The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-10-21
saved from the wreck. ana ons st ii

died"
"Aad did the other llvef'' May
asked.
Eyes, miss, but he kept it secret.
He was poor, you see, and his wife's
mother had behaved badly. and let
him and his wife and children almost
starve, though she had plenty. So
when he'd made enough to come
back, without q penny in his pocket,
and came here and found that he was
counted dead, and that his wife had
gone to her mother with the little
ones, he thought it no use to take
them back to starve again. 80 he de-
termined not to let her know he was
alive till he'd money enough to keep
them. So he went back to America.
He wanted me to 70 with him. but
says, No, sir, 'tisn't money l want,
but just the sea.faring life I've been
used to, to make me happy How
ever, he went, and he's made q lot OF
money; twas he sent me the money
to get yonder little craft with, now
that l feel inclined to settle down a
bit; he wished me to come here be.
cause it was where he lived before he
set sail.'
Mrs. Brandleth looked up at him
with startled eyes, and lips that would
scarcely move.
"Where is he now?" she asked, while
the color died from Mays face, and
her hands nervously c.asped them.
selves together.
Hes gone to seek his wife, and tell
her he's not dead. She'd have her
sorrow over mourning for him, when
he first got back. you see, so he never
let her know. He'll be over there by
tomorrow or next day, l expect"
Mrs. Brandleth rose, piteously
clasp;ng the sailors hands. "rell me
his name," she said, teebly.
'Mr. Trevor, ma am; he's a doctor
-" She heard no more, but sank
fainting at Mays feet.
II always felt that Alice laid his
death at my door, she said, when
she opened her eyes; "she'll forgive me
now, and he will, too, for 1have taken
care of you both for him."
A telegram was sent off that noon
to tell Hugh Trevor that he would
find his wife and child where years be.
fore he had left them. And then they
waited with an impatience and hap
piness that seemed almost too much
to bear, till that happy day should
come when the train which years before
had seemed to little Frank to come
from some unknow world, should
bring the lost one back again.
IF had only known it all these
years." Alice said. ut would have
been better to have told me-"
1T was my fault, DEAR" Mrs. Brand
leth said. "He thought you would
have refused my help, perhaps, if hi
lived, and he could not do much 10,
you: Tom Hardy says he has been
working all these years to endow you
with his earnings at last" and thus
the one unkind thought vanished.
II think will go and meet him, u
Alice had said ut first, meaning to 20
to Southampton and bring him back
to Drayton; but she gave up the idea
long before she received the telegram
from him to say he had reached Eng.
land, for Mrs. Brandleth had broken
down beneath the excitement and
long years of her busy life, and was
i'll and failing. So when the day came
at last, Alice left May-May who was
almost woman now-tO take care
Of her grandmother, and went down
through the summer fields to the little
station to meet her husband.
1t was late when his train came in,
almost evening time, and the sun was
setting when the husband and wife
went hand in hand toward the house
where Mrs. Brandleth and May were
awaiting them. Mrs. Brandleth VAS
watching them from the window.
1.-THE day is nearly done," she said,
and a moment later she tottered for.
ward to meet her son-in-law. RI am
SO thankful" she said, as she kissed
his bronzed cheek.
She never saw the sun rise again;
but she died knowing that when it
looked next upon them che best loved,
it would be to See that their only sor-
row was that which her parting gave
them.-Cassell's Select Library.