The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1888-12-20

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
posed America was a large continent, and
1t was 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 there-or there, and
what sort Of place it was She arranged all
Mr. Bob Studden's letters Of intelligence in
chronological order and compared them with
the books and the maps and 81 traced ms
progress She always knew when an Ameri
can letter arrived by an instinct for which
she was at n loss to account herself. but Tor
all these sources OF consolation, for all her
mothers and fathers solicitude, she grew
weaker and weaker She took no air but in
an invalid chair. Her father walked by her
side grave and detected. Stealthy shad-
ows 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 ms
they passed the bankers. over which, as over
those it contained, there hung the sanctitv of
a great sorrow.
Two long long years and two long, long
months Lucy waited and hoped, each day
her pale cheek 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:
I've an idea This cannot last long-she
must be ouieted somehow. She keeps ask
ing for news; now news from America
would quiet her and she might Sleep
I'VE have no news said the single minded
banker
No" replied the doctor, "but we can
make some"
Make somelr
"Fabricate it-invent it. Don't YOU seer
90 doctor" remarked the fearful mother,
$50 deceive a poor creature on the threshold
of doatb,a
.To snatch her from death. - said DR.. Top
ham at must be done. 1t is the last
chance. We must write letter from Stud
don tbis very night
"But-but butt is forgeryi" stammered
IN. banker
besides" said Mrs Dawbarn, Lucy
knows Mr. Studdens hand and always ex-
o,,i,es tho cuvelones
"Then. said tho doctor, 1--WE must do it by
ta1e,,ronb y
"TelecraDh"
"Yes In n few minutes Won will receive
n telarrom from Mr. Bob Sudden. saving
Tint no has inst arrived at Liyerpool with
Win comnanion
,.WboYl sond itr,
/
"Rut whcn-wben she finds that Sudden
&c not in Fnrlond-wbat tbenr
w. must think OF something else y said
the nndaunted Topbam. THE case is des.
norote npd sometime desperate must be
triod 90 md talk to her Mrs Dawbarn.
md n, send the telegram y
Mr. and Mrs Dawbarn put into their dauch.
tors hand n TELEGRAM containing these words
From Robert Sudden. Adelphi Hotel. Liv
ernool to Charles Dawbarn' Bramlinrdon
~ have inst arrived in Iiyerpool have
news NJ Mr. NJ hone to be in Branding
| don nv Thursday
Tncv road the telegram and sat up in her
Rod
"IIo,s come mammal she said and her
oves flashed and her cheeks flushed "Hc
1 landad in ENGLAND this morninr-I felt he
did--about 0 o'clock. He will be here soon
| George will-very soon-very soon Mamma
nleoso tell Eliza to put out my lilac frock. II,
| iil.ed liIoc-ond to come and do INV hair
nnd ond -on1-tolI Fila to como n me
mi cor tell her what I want mvselfn
Tho father md mother exchanged glonee,
tha,t sajd- '.TJorn ia tho CONSEQUENCE 1f on,
tI1,'o What can bo done nextgn tn,
.i.S,,.,t,t h,d hordi,, boon intercbone,od ho
go s,,art ,.,n was hoard ot the street door
o,,l sory,rt c,no in with onotbar tale
al, d;snatcI, which RIM tbne.
s,rrar, u Strdder Adalobi uoteI 1ivar
,oal +oc Dawhorn Rramlincdon
..2,,s+ orri,,ed bera with Mr. Munro Sb,1
..,r+ L,, Whit train HAVING boro Mt /. 10
n onI solf will ha nj Bramlingdon to-mor
ro,, Toogronh bocl, y
III, 49, ~ Tonbor, +o sand +vo t.1o
..,,,,.,r said NJ Dawhorn whom ba ,rd hi.
- WOW, a1oro ,os II ona vo,ld nor hr,no
,,;.ohiof ononrb Ua ,n,,st hs nod
n To,hor eutarad tho house md in
.,,,;roa ho, bis r,lan had snccaodad
ION Inv 10 verv much deliabtcd and 10,
....1 ~ a,,sn,orod Tncy,s fothor ,.Whot %,
! Ill a., viii har ,yhen she finds tho pey.
.'at tr,,o do NOT l,,ow Bnt Touham WHY
49, da,,no an Won senl two tal ecrans,o
s.Tu.o,n ochoad Tnnbnn. 81 only sent one
~, ,.a,,d l1n
uNo didntp
vs. Won did Hare if isn
Tho DOCTOR looked Mt tho second telegram
and said. II didn't send this
"Nol Who thenp
"By Jovel He did Sudden, | mean
| Dawbarn, he's comel he's comel l only an
ticipated the truth. 1t was a medical inspl
ration-and my patient Will recover"
Mr.. Dawbarn lost no time in teIegraphins
back to Liverpool. At Lucy's express desire
Mr. Sudden was instructed to telegraph a
every station, that she might know how
much nearer and nearer her George was t.
her. Tho telegraph boys were up the who'll
night, and Lucy kept the kilograms and reat
them until she fell fast asleep.
When she awoke she found herself unable
to rise, so resolved to receive her future hus
band i'll state; and when size had looked II
the mirror She begged her mamma IN
whisper to let her have some rouSe-'not u
make me look better, but for fear my pale
white, white cheeks should frl9hten George.
The heavy hours flew by. GEORGE arrived
and was shown upstairs to his faithful, con
slant mistress; ana the servants III Ih'
| kitchen hed great JlulIee, ana lhere wa
s"cetheartins below stars us wen as above
Nj Dawbarn found Mr. BOD otudde'
| quito M Amercah-accorulh@ 10 the hotloi
oil Americans lihoiped ny Lhsiisnliien lev
months resident III inc NE" oriu'
q IL eoaIee pearu' square 0oea ooo's
and loud trousers and cravat He addressed
Mr. Dawbarn as colonel and assumed q
manner that savored equally Of the quarter
deck and the counter-half pirate, half bag
man.
AS advertised you, colonel" he ex
planned, "n the various letters from the
various diggngs where fixed my temporary
location when set foot in New York,
could find small trace of G. Munro, bat fol
lowed up that trace, and logged eternally
wherever be had made tracks At last lost