Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-08-01

and one night ne d1Q not 70 DocA ~
the workhouse at all.
HE shall stay here" announced
George Gore, 'sWhat signifies his bit
and sup to an able bodied man hike
me-? I may be old and forsaken one
day myself, you know"
George, you never did stop to cal
culate things" said Mrs Gore. feebly.
There's some things as the Lord
never meant US to calculate" said
George, bluf1y. "He calls me Mat,
don't YOU hear? He thinks I'm his boy.
And, please God, I'll take that boys
place to him."
So the weeks and months and years
crept on, and old Uncle Black never
knew that he was solitary and alone in
the world. While George Gore toiled
patiently on, striving always against
a certain element which the sons of the
East call '.Kismet," and your stolid
Englishman designates. in his simple
parlance, .'bad luck"
Squire Sedley pursed up his thin
lips.
"Gore is behind with his rent again."
said he. George is a peculiar man.
I couldn't afford to take in the whole
And the Railway Company have offer
ed me thousand pounds for the place,
to turn into a goods yard; and I'd be
| q fool to keep on losin' money as be
now"
So that George Gore and his family
were once more on the verge OF being
| turned out, when, one stormy sunset,
| a stout, dark man came to the door
| a man who had something indescriba-
bly foreign in his air and dress, and
| whose features were partially conceal
| ed by a heavy white beard.
| .Folks at homer said he peering
! around with dark, keen eyes, which
luissed not single auxiliary of the
scene.
..(Ve1, they be now," said George
Gore. who had moved his bench close
to the window to take advantage OF
the last ed light in the sky to mend
DIR. Thorl7e's calf-skin shoe; ''but
there's no te Him how long they will be
if Squire Sedi' i'ey sells out to the new
| Railroad Corp, ,1ration."
sEh?" said the, stranger! ''This farm?
To the Railroad Cooperation? Amt
that something ne .v?"
s.P'r'aps you're stranger herea-
bouts" said George, driving his awl
| energetically into the leather. "P'raps
| you don't know that this is the old
| Black place, and that Matthew Black
| was lost at sea and Lord knows how
many years ago. and that his old father
| was put in the workhouse-
| ..In the workhouse! In the work
houser' repeated the stranger. "Is old
Elihu Black on the parish?"
| s.He was, until me and my wife toaE
him back here" explained George
ssHe never understood how things was
and came here every day. just as it hi.
folks had the place yet; so we took hin
here to live-poor old man! and made
him as comfortable as we could
| And that's him now setin' by the fire.
Without any invitation the strange
crossed the threshold, and seizins
George Cores hand. rang it heartily
.sGod bless you'll" said he. ''Go'
look mercifully pom you when you. too
are old a I'D feeblU! for am Matthew
Black. come home from the far East
and Elihu is my father. and I'd ha
been here long ago if I'd ha' though
it had come to thisi"
sEhr' said George Gore. dropping
last and awl both. ''Why, you wa
lost at sea, off the brig Sarah Mary, il
the China Sea-"
sWrecked, but not lost" said Mat
thew Black. '.And I began the wC'rl
over again in the East. I couldn't be. q
to come home penniless; and then .
heard. the Lord knows how, that tn.
folks were all dead; so, says I to my
self, what's the use? And then things
prospered with me, and everything
touched turned into money, and {
great longing came upon me to see thu
old home again before died; SO her,
am. And nv father"
He advanced and stood before tn,
silver-haired old man, with bare brow
and reverent eyes.
'.Fatherr' said he Father! dom
you know me? Matthew"
Uncle EIihu looked up with a puz
zled air, and then pointed with trem
bling forefnger to George Gore, sittin,
by the window.
THAT is my son Matthew" said he
my son who has been very good t.
me-"
And he fell once more to starin.
| into the fire. After this nothing coul,
shake his firm belief that Matthew wa
an impostor, and George Gore his Sol
and protector.
Matthew Black drew q long sig
that was like a groan.
ssAnd I've come back all in vain,
said he, latter dreaming of it all thes
years."
He remained only a week, and the
} went away again.
al don't know how or when / sha
come back" said he to Mrs. Gore
-.But the old place is yours. I'v
, bought it, and settled it hard and fas
!: on Won. And father is to have an al
, lowance and remain here always. Blu
money can't pay for all you've done fo
him, and"
/ ..Stopr' cried George Gore. "W
must talk about this ere a bit. w
But, muttering something about be
!. ! ing too late for the train, Matthe'
Black tore himself away and vanish
: | ed.
: Three months afterwards there cam
authentic tidings of his death at SET
| and then it transpired that Georg
Gore and his family were his heirs, wit
, only the charge of life maintenanc
, | for poor old Uncle Elihu.
And all the neighbors marvelled 9
| the good fortune which had attende
3 the stalwart shoemaker.
, ..It was quite true what you said
l George" said Mrs. Gore. burstin