Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-02-20
TOMS RETURN.


no more fitted to go out into the world
and earn her own living than baby =
AS Mrs. Benner uttered these disagree
able truths, she looked at HOrtense with
cold, unsympathetic eyes. HOrtense,
cOweting in the deep, Old-fashioned WIN
dow-seat, only answered with tears,
Poor HOrtensel She was only seven
teen, and this great, great calamity had
Overtaken her Her father had fallen In
fit, standingin his own counting house,
and she was left alone and unPrOvided
for. There was her step-mOther to be
sure: but Hortense, like many another
silly maid, had always kept up a sort Of
armed neutrality with the good bustling
woman who had tried her best to be kind
to the mOtherless girl. She was sorry
for it now, but the time for unavaiing
regrets was passed.
At never did get along with Hortense,
said Mrs. Benner "She was always de
flying me; she even told her father about
poor dear Toms scrapes, and got him
sent off to the Bahama Islands. Poor, dear
Tom might have been a little wild-bOys
will be boys you knOw-but there never
was a bit of harm in him. And he went
over there and died; and 1 shall always
feel as if it was HOrtense who murdered
him"
At these sad retrospects she burst out
crying. EOrtense crept up close to her,
and tried to take her hand.
Smother, dOn'tr' she whispered. Please
don't I was only a cross, pettish child
in those days, and Tom teased me. I
could not imagine what dreadful mischief
was doing. Oh, you don't know how
sorry I have been since. It's true what
black CalOs said, Luck went out of the
house when Tom went out of it. Oh,
mother, motherl don't lay it up against
me p
''There, child-there. You are crump-
ling my new Grape trimming" said Mrs.
Benner, sharply. ''POor, dear Tom, if
he were only here, we should have some
one to lean On-some one to help us IN
our trouble. AS it is, goodness only
knows what is to become usP'
Couldn't we keep bOarders, mothers"
hazarded HOrtense.
Mrs. Benner shifted disdainfully.
''Who would board with us ?'' said she.
Where would the capital come from?"
81 could go into a store"
''YOu look like it, said Mrs. Benner.
Into a store, indeedl Why, you couldn't
hold out a week, You that have never
known what hardship is
HOrtense wept afresh.
ooh, if I had only taken your advice
and learned to sew - walled she. "Then,
perhaps, could have been assistant to a
dressmaker; or if had paid more atten-
ton to my French and mathematics, But
Madam Grigni said their was no necessi-
ty for a girl you didn't intend to become
a teacher to work so hard at her studies.
Oh, dear-Oh, dear what mistake I
have made of my life ?''
81 should think so, said Mrs Benner,
severely.
And she went away to interview the
auctiOneer, who had arrived to catalogue
the furniture for the approaching sale,
while HOrtense dissolved into new tears,
1t seemed to her as if she could have
borne anything but the reproachful
memories of Tom, at this sorrow bur
dened moment.
Why, why had she taken such a
ridiculous and unreasonable dislike to
Tom ByingtOn, her stepmOther's son?
He had been a handsome lad enough,
and good humOred, too, in his way. He
had Away manifested hearty desire to
be friends, but she had checked and
snubbed him in every possible way.
If only Tom ByingtOn were here now
how good she would be to him What
a help and comfort ne would be
For Tom had loved his mother dearly,
and he was a brave and manly fellow, in
spite of the bOyish delinquencies which
had banished him to Nassau, In the
Bahamas.
As she sat there, thinking and crying
by turns, a step fell on the threshold.
She looked quickly up.
A gentleman stood there-tan, stately
and handsome-in fur-trimmed over
coat and long, silky beard.
Hortense thought of the sign "To
Let" on the front door and jumped up.
"Oh, Isbeg your pardonr' said she
shut did YOU wish to look at the
house?"
ssThe house-nor' said the stranger.
with rather a puzzled look. 1T was
Mrs. Benner that wanted to see. 1t
can't be possible that you are-HOr-
tense?"
Toni she cried out, with a little
shrek. 'But no; it can't be. Tom died
out IN the Bahama Islands"
mot exactly" said the distinguished
looking stranger, with smile. "He
came very near it IN the yellow fever
epidemic-so near, in fact, that his name
was published In the death list; but
there's nameless individual who al
ways takes care of his own. And made
up my mind that I would not come back
until 1 could succeed in conquering my
lI-luck- Well, I have succeeded And
it seems" with a glance around the
room, ''as if were Just in time. Where
is my mother?''
Without a word, Hortense pointed to
the mOrning-rOOm where Mrs. Benner
and the auctOneer were IN full con
clave.
But when Tom was gone she burst