The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-08-13


seemed a fortune to her. As she sat,
her strained ears caught the mothers
voice again.
I'm not keep you, though my heart
is breaking. My bonny boy come to
this! Oh, God, most merciful, save
him from a felon's doom!'
''Mother, pray for me. If l escape I
vow to lead an honest life and make a
home for you. 1t has not been nv
fault. Pray God to forgive and help
| me''
Clara's grasp of her hands relaxed.
Then, with white face and fearful
eyes, she stood up and looked at her
two tiny sleeping boys. Then upon
her knees she fell and stayed in earnest
prayer until she heard the stealthy
footsteps creep down the stairs; then
she stole to the window of her darken-
ed room, and, looking out into the
lamp.lit street, watched a quick walk
ing figure in an old countrywoman's
| cloak, with deep cape and large poke
bonnet, such as her neighbors always
wore, and she knew that the Young
man had escaped in his mothers
| clothes.
One of the most old-fashione,l houses
in an old country town was Miss
| GrcybrOok's. A steep flight of i'm
maculately clean steps lod from the
pavement of High street to her hall
door. with its shining brass knocker
and bell handle.
Now, this old lady was Tom Craven's
godmother, and on the very cold, dull
winter morning of which 1 have now
to speak, she had risen from her high
backed chair, in front of the bright
steel fender, at tho sound of the post
mans knock, and advanced to meet
tho elderly servant who brought in the
letters on silver salver.
''None from him., said the old lady,
when she was alone again, turning
over four letters eagerly in search Of
hand writing that was not there.
Poor and proud, like his father!
Well, I've seen much folly in my time,
but if he refuses my offer I question if
there is a companion idiot for such
| man,
1t was three weeks since she had
written to Tom Craven, addressing
| her letter to the office of Brown & Co..
| by whom She thought he was employ
| ed, and offering to overlook the hid
eous mistake he had made in marrying
penniless orphan girl, and to devote
q substantial sam to further his pros
| poets in life.
On the very morning that she was
bewailing openly her godson's PRIDE,
and secretly her own, our friend Tom
received reply to the letter he had
sent to Brown & Co., regretting that
they could do nothing to help him;
and inclosing Miss Grey brooks letter,
which had been lying nearly three
weeks at their Office.
Clara, with the sadness OF the nights
struggle still upon her, ran down the
rickety old stairs at the sound of the
| postman's knock and received the let
ter for her husband. When she arriy-
cd breathless at the top floor again she
watched his face rs he opened it. The
few polite lines from the business men
fell unread to the ground, while tho
envelope they enclosed was torn Gag
erly open. Clara looked over his
shoulder and read, too, and then with
one glance at the renewed vIgor in his
worn, anxious face, she relinquished
her role of bravery, and cried out the
misery OF months in his arms. Robbie
walked and BERTHE crawled to the
scene of action. and. seeing their mo-
Their in tears, lent a shrill to the chorus,
upon which they were kissed, blessed
and cried over till they thought the
world Represented to them by their
father and mothcr) had gone mad.
When partial calmness had returned,
Tom spoke joyously:
| ''NOw, wife, sell something of your
small store and send a telegram from
me to the dear old grip
''Tom,' cried Clara, laughing
through her tears, show disrespcct-
ful!''
But the telegram was sent and
brought in solemn wonderment to Miss
Greybrook before ten o'clock by the
postmaster himself. When once she
had the opened paper before her eyes,
and devourcd the information that her
godson was in London and DESTROYS of
seeing her Immediately, sho gave
orders for 4 fly to be in readiness to
catch the next up train, and that her
fur travelling cloak and boots be put
near the fire Immediately.
In the anxiety that all the domcstics
felt to take share in the general ex-
element, Miss GrcybrooE's cloak
threatened to be torn in pieces, and,
when wanted, one fur boot was found
warming in front of the kitchen fire,
the other reposing on the sheepskin
rug beside the drawing-room fender.
However, vouchsating never a word of
explanation, but, happily for the san
ity of those she left behind her, drop
ping the telegram in the hall as
she walked out to the fly, Miss Grey
brook started alone on her travels.
The dull, foggy shades of a London
winter evening had gathered, and two
big aud two little faces were pressed
tightly against the grimy top window
of house in a Westminster street, as
u cab drove up.
Go and bring her up stairs, Clara"
said Tom. II can't 20 in my slip
pers."
"Yes-but I'm so afraid of hertz
All fears were obliged to disappear,
however, for the object of them had
not waited to be brought up. She had
intimidated the landlady by the COM
handing voice in which she had de-
sired to be shown to the apartments of
MIR. and Mrs. Thomas Greybrook
Craven; and that fat and lazy person
had preceded the strange lady rapidly
up so many flights that on reaching
the top landing Miss Grey stood
silent and stately, for she could not
speak. She waved the landlady down
again, just as the latter wanted to look
in and see what would happen next.
Then Tom advanced, and his god
mother kissed him first, then his wife.
Then observing Robby and Bertio, she
grimly smiled, and remarked aloud,
but to herself, evidently:
"Children. of course-being as poor
as church MICE"
Looking around tho wrctchcd room,
and shaking tie three chairs, she
chose the least rickety and sat down.
"Pack uR-haven't got much to
pack that l can see. You must all
come back with mo tonight
Tom Craven and his wife exchanged
chances, and at last Tom deferentiallv