting the strokes.
Ten O'Clock Ten-and at that very
moment Molly was on her knees pray
ing for him in the dear old room at
hOmel 1t was a custom of hers, adopted
in childhood, to pray for him at that
same hour every night and he knew
she never missed,
Ten o'clockI Then now her pure
young lips were s%uppllcating Heaven
for him, and he
"Mr. Vahcy," said the h~unchbaek,
rising to his feet, ''you have con-
quered."
"Whatl' cried the young man. "You
will leave things as they are 81
Yes" said Gregson quietly, ''for
Molly's sake - and then, without an
other word, he turned aud left the
room.
well, now, there's a 'andsome car
riagel What a beautiful lady-and,
my, amt she dressed nice | What do
she want ERE ?" quoth Jemima Ann,
as she stood in a tolerably quiet street
in Bermondsey and discussed affairs in
general with her next-door neighbor
and sworn ally Martha Higgins.
Jemima Ann was the general Of
Mrs. Stones clearinghouse. and her as
tonishment was evoked by the extraor-
binary sight of a carriage-and-pair
drawing up in front of that humble es-
tablishment. Her curiosity was soon
set at rest by the tall well-clad foot
HANS c0iuescedGihg to ask ner il tho
house was Mrs. Stones, and, further
more, if a ~hunchback named Gregson
was lodging there. Both answers being
la the affirmative, the lady jumped out
of the carriage, a up the steps, and
vanished through Mrs. Stones hospita-
BILE door before the girl had time to see
more than that she was a widow, ana
very pretty, Wishing however, as she
afterwards expressed it to Miss Higgins,
to see more of the fun, she ran in after
her, and caught her on the stairs.
My good girl, do show me where
Mr.. Gregson isl l know he is In, be-
cause be is ILL.," cried the impulsive WIS.,
itor, seizing the girls hands, and look
ing, as that young person remarked a
little later, perfectly 'eavenlyl"
TOP 1oor-irst door, "answered the
damsel and on again ran the lady.
What a dreadful Jury she's in !"
soliloquized Jemima Ann, as she again
descended to the street. where she found
Miss Higgins in a position to inform
her that the lady was a Mrs. George
Vancy and then together the girls
VIII t4guesses as to what she might Tant
hose guesses. they never dreamed Of
What was really passing in the room
yhere the last scene of poor John
fregson's Lfe-drama was being played
Ut, and Where the chief actor therein !,
ny dying.
Dying Yes, of a very old.fashioned :
ilment, one which the doctors would :
think of admitting nowadays :
foken heart L.
1t was a year and more now since :
aCtly Pierson lad married. and JN :
rregson had ave spoken to ner sI''nn !
nc day that he had come to London t6 {
I'm his fort me. After leaving Vancv l
Q nad written a letter tSss,foiiy. 'simnIy
'aGlng That he found hi INVENTION WAC '
seiess, n bidding her lot to feel hurt 4
, ms absence on her wedding-day. as :
nad a the offer of a situation in '
arts, whittier he WAS going immedi. =
ely. lie really did go to France for I
months !; but then an irres,stihle !,
hglng 70 be near her had seizs1 him IL
a ne had hung up his employment to >.
turn to London. Il
by day he scrubbed away in an Office u
earn the miserable pittance which az
pt Npody and soul together. and at y
sht ne haunted q certain fashionable q
lare. on the chance of seeing Molly "
sue stepped to and from her carriage q
Frying IN her beauty, happy if from W
Instance he could see her smile. mis- ~
Die II a shadow rested on her fair A.
ing lace. And then came the rack ~
cough which annoyed his EMPLOYERS u
lost him his place, and then the VI
wing weaker and weaker. till at Ia
he had to keep his bed, and the mar OF
doctor told him it was but a ones Ghf
OF days before the end would ISe
10 was lying now half dreaming. up
h closed eyes, thinking of the old sea
Ply days before his troubles came. i
OF zone day l n particular, when ~
" y through some girlish whhn hsdlsso.
used to call him augnt eIse than ~
[r. Gregson." How pretty she had 90
ked that morning, and how fresh "
| sweet her voice had sounded when We
had relented and called him 'sJohn" Ia
+! Why, he could almost hear it
III
John p siz
lie turned as the name came again, a 1
opened his eyes and there beside loo
with elasped hands and streaming ity
3, stood Molly. bes
he great tired blue eyes looked at mo
calmly for a moment (; and then, sta
Ia a low glad cry such as a child as
utter to its mother, Gregson loo
'tched out his arms. fou
Molly" he cried, 81 knew you'd mi,
Re 20 see
John, John" wept the lovely wo- fire
4, as she knelt by his side, II never lioI
W, or l would have come to you be a
u l never knew it, John How loo.
have been suffering all this while, oce
how good and how noble you have por
r' wa,
Don't cry, dear, u sand the hunch- bar
k gently. ~ am quite happy now" lool
in truth, he looked so as he lay Ma
K on the pillow, contentment shin -
in his lustrous eyes and softening ask
hard lines that pain had carved tao
md them. ero'
Did he tell you before he died 2' he q
ID presently, touching her widows sale
DIS. sms
sha answered between her -
!, and then told hlm how some three LIANT
ks before George Vancy had been s'
ienly cut off in the pride of bis tacl
myth by an accident. He had lin s.
d only two days, and during that girl
had fold her the whole story of his mic