Thomas County cat., 1886-08-12


It was quite true; the water dripped
from the dainty. white dress and made
! little pools upon the floor. She wore
no wrap of any kind. As yet she had
not spoken, but stood looking wonder
ingly about the room.
"Where did you come from? Are
you alone?" Mrs. NARROW asked, and
the girl answered with shudder:
Eyes, I'm alone.'
'.Dear. dear. poor child! Let me get
you something warm.''
Captain NARROW set about making a
fire in the cook-stove while his wife
took the stranger into the little bed
room. You're all beat out" the good
woman said, pi,yingly, you'd better
60 right to bed.'' The girl made no
remonstrance, but submitted quite
passively to whatever was proposed.
She took the warm drink Mrs. NARROW
brought her, and then the woman
went back to the warm kitchen and
said: 81 declare, father, the poor thing S
completely beat out; she's asleep al
ready"
"Sho!' was the response. "Who is
she, think?''
The storm was forgotten while the
good people talked over this strange
young creature who had so unexpect-
edly come to them. Some half an hour
later the woman went in to see that she
was still sleeping, but when she came
back there was troubled look on her
face.
''She's asleep yet," she said, ''but
she's restless, and her head and hands
are as hot rs fire.
She stayed with her through the
night, and early the next morning the
captain unmoored his boat and started
off down the river for the nearest doc
tor
Anxious days followed, while the
stranger tossed in the delirium of fever,
and Mrs. NARROW cared for her as ten
derly as If she had been her own.
"Poor child" she said, tears coming
into her eyes as she spoke, cit makes
| my heart ache to think she is away
from all she loves
There was no clue to the girls former
life, no one on the island knew any
thing about her, and all inquiries other
| wise brought no knowledge. Mrs. Mar
low searched the girls clothing, but
| only one word was found, and one day
she slipped a ring Off from the wasted
nand and looked for some inscription;
there was only the word she had found
before, the name Kathleen. The suf-
ferer spoke often, but though Mrs.
NARROW strove to catch any words that
might lead to a discovery of who she
was, there was but little that was intel
| Igible. Sometimes she seemed to be
! wandering through some wood, and
said that the pine needles made soft
| carpet; at others she fancied herself on
the water, and would say she was tired
rowing against the stream. Once or
twice she spoke the name of Everett,
but that was all.
"Poor chiIdr' signed the good wom-
an, ''when she gets we'll she will tell
us. and we will take her home.''
But there were days when it seemed
that there was little reason to expect
her recovery, yet the crisis passed and
she still lived. Very white and weak
she was, her brown eyes looking un =.
| naturally large, then q faint color
came into the face that grew rounder
every day. Mrs. Marlow forbore ask
ing any questions as yet, though she
wondered little that Kathleen asked
her none, but she was growing strong
er; she would speak by and by. Yes,
she was growing stronger, still the
doctor looked grave and continued
his visits after She was able to walk
about.
''Do you think there's any danger
of relapse?" Mrs. NARROW asked one
day.
He was silent moment, then he re-
turned: mo, it is not that fear. Mrs.
NARROW, have you noticed any thing
strange about her? Docs she ever speak
of hcrself?"
''NO, the woman answered. 'Ihave
tried to bring her to it without asking
too much, but she says nothing about
it."
Il have questioned her some," DR..
Harris said, slowly, ''but Mrs. NARROW,
l think her past life is as much a blank
to her as it is to you or me.''
'Oh, doctor!" the woman exclaimed,
with a panied look. Don't you think
she will ever remember it?''
The doctor shook his head. 1--WE
can't tell; We can only wait" he said.
But as time went on there was no
change. She answered to the name of
Kathleen. and called Captain and Mrs.
NARROW, father and mother, as she
heard them call each other. She
seemed quite happy roaming about
the island, only when any mention
was made of going on the water
troubled look came into her face
No" she always said, 81 would
rather not" SO they did not urge her.
She was hardly twenty, Mrs. Marlow
thought of slight 1.-THE figure, and
as carelessly graceful as child. Her
complexion was of creamy, almost
transparent whiteness. the crimson
showing only in her cheeks and lips.
One day Mrs. NARROW brought out the
white dress she had worn when she
came to them. "When did you wear
this last?' she asked
There was for moment startled
look in the brown eyes. then the girl
said, slowly: ''I--can't remember
didn't it rain?" the woman went
on.
kathleen passed her hand over her