The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-01-01
excuse to evade his unpleasant visitors


giclously at mo as he took it up nm,
tested il.
Your name and address, please, >
he sad sharply. "And how much d,
you want?"
~ want "a little money, il 70,
please" faltcred.
AS spoke tho gentleman turned
and l could feel u pair Of bright, kccr
eyes scanning my pale face. I grow
moro llclplessly confused; my tongue
refused to utter word.
TELL tho shopman how much YOU
want and your name. my good girl"
he said, in kind and pittying tone.
Thcn. for tho first time. 1 raised my
eyes to his face. feeling that had
found friend. Mcrciful heaven! was
dreaming, or had my late troubles
driven reason from my brain and filled
il with wild dc!usive fancies?
Surely there stood tho original oil
Aunt Betsy's portrait, but young and
stalwart Us he had boon forty years
ago, when it was taken.
In vain tried TO speak. l could
only point hc,plcssly to tho portrait;
the shop with its occupants and its
contents swan around mo, and will,
n cry for help sank fainting to tho
ground.
When next awoke to conscious
ness was lying on an improviscd bod
on the old couch in our sitting room
at home. moved my head; it felt
weak and sore. Then l tried to lift
my hands. but to my surprise ! was
powerlcss to do so. A woman. plain.
ly dressed. with IL kind, mothcrly face.
was sitting near me, and rose rs l
moved.
Hooked around bcwildered.
Mammal" called, fccbly.
"Hush, hush, my dear MISS" said
tho kind-looking woman, soothingly.
"You must not speak; your mamma
is asleep and on might wake her."
So l lay still. wondering weakly
who she was. and who had sent her
there; but presently, seeing hor stir
the fire into blaze. l forgot her eau
ton. as all my old anxictics came
back, and l said. pleadingly:
"DOn't poke the fire, please. 1t will
burn out too quickly, and We have no
more Goals. ="
"Oh, now. miss, YOU have boon
The cellar is nearly full ;
the Goals only came last week. +"
Again assaycd to answer. but was
so gently, yet with such authority,
ordered to be quiet that was glad 10
obey, so lay still, enjoying the sen.
saton of being able not even 10 think.
In a day or two l grew stronger, and
one morning, to my delight, my moth
eli came in, and had leave given mo
to talk Il little.
Then l heard all about my late adj
venture.
at is really most wonderful event,
my dear, and reads like a chapter out
OF a three volume novel;" said my
when. by the way, looked
quite bri ght and strong again. "Wllcn
you fell down in a faint you let fall
the envelope i'll which you had carried
the maniatu1e.and the gentleman who
was in tho shop"
IL remember him. mama" cried,
cNcitcdly. mo was the very image of
tho portrait. fancicd l must be
That is the strangcst part of the
story. but you won't let me tell it to
you properly. my dear. That gentle.
man saw your name and address.
brought you home In a cab, sent
nurse in and everything we wanted,
and has been our good angel ever
since. He is Arthur Rashlcigh, tho
only sou of your Aunt Betsy's old
lover, who, after mourning the supos.
ed faithlcssncss of his old love, MR.
ricd lato in life. and has not long been
dead, leaving Arthur a large fortune.
His establishment at seeing you with
his fathers portrait. you may be sure,
was very great. However,, it was
very lucky thing for us; after all, Aunt
betsy's present was not such q poor
)ne. BY the way, here it is; Mr. Rash.
eigh was kind enough to bring it back
with him.
There was one thing which did not
appear to concern my mother in the
east. but made my pale face flame.
md that was the idea of receiving all
l,esc benefits from mere stranger.
upon whom we had not the slightest
claim. unless the fact that his father,
iorty years ago had been my aunt's
over could be considered ono.
So | made up an eloquent speech, in
which l thanked him warmly for all
his goodness. and dciicately yet firm
y conveyed the information that l
Intended to repay him US soon as
could got work again.
Rut narofull,. no I rohoor.o,l - tl,,k
eloquent speech was never uttered.
nor did l wonder at my mothers will
ngness to receive benefits from him
when once had seen and talked with
him. He WAS so lonely. he said. lie
mad not friend or relative in Eng.
and, and man servant whom he had
treated with kindness and confidence
had just robbed him of some valuable
Did family plate, which his father had
thou hit highly of and had carried
" til him in all his wandcrings.
For mc-may l confess it without
shame? the grateful interest l felt in
him soon grew into love. and, all!
happy as my life has been since, can /
ever forget that happy evening when,
homo from tho theatcr,
he had taken me, he told mo
That he loved me dearly and asked mo
TO he his wife?
But Ii am poor. am not pretty,
and I'm so old!' pleaded, fearing 10
accept this sweet new happiness. and
of Lcna's deprecatlon of nv
personal appearance. age. etc.
Arthur laughed and drew my arm
closer in his.
"lf you are too old for marriage at
how may l hope with SIX
more years added on ever to enter
that blissful statc?" lie asked.
SO said yes. and soon after We all
went down to Aunt Betsy's. and there
was married at the little village
church to the son of her old lover, who
loved and rcvcrenccd the queer,
touchy old maid not little for her
loyal devotion tO his father.
So Aunt Bctsy's present saved INV
dear mothers life. and also saved mo
from the dreadful fate Lena had
threatened me with. l had it made
into locket. and wear it constantly.
II is generally mistaken for tho por.
trait of my dear husband; SO is the
oil painting of his father which hangs
in our drawing room. from which the
was copied.
We are very happy, and when my
brother Walter comes home, as we cx-
pect him TO do with his young bride