The Opelousas courier., 1889-03-16

gave it to the boy.
s.Am / to wait for an answer, sir!'
sNo! Leave it, If the doctor Is not
at home"
.Now," he thought, II shall know
il he is an impostor, at any rate. by
Joye!' he exclaimed aloud. 'it's Agnes
Wellden!"
Then clients and friends came in,
and the business of the day commenced.
But the boy was not forgotten. En-
rands that we're not too far away to
tax his strength were provided, q
hearty dinner at restaurant was given
him, and he went home with a steady
engagement at five dollars a week
promised him.
In that home a sad-eyed woman, In
a shabby widows dress. her face lined
with pain and sorrow. but yet a sweet
tender face, had been all the weary
day living her life again. She saw
herself a child in her fathers pleasant
home, where there was never great
wealth, but every comfort and an al
mosphere of love around them all.
She saw herself a young. pretty girl,
with many friends, and some lovers.
| One of these was a man older by ff-
teen than herself; grave and tender,
but who seemed in her girlish eyes
too old and solemn to think OF love.
When her father told her to be his
wife, she was frightened. 1t seemed
as if it would destroy her youth, take
all joyousness from her life, to marry
this stately, reserved man, already a
lawyer 81 standing.
So she refused him, never appreclat-
ing the value of the heart that had
been taken captive by her brightness
and sweet girlishness. How could she
know that it would have made the
happiness of the grave, lonely mans
life to surround her with all that could
keep her a joyous and free as q but
terfiy.
He left his old home after his love-
dream faded, but he left pleasant
memories. Even after William Scott
wooed and won the woman he had lost;
she could not quite forget the grave
man who had loved her.
Sunny days of welded happiness
followed her happy girlhood. Chill
dren came to bless her, and when hei
parents died. her husband, her sons
Il and daughters consoled her. She was
past thirty years old when trouble:
came, thick, fast, overwhelming. I've
children died on the same day OF {
prevailing fever. and before the month
, was over her husband followed then
to the rave. He had been a clerk
on a moderate salary, and the mes
egg in bank was very small, vet tn
widow looked at the little ones LEI
> her and strove to face her futur
: bravely. It was the pitiful story to b
heard every day-irregular work
poor pay, sickness, death! The re
moval from a country home to
crowed city, in the hope of bette
work and wages, proved a failure, an
r the air of a crowded tenement hous
dwarfed and injured the children, VIII
died one by ope, till only her baby
George Meredith Scott, was left
9 console the widow.
y While she unused and wept over thi
: panorama of her life, wondering a Ii
|. tie that some long-past memory ha
= made her name the boy for her oil
X friend, never hoping to meet him AGAR
. DIR. Turner called
He explained very courteously tia
. Mr.. Meredith had requested him
see if his professional services woul
not help her, and examined the arm
= His directions were brief. and he lie
Q her to wonder IL indeed her old frier
was the gentleman who was helpin
), her boy, and whose card lay betwee
the leaves ii the Bible.
DIR. Turner's rdAort to Mr.. Meredi'
was: g
= delicate woman, evidently q lad
Arm doing very well, but gener
health at the lowest ebb. Wants got
flood, better air, and, above all, ment
quiet Fretting herself to DEATH"
George Meredith being n of tho
rare philanthropists whose lsft hal
{ knew not the good deeds of his rig
= hand, made no parade of hif gene
- osity. If Mrs. Scott guessed, 81
e never EneU whence came an enyelo,
!. with a generous gift of bank notes.
enabled her to make George neat,
= cid to her W scanty attire, and
provide the medicines and food Z
Turner no longer hesitated to order.
In these weeks that followed Georgt
engagement as errand boy to Mr. MI
edith, the boy won his way far into t
heart of the bachelor lawyer. 7
tv years, after his rejection by Ag1
Welldea, he had lived busy life, II
ing to- forget the pain of his brok
"a love dream in his ambition. A m
always reserved, caring nothing
10 society, he had given to his old frien,
~ child the one love of his life, ney
striving to replace her image In
&c heart, never seeking to add family ]
To to his scheme of life. It would be |
th much to say that he had not recover
ry in the years that followed his dis;
pointment. from its sting. As til
AT rolled on there were often months VII
1T he never thought Of his old love; a
ad when he took George Scott into
hy employ her image vas entirely bur
q. under the varied interests OF his car,
I'd of professional usefulness and politi
g&4 Il s6f1WA#