The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-12-09

! laid her mead IN my lap. L saw she was
weeping.
What is it, Helen?n l asked.
! Then learned that that morning our
pastor-he whose noble face was tn
! light and inspiration of all VINO knew
/ him-had placed his heart in my youn :
1 friends keeping.
Let me congratulate you, my HelenT
/ exclaimed, raising her face.
! With i passionate gesture she pu5he
away my hands.
Nay; rather wish that l had never
been bornr'
Surprised, listened, and soon l knew
why the poor child had always such /;
| sorrowful look III her beautiful eyes
! she told me OF youth spent with T.
/ brother or sister, but happily, in til;
| care of dear friend, with whom he
| father had placed her upon her mother :
| death.
When was sixteen | returned to
, my fathers home she said, in her low
mournfui voice. Il was well educate ted.
accomplished, and apparently with ,
! life full of hope ana enjoyment before
! me- After little time there came one
| VINO pretended to care for me. | die
not love him. and told him so; but
still he persisted in coming AT last
appealed to my father to cause him to
cease his annoying importunities-
"My father rebuked him, and left the
house in his company. Mr.. March was
never seen again alive. My father. an
| innocent mau, was accused of hav-
| jng-" She broke down, and in
- IN o+;v-a1v- what o0rr,inp I
drew her into my arms. She shudder-
ed ''Oh, it was SO horrible! They
judged him guilty of murder, and he
was suffered 10 dien'
| did not speak. What could / says
He was not guilty. for his own lips
told me of his innocence" She waited
q moment Now. Mss Hope. can you
not see why have refused DR.. Rubens,
even though it breaks my heart to do
so?"
Have you told him your story,
Helen?" | asked.
Told him! Oh no, could not tell
him of the disgrace that clouds my
life" she cried wildly. Il must leave
here, and 60 far away where he can
never look upon my face again"
Wait while, Helen" l pleaded
DO not do anything hastily"
Throwing her arms around my neck,
she kissed me.
My dear friend, God bless you for
all your kindness to men'
With these words she left me.
She did not wait as l had counselled; !;
but leaving no word, departed as sud-
denly and mysteriously as she had come.
How We all missed heri
Ny co-workers. OF course. knew moth
ing of what had happened, and they
were loud in their regrets; while little
Willie, the cripple. who loved her 80.
with piteous quiver of his small lips
asked:
Miss Hope, will we never see her any
morep"
DR.. Rubens came in few days after
she had gone, and when i saw how
changed and grave his face was, feit
that it was my duty to tell him all l
knew.
He heard me silently, though the
strong hand which leaned upon the
table beside him trembled. When had
finished, he said:
Miss Hope, you know that love her,
and that no pain or disgrace in her life
could make her aught but dearer to me.
Can you not help me to find her?"
All, foolish Helen! to think that to
such love as his anything could make
any differencei
But could tell him nothing as to her
whereabouts. The great house seemed
very different TO me. Before Helen
came my duties had taken up my time
Il a 70 -
thing besides; now the hours seemed
long. And when | passed through the
| hospital ward, and paused by little
Willie, the tears would fill my eyes, as
would remember the graceful figure
which had SO often bent there, breath
ing sweet truths about Jesus in words
suited to her tiny listeners comprehen-
sion.
At length a change for the worse
came to Willie. The hospital doctor
shook his head gravely.
''He is not long for this world, Miss
Hope" be whispered.
Willie, too, seemed to understand
why it was his breath came so feebly,
and his little body SO full OF pain.
Looking up into Dr.. Ruben's face
one day. he said. in his childish voice:
"Dr. Rubens, l am going to Jesus,
before long; won't you please find Miss
Helen, so that l can bid her good-bye?"
Find her! / knew how hard he had
tried, and how unsuccessful his attempts
had all been SO far. Leaning over the
boy, he said huskily:
Little Willie, pray to your dear
Jesus TO hel p MS TO bring Miss Helen to
you"
thought long that night, and at last
project came to me. In the next days s
papers | caused this advertisement to be
inserted:
Little Willie is dying: He calls for
Helen"
Prayerfully it wa. written, and
thought that if she saw it, perhaps, for
Willie's sake, she would come.
But it must be very soon. for paler
grew the transparent skin, and NOR e
piteous the expression of the pain-drawn
lips.
1t was noon. The boy lay quietly in
his white bed. There was none beside
him but myself, our pastor, and the
physician, as too many would excite
him.
mi otOuI'A was tiu lllltilsC SlltuCC-
Suddenly the lids opened over the dark
! eyes. Looking straight towards the
door, the boy said:
! she is here. feel it Tell Helen
to come quickly to Willie; he wants her
so much"
The pathetic utterance of the last
words brought the tears streaming
! down my checks. We had all tried our
! different ways 10 find her, and we
thought the child must die before he
! saw her he loved so we'll
| But the door gently opened The
boy was right; it was Helen. With a
! low cry she hurried to the couch. and
! placed her arms around the dying boy
! Little Willie. here is Helen, On,
am not too late?"
/ No. not too late. Once more the
| tired lids lifted, and Willie saw her.
WItn N Lost a+fnrt ba raised opa tiou