The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-10-12
At RLINGTON.

gray stucco, with bow windows ant
flights Of steps out Of all proportion tC
their size,
The main road ran along the bottom
and the remaining two sides were
bounded by stretches Of blank wall
above which a few sickly plane trees
were auttering their leaves in the Au'
gust air,
Eleanor Lloyd, from her window in
the roof, could not only see the wall and
the plane trees, but, by dint Of craning
her neck, tho High street itself with its
ceaseless stream Of trans and omnibuses.
There was a public house ut the corner,
and, as the door swung backward and
forward, Eleanor caught glimpses OF the
lively barmaid behind her tall white
tap handles. A group OF flower girls,
with unCurled feathers and straight
fringes, stood outside on the pavement,
testing with the bus men and passers.
by. Eleanor, who was "lady" (Heaven
help herD used sometimes to envy the
barmaid and the flower girls their social
opportunity.
This evening, over everything, over
the sordid street, the dusty trees, the
clustering roois-over the girl at the win
dow with her pale face, strong young
shoulders and shabby gown-btooded
the spirit oil the tired summer.
The summer, which, by stream and
sea, is lusty from June TO September,
drags on weary and dispirited through
its later weeks in the city,
The hot, gusty, grit'Iaden air blew
from the east; it moved ENORMOUSLY
among the plane trees, and lifted at in
tervals the haiton Eleanor's forehead.
She had been sitting there all the after
noon, and now the sun was setting.
There was nothing for her TO do, Her
little pupils in the neighboring square
had gone TO the sea; her brothers and
sisters played noisily in the basement
parlor; even poor Eddie had fallen asleep
on the sofa with the clutCh, that was Of
10 little use to him, at his side.
And now, as q great red tlame lit up
the west, there came over Eleanor Que OF
those half rapurous fits Of longing, those
fierce yearnings for happiness which
most OF us know in youth; which are
not noble, not beautiful, perhaps; GER
tainly not to be encouraged; which are
only infinitely cruel and infinitely sad.
So the cry went up from her, the
human, passionate cry from this help.
less, Auttering creature, caught-oh. the
irony OF it!-in pitiIess network Of
suburban streets.
A man with bent, shabby shoulders
and tagging gait, turned up the terrace
from the High street.
At the parlor window OF the Lloyds'
house o worn.out looking woman, with
patient face, watched him and sighed.
In their youth, no doubt, the husband
and wife had dreamed OF other things
than those long years OF ceaseless labor
with their sCant reward.
Hard working, unassuming, ,deliCately
Just, he was not, perhaps, oil the stulr OF
which men are made.
The children clamored up into the
parlor to greet their father. Eddy held
out a little thin hand from the sofa (;
Eleanor, with the dreams still in her
daszled eyes, slid into the darkened
roum-darkcned on behalf OF carpets
and curtains-and took her place at the
tea table.
"Did you see your letter, iather2" said
the wife, as she lifted the teapot OF Brit
ANNA metal.
MIR. Lloyd, who had taken the long,
blue envelope from the mantelPieCe, laid
1t unopened beside his plate.
The room was very hot, and the blind
tapped drearily In the wind. There was
the household loaf on the table, some
thick, thiu.spread bread and butter, and
dish OF watGrcress-a tough and sin.
envy August growth.
Even the children tackled the meal
klanguidly, and after few minutes their
father set down his cup, took up his let
ter and broke the seal.
A long, closely.wrltten sheet OF paper,
unrolled itself beneath his hand. He
Strengthened the glasses on his tired eyes
and began 10 read. HG read 1t once, he
read 1t twice, then lifting perplexed
face, said faintlyi
tNiother, what does this meant"
She was at his side, leaning over him,
in u moment She, too, read tho letter,
then stood strangely silent.
"Children," said the father, "a won.
deriul thing has happened. It seems
that AIN rich man. My brother, from
whom | parted In anger many years
ago, Is dead. He died as he had lived
alone, but at tho last remembered me
and forRave me"
Ills voice died away, aud the wife,
looking from her Children's faces, on
which a radiant comprehension was
slowly daYning, to her husbands pre-.
mntuFely griEIel head, burst suddenly
"My vile" he said, taking her into
his arms, "there is no more cause to
weep"
Mrs. Lloyd brushed her husbands
coat and hat the next morning eyOn
more carefully than usual, with q view
10 Ills visit 10 the lawyer's.
III II had come sooner she thought,
rs she watched the bent, beloved figure
down the street, =.
TNen she went back to her household
duties.
The burden OF those long years was
not TO DO shaken of in an hour, She
had slilened, perhaps, into habit oil
sorrow aud OF poverty Il Ia certain that
sho laborcd faithfully throughout the
day at her sotdld cares--scAtcely able "a
rrgliEe the strange fortune which had
b6laIlen them,
pnt not % the children, For them
the good news was reality They drew
together, building castles In the air
i witch, unlike such ereClions generally
4 had foundations Of gold, and even IL
their uAsubstantial upper gtOHea Yert'
fittcd up with d gagacity characterisli'
OF the early wlse children Of the poor,
Eddy, from his sofa, spoke wtstiullJ
OF marvellous cures, oil health'glylnI
breeEes, Of great doctors, whose serviceI
he could now command. Eleanor moyet
about the house with new life, speaking
little, but dreaming, dreaming, dfcAInlnI
through the summer hours.
The wonderful day sped TO lie close
Once moro the family gathered tount
the tea table, the tired iather taking hi
seat III the head.
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