Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-01

She was praying perhaps Then he began to
lose consciousness. He remembers seeing a
beautiful green field, with trees and brook
running through it. He says that men suffer-
| ing from thirst on the ocean often have such
visions. He remembered nothing else until he
| opened his eyes and saw me bending over him.
| April 2 1t is more than two weeks since /
wrote IN nv journal. have been i'll, a sort of
| low fever that kept me in my cabin. Nothing
| serious, Uncle John said, and SO 1t has proved,
| except that am very weak. Uncle has been
| kind, but most of his time has been devoted to
that woman. He says that it is a very interest
| ing case. She became conscious a few days
ago, and has gained strength since. She will
| be on deck in a day or two. he thinks. I'm anx-
1ous to see her. want to see if there really is
! ANYTHING familiar in her face. It's fortunate
for her that clothing of Mrs. Raymond's is on
| board. She'd be IN plight, else: asked
! Uncle John what her name was. He looked
| queer and said that he didn't know. Strange
| that he hasn't asked her. The sailor. Jones,
| seems quite recovered, and has taken his place
among the crew. We were rather short-handed
and the captain was glad enough to have him.
| He can be of service, But the woman can be
| nothing but trouble, to me at least, for must
see her daily, suppose. And yet I'm anxious
| to see her, too. This fever has lett me rather
childish as well as weak.
April g. Thank God for these pages to which
/ can talk, else should go mad, think. Could
you read these words as they flow from my pen,
mother, you might well wonder whether had
not indeed gone mad. But will be quite calm
while tell of what Fate, or Satan, or what
ever evil power 1t is, has done for me. was
sitting on the deck this morning, still very
weak when heard footsteps behind me. and
Uncle Johns voice saying Good morning. Ar
thur" l turned and saw him standing near
me, and leaning on his arm, Helen Rankine! L
write these words calmly enough now, Can
you imagine what l felt when l saw her? L
staggered to my feet. muttered some 1ncoher-
ent words. and would have fallen had not
Uncle John sprang to my side and caught me.
"Why, what's the matter, Arthur? Calm your
soil my hoy Is I n0SSihlp know this
young LADY,"
Bya supreme effcrt of will, aided by the
memory of that day when we last parted.
drew myself up and bowed and said that had
had the great honor of once knowing Miss
Helen RankIne, and that had had no idea
that it was she we were fortunate enough to
have rescued.
Uncle looked at me in wonder as said these
words with sneering politeness. The girl
looked at me questioningly, but there was no
shadow of recognition on her face.
Then your name is Helen Rankine?' said
Uncle John kindly, turning toward the girl and
speaking as though to little child.
A troubled look passed over her face, and
then she said quietly, Il donot know. Icannot
remember"
"Do YOU know this gentleman, Mr. Arthur
Hartley?" he asked in the same kindly way
Again the troubled look, an apparent effort
to seize some elusive thought and then again
the voice / knew so well, but now SO unnatur-
ally calm: II do not know him."
walked the deck while l watched them. What
did it mean, this failure of Helen to recognize
me? Was 1 right in thinking the girl to be
Helen Rankine. Yes; could not be mistaken.
That graceful walk some of its old time spring
and elasticity gone, to be sure, was the walk of
Helen; the turn of the lovely neck; the pose of
the head were hers. Then the story of the
sailor. Jones, the forecastle gossip that she was
going out to India to Join her soldier lover; how
well it Tailed with what she had told me on
that fatal day when she spurned my protfered
love. But / would not dwell more on that l
will not now. Imust force myself to forget, just
for little time. the past, that may solve the
mystery of the present. My head throbs; my
brain is in whirl
April After writing this 1 threw myself
into my berth and tried to think over clearly
aroused by Uncle John asking me if l felt well
enough to take turn with him on deck. /
joined him at once, and We paced the deck
without speaking 1t was a lovely night and
the stars filled the heavens. At length Uncle
John said: arthur, here's a very remarkable
case. This poor girl has lost her memory COM
pletely and no wonder, after her terrible suffer
ings. She cannot remember an event that hap
pened before she opened her eyes in the cabin
below She can talk well, reads readily, shows
the breeding of lady, but as far as the past is
concerned she might as well be a week-old
baby You say that her name is Helen
Rankine. Who is Helen Rankine? Where did
you meet herr"
Uncle John had never known why was so
ready to give up my dreams of artist life and
join him in his Australia scheme. l told him
the whole story of my infatuation for Helen,
and her heartless perfidy. He listened intent
ly. When had finished he said:
My boy, let me say one thing, first of ALL
On your own evidence, forming my opinion
solely from what you have told me. think
that you have done good girl injustice.
don't believe that Helen Rankine coquetted
with you Like many a young fellow before
you, you thought that the frank friendliness
ulnn1 10n nl-o6 mn
boy, though perhaps not your senior in years
was encouragement to make love to her. She
thought that you knew of her engagement. so
she SAID, and felt security that misled you.
You are not the first lad that has had such an
experience and cursed all women. and vowed
that he'd never trust one again. I'll trot your
children on my knee yet. Well, SO much for
the Helen of the past Now for the Helen of
the present, for we may as well call her Helen
as anything else"
"But she is Helen; Helen Rankine can
swear it," interrupted.
"Well, well. So be it. confess it looks So
ined her clothidg for marks. l find it marked
H r."
"Isn't that proof enough?' asked eagerly.
Yes; dare say it is. Still there are other
girls whose initials are H. r. You and |
have our task. 1t is to try and lead this girl
back to the past. The awful experiences and |
sufferings of those days the boat have affect
ed her brain. Whether beyond cure or not |
n
Gle John looked at me seriously remember, |
that even if this girl is the cir. you think has
wronged you, in fact she is not the same girl |
She knows no more of you than she knows OF |
Another thing: if she is Helen Rankine she is |
engaged to Jonn Bruce Perhaps she wears his |
ring on her finger. You and as gentlemen are |
bound to do what we can to deliver her to him |
as speedily as possible. And pray God that |
we may see her meet him in her right mind, the |
same free-hearted English girl that he is now |
dreaming of.
bowed my head, but could not saw a word.
Is Uncle John right, and have l been weak, |
blind fool of a boy, thinking that the girl who |
was merely kind was encouraging me to love |
her? feel ny face burn at the thought, 1 |
can't think clearly yet, but see my duty.
April l0-It lacked proof of the girls iden.
tity have tnow. Yesterday we sat together
on the deck for hours, trying gently to lead
her back to the past. Helen Rankine
used to wear several valuable rings. Now she
wears but one. You have pretty ring" |
said, pointing to her hand. Her hand! How
white and dimpled it used to be. How longed |
to catch it TO my lips. to kiss the pretty rosy
tipped fingers! Her handl Now brown with
Like a child she laid it in mine.
YES" she said, lit is pretty ring"
Where did you get it, Helen?" asked.
81 don't remember" she said quietly.
MAY look at it?" / asked.
''oh, yes;" and she slipped it from her finger
and LAID it in my hand.
What are these letters engraved withinr' |
asked.
'Are there letters there?" she said II didn't
know it. So there are. c. H. r. from ]. B.
What does that mean?"
Don't you know?" / asked. oh, it was hard
to see that calm face to hear that calm voice
Better the blush and silent avowal of love- even
for another, than that blank gaze.
mo, do not know what those letters mean"
she answered.
Perhaps n. R. stands for your own name"
saidL
She smiled like a happy child. ayes, YES.
That must be it But the j. b. what do they
stand fort"
/ hesitated: who would not?
perhaps they stand for-for John Bruce"
said slowly, looking her steadily in the ewes.
,ls1..o sl.a |