Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1888-12-22
CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER V.
Two years elapsed and there was no news
of the missing Mr. Munro. Letters arrived
frequently from different parts of America
from Mr. Bob Sudden, who evidently found
his task to be more difficult than he had sup
nnso} America was large continent, and
i :, as not so easy to find one particular man
upon it. Poor Lucy amused herself by read
ing books and perusing maps She liked to
wonder if George were therc-or there, and
what sort of place it was. She arranged all
Ir Bob Studdeu's letters of intelligence in
chronological order and compared them with
the books and the maps, and 50 traced his
progress She always knew when an Anerl-
can letter arrived by an instinct for which
she was at q loss to account herself; but for
all these sources of consolation, for all her
mothers and fathers sOlcitude, she grew
weaker and weaker She took no air bat i'll
an invalid chair. Her father walked by her
side grave and detected Stealthy shad-
oys took possession of the bankers house.
They fitted on the windows, fingered on the
staircases and hung about the passages; and
the good folks of Bramlingdon looked sad IS
they passed the bankers, over which, as over
those it contained, there hung the sanctity CT
great sorrow.
Two long long years and two long, long
months Lucy waited and hoped, each day
her pale check growing paler, and her light
form lighter, and toward Christmas she Was
unable to be lifted from her bed. Dr.. Top
ham said that he had exhausted the resources
of his science; and when the poor girl turned
fevcrishly, and, with a slight access OF de-
lirium, asked for the fiftieth time if there
were no news, the doctor beckoned the banker
and his wife from the sick room and said:
Eve an idea! This cannot last long-she
must be quoted somehow. She keeps ask
ing for news; now news from America
would quiet her and she might sleep"
eve have no news" said the single minded
banker.
NO" replied the doctor, "but we can
make some"
Make somel"
"Fabricate it-invent Il Don't you seer
so doctorl" remarked the fearful mother,
.'to deceive a poor creature on the threshold
of death!'
"To snatch her from death, said DR.. Top
ham. cit must be done. 1t is the last
chance. We must write a letter from Stud
den this very night"
''But-but- butt is forgery stammered
tn banker.
Besides" said Mrs Dawbarn, Lucy
knows MI Studden5 hand and always ex-
amines the envelopes"
Then" said the doctor, ''we must do it by
telegraph
telegraph"
eyes. In Il few minutes you will receive
n telegram from Mr.. Bob Sudden, saying
that he has just arrived at Liverpool with
with q companion"
"Who'll send it~
- will said the doctor.
But when-when she finds that Sudden
is not in England-what them!
1--WE must think OF something else" said
the undauntod Topham. 'The case is des-
parate and something desperate must be
tried. Go and talk to her, Mrs Dawbarn,
and I'll send the telegram"
With q strong feeling of conscious guilt
Mr.. and Mrs. Dawbarn put into their daugh
ter'5 hand telegram containing these words:
'From Robert Sudden, Adelphi Hotel, Liv
c1Dool, to Charles Dawbarn, BramlingdOn.
II have Just arrived in Liverpool. have
nou5 Of Mr. NJ. l hope to be i'll Branding
don by Thursday
Lucy read the telegram and sat up in her
bed.
"Hc's come, mammal" she said, and her
eyes flashed and her cheeks flushed. HE
landed in England this morning. felt he
Gid-about . o'clock He will be here soon,
George will-very soon-very soon. Mamma,
please tell Eliza to put out my lilac frock He
liked lilac-and to come and do my hair
and-and-and- Eliza to come to me
and l can tell her what l want myself"
Tho father and mother exchanged glances
/ =.
deceDtion. What can be done next?1 The
thought had hardly been interchanged be
fore a smart rap was heard at the street door,
and a servant came i'll with another tele-
graphic dispatch, which ran thus:
'.From r. Sudden, Adelphi Hotel, Liver
pool, to c. Dawbarn, Bramlingdon.
''Just arrived here with Mr.. Munro. Shall
start by night train, leaving here at 1:30.
NJ. and self will be at Bramlingdon to-mor-
row. Telegraph back"
''How absurd of Topham to send two tele
oramsm said Mr. Dawbarn, when he and his
wife were alone, "as if one would not bring
mischief enough He must be mad"
DR.. Topham entered the k9Ise, and in
CURED how his plan had succeeded
'sOh. Lucy is very much delighted and agi-
tated," answered Lucy's father ''What we
shall do with her when she finds the news
not true, do not know. But, Topham, why
the deuce did you send two kilograms"
"TwoI" echoed Topham. II only sent one"
eyes, you did"
''No, didn't"
Eyes, you did. Here it is.
The doctor looked at the second telegram,
and said, Il didn't send this"
''Nol Who then?'
"By Jove He didl Sudden, I mean.
Dawbarn, he's comet he's come! 1 only an
ticipated the truth 1t was q medical inspi-
ration-and my patient will recover"
Mr.. Dawbarn lost ne time in telegraphing
back to Liverpool At Lucy's express desire
Mr.. Sudden was instructed to telegraph at
every station, that she might know how
much nearer and nearer her George was to
her. The telegraph boys were up the whole
night, and Lucy kept the kilograms and read
them until sho fell fast asleep.
When she awoke she found herself unable
to rise, so resolved to receive her future hus-
bond IN state. and wheu she he'd looked in