, 1889-01-01

- -As 1CD ~ VIZ AAC1NAJ AOtAAo
his task to be more difficult than he had sup
posed. America was a large continent, and
it was not SO easy to find one particular man
upon 1t. Poor Lucy amused herself by read
ing books and perusing maps. She liked to
wonder If George were Thereon 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 so traced his
progress. She always knew when an Ameri-
can letter arrived by an instinct for which
she was at a loss to account herself; but for
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 md hung about the passages; and
the good folks of Bramlingdon looked sad as
they passed the bankers, over which, as over
those it contained, there hung the sanctity 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. aud 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
feverishly, and, with a slight access of de-
lirium, asked for the fftieth time If there
were no news, the doctor beckoned the banker
and his wife from the sick room and said:
I've an ideal 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.
mo" replied the doctor, 'but we can
make some"
Make somel"
"Fabricate it-invent It. Don't you seer
30 doctorl' remarked the fearful mother
ito deceive n poor creature on the threshold
of deathIn
"To snatch her from DEATH said DR.. Top
lam. at must be done. 1t is the last
chance. We must write u letter from Stud
den this very night"
"But-but-hut-it is forgeryr n stammered
the banker.
BESIDES" said Mrs. Dawbarn, Lucy
knows Mr.. Studdcn's hand and always ex-
nmincs tho envelopes"
"Then,n said the doctor, 1--WE must do it by
telegraph
'Telegraphr
Yes. In n few minutes you will receive
a telegram from Mr.. Bob Sudden, saving
that he has just arrived at Liverpool with
with q companion"
who'll send It'll"
81 will, ~ said the doctor.
But when-when she finds tha Sudden
is not in EnglGnd-what thenT'
1--WE must think of something else.n said
tho undaunted Topham. "The case is des-
perate, and something desperate must be
tried. Go and talk to her, Mrs. Dawbarn,
and I'll send the telegram"
With a strong feeling of conscious guilt
Mr.. and Mrs. Dawbarn put into their daugh-
ter's hand n telegram containing these words:
From Robert Sudden, Adelphi Hotel, Liv-
erpool, to Charles Dawbarn, Bramlingdon.
81 have just arrived in Liverpool. 1 have
news of Mr.. NJ. hope to be in Branding
don by Thursday
Lucy read the telegram and sat up in her
bed.
"He's come, mammal" she said, and her
eyes flashed and her checks flushed. "He
landed in England this morning-I felt he
did-about o 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 hlac-and to como and do my hair
and-and-and-tell Eliza to come to me
and l can tell her what 1 want myself.n
The father and mother exchanged chances
that said: "Here is the consequence of our
deception. What can be lone nextf Tho
thought had hardly been interchanged be-
fore Il smart rap was heard at the street door,
and a servant came in 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 1:3O.
III. and self will be at Dramlingdon to-mor-
row. Telegraph back
"How absurd of Topham to send two tele-
gramsi' said Mr.. Dawbarn, when he and his
wife were alone, las if one would not bring
mischief enough. He must be mad.n
DR.. Topham entered the house, and In
quired how his plan had succeeded
''Oh, Lucy is very much delighted and agf-
tated, :" answered Lucy's father. "What we
shall do with her when she finds the news
not true, l do not know. But, Topham, why
the deuce did you send two telegramsT'
"Tworn echoed Topham. 81 only sent one"
Eyes, you did,
"No, l didn't.n
Eyes, you did. Here it is.n
The doctor looked at the second telegram,
and said, II didn't send this"
"Nol Who thenT'
"By Jovel He dbl Sudden, I mean.
Dawbarn, he's comet he's comet I only an
ticipated the truth. 1t was a medical inspi-
ration-and my patient will recover"
Mr.. Dawbarn lost no time In ~telegraphing
back to Liverpool. At Lucy's express desire
Mr.. Sudden was instructed to telegraph at
every station, tlst 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 she fell fast asleep.
When she awoke she found herself unable
to rise, SO resolved to receive her future hus-
ban in state; and when she had looked In
the mirror she begged her mamma in q
whisper to let her have some rouge-''not to
make mo look better, but for fear my pale.
white, white cheeks hould brighten George"
7 b heavy hours few by. George arrived,
and was shown upstairs TO his faithful, con-
slant mistress; and tho servants In tho
kitchen held great jubilee, and there was
sweethearting below stairs as well as above.
Mr.. Daw5arn found Mr.. Bob Sudden
quite an misunderstanding to the notion
of Americans imbibed by Englishmen a few
months resident in the New World. He
wore a "goatee" beard, square toed boots,
Final settlement
Notice is hereby given to all creditors
and oil nfharo ,ntaraotal - A. Il