Daily Republican., 1886-01-15
A STROKE OF POLICY,
BY GERALDINE FLEMING.

| do wish You would stay home TO
day." Tom Grey's mother said entrsat
ingly.
The youug gentleman studiou.ly in
spected fiattsring image OF himself
rejected In the long mirror before hs
vouohsafed the slightest attention q
the oencate woman who was reclin.
'uR on ths worn sofa OF the plain little
pArIor.
dislike being quite alone. Tam
when am 30 poorly" Mrs. G,sv con,
ttnued, still more pleadiuQly.
But you are always siok. Won know
mother, Tom drawled ind fferently. "a
he adjusted the flower In his buttonbole
WIN smother glance At that Rratifv Ing
rthection, ali spruce and fine from the
crown OF the i'm maoulate hat to the moi.
shed tips OF the pointed shoes, " Some.
oody VIII drop In, Of course; aud /
can : stay home, yoa know-I really
can't, You see.'
| A half-restrained sob came from the
fevered lips of the mother, 90 she turned
her gray head YEARLY upon the uncom-
Portable cushions of the sofa
IL was hard to fee! that this heed less.
affected, idle fellow was the son for
| whose SAX she had labored and hos I'd ed
through 30 many joyless years.
90 wish you would stay, Tom, "
she sighed. "And you really canno,
ahord 90 much amusement All nv
savings arc gone; you have M employ.
ment; and there are bills TO be paid.
am afraid this illness may be- serious.
and II anything serious does hap
pet"
She paused with n shudder, wonder
ing vaguely IL her long life Of toll and
sacrifice must only b. rec Jm pensed at
last by a few feet of mold In that
dreary nook OF Gods acre, set apart for
the unloyed, the unvAlued and the in.
dig.nt.
"Tnere Ia no use preaching. mother. -
rom Interrupted In his smooth, carelaas
RRy. "A fellow can't NOPE In the
house, yon know, even II there were NO
pretty heiress 10 tempt ones atten-
tions'
"A pretty beiress ?" Mrs. Grey re-.
peated inquiriDgly.
All, yes the lady whom am 10
escort on the excursion to day. A
charming little girl, you see." Tom OK
plain ID oomplacently, as good "a gold
AS good rs ff.y thousand dollars in
solid cash, and have made an i'm =.
preston In that quarter. you know.
She 10 quite n stranger In the city.
stopping With cousin or somethisg,
aud can't afford 70 neglect her, really.
rich wife isn't q bad thing for q
fellow to have, you know, and little
Fay Orrelle 10 mine for the asking
" | am sorry for the girl" Mrs. Grey
sighed al he Quilted the house "The
rsmiss son ever makes the neglestful
husband.
And the remissness Of her 500, her
only child, was exceedingly bitter ~
her that morning rs she lay there alone
In her poor pArlor, while the herce hot
summer suHbeams glistened ON the
pArched naples outside, and the fercer.
notter glow OF fever scorched within
her veins.
Later in the morning q slight girl all
10 white turned into the quiet street.
walking hurriedly, and glancinR about
her with q perplexed expreesion. a. N
uncertain of her way. Presently she
beheld q gentlemen coming down the
steps OF plain brick house, and with
q little cry OF intense relief she has
tened toward him.
"oh, Or. Hardy she said, "a am
very glad that have met you. am
actually lost" she explained, with a
beautiful smile, that was half shy and
half mirthful came out for some.
thing l wanted for theexcursion o-dAy.
and in my haste 1 mistook the street.
and--and shall miss my party unless
| get back home directly" she painted
with Rirlish eagerness
] fear, Miss Fay, that You are too
late for the excursion already" the
gentleman returned, with a provoking
lack Of sympathy in the expression Of
Ills handsome face and pleasant voice.
The boat must have gone tn irty
minutes ago"
$50 tt must" she admitted, with a
rueful glance at her elegant little
watch,
"You have @ number of long blocks
before you yet," her companion oh
served politely. "And l dare saw Won
are rather fAtigued by your walk and
the confusion of it oil. Toe patient /
have just left Is an agreeable lady, aud
she Ia quite alone. Would you not
like 10 sit with her and rest for q little
time? ] could then call for you and
take you home"
"Oh, thanks l shall be 40 Glad.
answered the girl, who could have sob.
bed for very wesrincss.
And go Fay Orrelle WAS courteously
escorted into the cool, dim parlor where
Mr.. Grey was lying, sore NJ heart and
racked with fever pain.
And rs DIR. Vernon Hardy left her
there and turned from the house again
he smiled rather knowingly.
Nothing more opportane could have
happened" no thought. Fay is a
shrewed little thing she will be- quick
TO comprehend the trouble of that ne.
elected Ill other; and she is su dicieptly
wise TO know that the bad son Inakea
the bad husband"
Perhaps the policy of the vouno
physician was not altOR ether unselfish,
For certainly an exquisite, girlish. Wis
ION, with Innocent gray eyes and hair
like meshed sunheams, had haunted
his dreams with persistency. Certainly
the wide earth could hold for him no
dearer treasurer than the simple heart
ot sweet Fay Orrelle-the simple heart
mat had turned all too readily and.kind.
" toward q polished, persuasive, and
lover.
III he cares much for the graceless
ellow, that ten Ter heart will suffer. of
'1ursa. But the brief agony of the Ian.
YET Is better than lifelong patu," the
age young doc or meditated Is he went
Ills way.
Meanwhile the girl was sitting beside |
Mrs Grey, who had become much too
IL to wonder abJut the unfamiliar
quest.
And while Fay rested In Toms big
'asy. chair the sick woman babblsd Of |
lim In strange, half conscious way
nat was rather startling to the pretty
ltiress.
Tom will marry the simple little