The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-11-28
"You ought to forget him." said Common

'And marry the Doctor said a voics
that belonged to she knew not whom.
While this council of the facu ties was In
session in Miss GArnetts mind she turned
her face toward the house, as though 1t, too,
had right to speak on this subject. 1hs
windows were ablaze with light Her mar
ried sisters and their families were there
celebrating Thanksgiving. The dinner over,
she had slipped away alone for long walk.
Holidays always made her secretly sad.
They reminded her that her dream was long
of fulfllment True, she had interests,
plenty Of them; but this, the greatest. was
lacking, and she was human enough to feel
little bitter over it. And this was Thanks
giving How thanxful she would be if
ahl it was vain dream. Why should she
cherish i'll
She thought Of the future little sadly.
Her mother was dead, her sisters married
and gone, and her father fading day by
day. She would soon be quite alone.
She thoushtof DR.. Sedgewick again. Yes,
she was sure she could love him IL she
could only forget Frank Bascombe.
A strange voice, close to her ear, said {:
I'm very hungry"
She turned suddenly and found herself
face to face with a scowling tramp, the same
man who had trudg,d VI seen far behind the
carriage when she was riding home with
the doctor.
Then como into the house and eat" she
said cordially, opening the gate. She was
Glad IN bo bar ,,rnGtlasc intar.
rupted; glad that she could do something
toward making the poor wretch comfort
able They entered the dining room by a
side door. Lamps were burning there, and
as her one maid of all work had gone to
the village to spend her Thanks giving
evening, she set about preparing his meal
without summoning any one. She treated
him as guest, not pauper She gave
him an easy chair by the fire, and took a
feverish interest in leading the table with
the choicest Thanksg wing dainties.
The man was very disreputable looking
he had hard lines of dissipation on his face;
he was untiiy, and he reeked with vile
liquor. No matter He was needy; that
was enough. After he began to eat, Miss
Garnett ventured to look at him again. His
face was bloated and unshaven, but it
wasn't the face Of common tramp. She
wondered, pity what could have re-
duced him to beggary, and these lines
janglel slowly through her mind:
"Ah! blame me not that l
Have been a shipwreckei mau;
You do not know how high
The It'd, and current ran
Suddenly she turned pale and starel at
the tramp's shaggy countenalcs with
fri ,htenei eyes Tat scar on his left eye.
brow: Why, why, it was exactly like one
that marks Frank Blsrom),s facs. re-
ceived when a child at play! She looked
closely, earnestly, anxiOusly, while her
heart almost stopped beating. Yes it was
true! Not the scar alone. but the features,
coarseued and distorted b. evil passions,
made the sckening truth plain to her This
was Frank Bascombe. This dissipate l,
staggering beggar, receiving charity at
her hand-this was the prince whose com.
ing she had so often pictured in royal col
orS! This, this was the man whose memory
had made all other men seem poor and
meant She smilel grimly at tn, fine irony
of the situation Sns was like one waking
from a troubled dream waking to laugh
at the seriUusne IS dream could assume.
She had been dreaming for ten years but
she was awake now-oh! quite awake,
There are times when we are Changed in
the twinkling OF an eye even while we
live. Tnls was one Of them
The man did no. see her look Of recogni-
ton. Hi' eyes were on his plate The
business of eating engrossed him. He ha
not recognizal her that was certain. A
he got up from the table his aCciieGtai
glance fell on newspaper that some one
had left lying carelcs3ly on a CHAR 1t was
The Clarkson Register the old h"m'
weekly, familiar to both OF them from
childhood A flash of recognition went
over his face. H. picked it up saving,
will you permit M to remain moment,
madam, and look over this papar?'
She graciously aSsented, and moved
across the room cut of his s.glt. Had she
need,l any further proof Of hs Identity
this would have been enough.
Il lived m Clarkson once h. coat.nuci
ha,f mu,inglr.
She cauglt her breath end her heart
gave great bounl After all, Sh, had
misju Igol him, perhaps H. bad come in
the gui'e of a b'ggar tnat he might sea her
before h revealed himself. He was always
doing u1h3ard.ot tn ngs, and he was a
capital actor This was like him. very ike
HIM. Her eyes gllsten,l AMI her cheeks
flannel at the thought AM yet, what
curiou, things women, heart; are. The
next inmate she wasn't quite sure that she
wanted it to be That way. An iiusipn
once dissipatsd il d iii 'uit to rein'tat,
'Carkson Is fne oil New England
town., she sad, miitferently, in order 10
give him clancA to reveal ms,f.
"Rqther thclly populated with fog Is
AMI plgEeads.' he replied, with a sheer
81 knew some people there myself
long time ago" she sail after a pa,s'
He said nothing
The Melvill,s. The Dwight,, the--the
Garnett5, she added
H was still silent
Miss Alice Garnet was a particular
friend OF min, sac -aId, watching him
c osely.
The name did not move him