Wichita daily eagle., 1885-08-22

Inc Asf thlnG - 041o W. fOfnethlnS eooQS
NE belonging to him nov, All hs put this
chain and ioeket with his picture IN Il
around my neck and locked It with . ittls
gold key that hung on his watch-ehain
That was over six years ago. and ! have
never taken il OF - He hsd NOT
been gone q week before granny fell sick,
and three days afterward she was dead
Just before she died she told mo about-my
mother
WAS not your mother q good woman
Mis- Louise demanded. searching Bab's tell
tale face and drawing her own conclusions
and her feecy skirts away the least bit In
the world
@She never was married, IL that is what
you mean. though I've seen q many Is were
married that were no better" Bah replied,
defiantly
Il had little twin sister, granny said,
but she gave her away to some real rich
peo le, and never saw her any more. So
She will never be made unhappy as have
been Well, granny died. "a have said,
and they buried her in the little green field
back of the quarry, where the poor people
lie, and after the funeral began to think Of
Mr.. Owen and Of my poor mother. What
would he think IL he knswi Finally. Imade
up my mind what ought to do. Gran'dad
hadn't seemed quite right in his head ever
since granny died and when asked him il
be didn't think it would be a good plan TO
give up quarrying and go west, he seemed
pleased with the idea had seen in q daily
paper an advertisement for bridge watch
man on a new railroad, and I wrote
in gran'dad's name applying for the
place I was success full / have always
thought it was because / was trying TO do
what was right-ani we sold our little hand
full Of furniture and left the quarry, and
nobody knew where We had gone or why.
The night before We left wrote Mr. Owen
Q little note telling him / could not marry
hint would be wrong Then we came on
here. Gran'dad netted him a seine and
watched the bridge Gran'dad and the
bridge are all have left"
sDid your Mr. Owen never make an effort
70 find you againP Louise asked.
Il think So / saw an advertisement for
rs in paper that some ono had dropned
from q car-window one day. That was
about three years ago. I burned the paper
for fear granHsd might see it. There Is no
one here who knows our right name They
call it Gaskell instead Of Haskell, and poor
Gran'dad is too deaf to tell the difference.
But often hear Of Mr. Owen, for he has
worked his way up. as the men used 70 say
he would, and sometimes have wondered
il he cared very much when he couldn't find
me-"
GYou could not have cared very much for
him, or you would not have given him up SO
easily" said Louise. musingly.
Il tried not to think Of myself" Bah re.
piled quietly; "and pray every night that
he may find the happiness he deserves
thought it would not be very wrong to wear
the locket; know that ho Is not-not mar
ried-yet"
Louise clasped her hands together to still
their trembling, and thought Of something
Owen Ray mond had once said to her-a
few broken words about q Lost love OF his
boyhood to whom she bore a strange. puz
cling resemblance that had attracted him
the first time they ever met And this will,
handsome girl was the lost idoli Why,
Owen himself was over in the woods with
the merry party yonder! Suppose he should
come in search Of her and discover Bah!
Louise grew faint with dread She had felt
so sure of him lately; she could not, wouh
not lose him nowl She must be cool and
brave-the danger might be averted.
A little old man who had come shuffiing
around the corner of the house raised his
dim eyes to her face and started hack with
a dazsd, half-frightened expression.
minnie, my little girl!' he faltered, hold
ing cut two thin trembling arms toward her.
-'Tis a young lady who came with the
picnic party, gran'dad, dear. Go inside
now and have bit of o smoke" Bah said
soothingly. Don't you mind him. miss"
shs oatinued to Louise. Hes a littls
mixed in his head at times and he was think
ing o. mother when he called you Minnie
that was her name
The old man shambled into the house an6
sat down on the bench. muttering,
"Ay, that's Minnie. She used TO swing or
the little front gate o nights waiting for
me to come home from work. But he don't
know me any more. My Minnies forgot
her poor old dadi' and the bitter. scanty
tears of old age burned in his faded eyei and
slipped slowly over the leathery cheeks.
There is No. u coming down the Mill;
must go over the bridge now.' Bab said As
the old man entered the cottage and Louise
turned to go. From the woods beyond came
the faint sound OF voices and far-oR laugh
ter The picnic party was coming nearer.
Bap wen. on and Louise paused q moment
To watch the slim. graceful figure pass over
the slender plank. >ianting ray of SUN
hight fell on the bare, bent head, bringing
cut threads 81 gold in the chestnut hair.
Loui>s gave "A cynical little shrug
"After all what can it matferf She thre y
him away. He is mins now. all. will not
give him w"