The Washington critic., 1888-01-07

its course. II was not far to the sea.
lie would go on TO the nearest port and
ship as u sailor.
Anything to get beyond his brothers
reach and the eyes of those who knew
him
Thus the light Of day found him,
but it was not likely that any one
along the riverside would recognize
him. There were few dwellings, and
the people he met were farmers, who
were not disposed to be unpleasantly
inquisitive.
So the half-crazed man rushed on
through the day, till at nightfall he
limped YEARLY into q small seaport
town.
Henry Dyson made every effort to
find bis missing brother.
When he thought of the panied
look in Toms eyes the night the poor
fellow left, he reproached himself for
allowing him TO 90 away without a
kind word of encouragement.
The detectives took the matter up,
and the newspapers published an ac-
count of Toms mysterious disap-
pearance.
But it was Of no avail. There was
no trace, no clew, and after q year or
two the merchant came to the conclu-
sion that his brother was dead man.
Henry Dyson continued to prosper.
He married happily, and in the course
of time little children came TO make
his home still brighter.
Twenty years had rolled away, when
one night the merchant found himself
alone in his office writing letter.
As he leaned back in his chair to
take a moments rest he thought of the
night score of years before when
Tom had visited him there TO make u
last appeal.
Tears came into the rich mans eyes.
"IIe was my only brother" he
sobbed, "and / acted like brute.
How easy it would have been for me
to have paid his little debts. Then |
could have watched over him, and in
time my love would have touched his
heart, and he would have turned out
all right. But it is too late now to
think of these things"
The door opened with hardly a
creak, and the merchant would not
have known it but for the rush of
cool air.
He rose from his chair Just in time
to greet visitor who walked into the
office without even a knock on the
door to herald his approach.
Henry Dyson looked upon him in
speechless astonishment. If he could
trust his eyes this was Tom Dyson,
but not the Tom Of twenty years ago.
| He was an old man with wrinkled
face and white hair.
Brother" said the visitor, holding
out his hand, "are you glad to see
me?"
With a joyous exclamation the other
caught him in his embrace, and then
seated him in chair.
"This is glad hour for me, Tom, "
he said; 81 had given you up for dead
and | have all these years been re-
preaching myself for my harshness
TO you that night, you know"
"Hold on !" cried the other, ex
citedly. "You must not 0yerwheln
me with such kindness until have
made restitution. Here in this pack
age you will find the money to re
place the sum | took from your saf,
in the little tin box. 1t has taken mt
these twenty years to make 1t, bu
here it is at last"
'But do not understand" inter
rupted Henry.
"Oh, but you must" replied hi
brother. "When you turned away t,
get your coat that night l slipped tn,
box out of the safe and concealed it
Then you closed the safe unconsciou
of your loss, and l left you"
"But the box was empty p shouted
Henry.
impossible" answered Tom, go
| you told me that it contained twenty
thousand dollars. Well, l rushed Of
with the box, but repented, and wa'
on my way to return it when / care
lessly let il slip into the water when
crossed the river. Now you know
why ran away and concealed my
self. l had but one object-to MAKE
enough money to pay you back, anC
then / would ask your forgiveness"
"Oh what a foolish TomW sale
Henry. 'Why, man, found in the
morning that my bookkeeper haC
taken the money from the box anC
carried it back to the bank that after
noon, when he found that L was no
going to use it until the next day.
missed the empty box, but I neve
connected that with your disappear
ance."
"Then this money"
SIS yours" said Henry, "but evei
if you had lost my money, as you sup
posed, you should have come back t,
me. / sometimes talked roughly t,
you, but you ought to have knowi
how l loved you, Tom"
The two white-haired men sat ther
till midnight, talking about old times
and making their plans for tn,
future.
"You must live with me, Tom,
said Henry, as he took him home. 81
can't trust you out of my sight again.
And Tom gave his promise, at tn,
same time thanking the good Lor,
for blessing him with such a big
hearted brother.
These two knew no misunderstood
ing and no parting until death cam
to separate them, and in all the cit,
no man was more respected and NOR,
beloved than Tom Dyson. His bi
mistake made man Of him. II Atlant
Constitution.
The Colonel's Coachmen.
| There was an odd inconsistency in tn
case of the gallant colonel who sued