Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-06-03

81 kept tony resolution, changed my name
TO Ross, and obtained employment at Sydney
as a dock-laborer, just earning enough TO
keep life In me and-and-enable me to go
to bed drunk every night But a vision of
the fair reproachful face of my lost love
haunted my degraded sleep and babe me rise
from the hopeless slough into which wac
so surely sinking. / answered her appeal.
and soon weaned myself from the growing
passion, seeking, as a substitute, distraction
for my mind rs well as my body In labor OF
a more elevated kind. l soon learned to live
only for my work. / made money again,
speculation after speculation tempted me-
and. though did not coin a fortune with
royal swoop as had done before, yet was
exceptionally successful.
III invested every penny carefully, not
with an ultimate purpose, but simply because
tO spend IL would bring me no pleasure. And
thus. Irving, seven years went by--seven
emotionless lonely years-when, just three
months ago. as stood one evening looking
across the ocean, the sight of tiny sail dis.
appearing on the horizon on its way TO En-
gland awoke in me such fever of longing,
such an intense overpowering wish to visit
home again and ascertain what had become
| of those had loved and lost, that could
not resist the temptation. took a berth in
| the Adelaide, which was TO sail that week !:
and here am, Irving, gazing dimly through
the veil which shrouds my native land. and
and almost wishing myself back in the sun
ny ambient air of the land we have left so
far behind"
His voice ceased; Irving smoked on in ST.
lence for some minutes before he spoke.
ASIhar hot haapi -ahc Ia,
nothing of your wife and child during those
seven years%'
Never a word"
And you mean to make inquiries as 10
their whereabouts nowy'
YES. But | have taken an oath-an
oath which mean TO keep, so help me Heav-
emp answered Highland solemnly-''that If
| find my wife alive and well, having formed
other ties, and being happy and contented
therein, will not disturb her; l will return
TO Australia, and remain what am virtually
in the eyes of the lava dead man. lit
would kill her to know she-she was the wife
of two living husbands--my pretty Alice
my pretty Alice r-and his voice sank to a
whisper.
'Heyland," suddenly cried Irving laying
his hand with rough sympathy OH his friends
shoulder, II am not man OF pretty or APP
propriate words as you know, so will not
try to tell you how feel for you, how your
story touched me; but, II you will let my
sympathy take active FORM i think you will
find am your man. You see, | have no par
ticular engagements or pressing business TO
encroach on my time, and l could perhaps be
of some service to you in making inquiries,
ascertaining facts, ct-cTterq, even In helping
you To bear up against any further dsap-
pointmentS fortune may have in store You
see, old fellow, seven years is long spell Of
time, and all the eircm--"
II know. know, dear boyr' the other in
terrupted. IL assure you I'm not buoyed up
with any eXtrayagant hopes. | know the
chances are all dead against me; I'm armed
for that. Nevertheless | feel must know
the worst before return; but, as personal in
quirlcs would be decidedly unsafe-though
my appearance has undergone great change,
and think few would now recognize In me
the beardlcSS fresh-faced youth of ten years
ago. am determined Ia run no risk and so,
Irving. accept your kind offer and under
my direction will let you make inquiries for
me. fancy they will not detain you by me
more than day or two at the most
TOBE CONIISUkD.