St. Landry democrat., 1889-05-11
Under the Guise Of 8
Wedding Ring.
BY LILLE BINkLEY, ATCHlSoN, HAN.
Written for The american.
CHAPTER l.
ONLY A CHILD.

ONLY A CHILD.
1t was the middle of October. Late
autumn for an Adirondack district. The
cool breezes from the mountain slopes
plainly spoke to the old residents OF the
coming SHOWS, that would pile drift upon
drift. and smother the restless streams IN
a cold embrace to the earth.
MANY a small mountain village lay out
lined against the blue, black back ground
of the starlit sky.
Solemn church spires, silent business
houses, closed DIV ellings, all slumbered
bane ath the soft moonlight.
One village in particular, quiet Will
liamsburg, at the foot of one OF those
sleeps, seemed resting and sleeping as
peacefully as though no stock exchange,
or four per cert. bonds had ever been dis
cussed within the dark ey ed bricks that
rose on either side OF the deserted street
All was quiet. Quiet as calm before a
storm. The breathless quiet in which one
Only slight moving form was visible,
bayond, before, on right or left, wherever
ear might turn, was that still quiet,
broken only now and then by gentle
breeze from the mountain fastness.
Shivering, afraid startled at every
breath, little figure wrapt in plain,
door case to another, and tluttered at last,
like the poor wounded bird that she was,
into the stair. use leading to an office on
the second floor of Thomas u Browns
wholesale house.
Sidney Oakland had long been chief
clerk of this firm, and had lately been en-
trusted with much of the business.
On this October night the death of Mr.
Thomas mother called him away to New
York, and Mr.. Oakland had been left in
charge of much office business that de-
tanned him very late, and it was near the
small hours when he drew on his over
coat and prepared to leave the office.
With the peaceful sigh of one who has
completed his task, he bolted the door
and descended the steps. 'Ah some day
it may all be NINE" he said to himself, as
he stepped onto the moon lit pavement.
A blight glance backward re'ealed a
dark shadow on the stairs. "Only a
shadow" he said to himself, and strobe
rapidly on, up the silent street.
The walk was lonely one, and the
quiet stiffness of the night was so i'm
pressive that the forgotten dreams of his
boyhood came back 10 him.
Dreams that perhaps had not crossed his
| deeply furrowed brains since our dear Pa
rents died and left US all alone in the
world.
He was dreamer while they lived, the
follower of many fancies. But thrown out
in the wide, wide world, his dreams had
| gone back to the dreamland, and he buried
his boyhcod and his boyhood's fancies in
his mothers grave. But now he had be-
come SO polished and plated by the world
that even l was sometimes tempted to
think of him as 'Mr. Oakland, of the
Thomas & Brown wholesale firm"
But to- night he was tempted to dream.
and all the scenes Of his boshood Came
back with strange vividness. He was
again at our old puritan home in Connect
cut. Again he lived under the rigid dl.
cipiine of church and home, under which
his restless spirit once chafed and from
which he had fed twenty years gone by:
Never before had he longed to rest his
eyes on the spot again never til to nigh
had he blessed the rigid discipline of his
boyhood. Like food of moonlight jus
breaking from behind a cloud, with gath
cred strength it all poured into his soul to
night.
To night he thanked God thaethe homes
training of his boyhood had followed hin
even through his fight. He was a chile
again, and knelt at his mothers knee. Thu
cares of business were gone. He wa
dreaming.
He rails ed the gate latch. The form o
that shadow fell across his mind. He ha'
not thought of it before, perhaps it was
burglar that would rob the safe Hi
heart stood still A large sum of none.
was in his care that night. Should fnb
taken his reputation would be lost. With
, ont hesitating he turned to retrace hi
steps. It was scarcely half mile, but
seemed he would never reach III.
The shadow had not moved. There
lay still, motionless and small. 1t was u
, burglar. He lifted it in his arms and he'll
it out into the moonlight.
| A pale, haggard face met his gaze, and
/ faint voice uttered a cry as the openin
eyeslpet his face. >,
"Bs not afraid my child" he sale
kindly folding the thin shawl closer abou
7 the cold form, 'only tell me how you cam
l here p =,
The shivering bird did not care to tall
t and treasured by his gentle manner tn
3 child's way of judging) crept up to him
though content to die on his BOSOM
4 All the nobleness of his manly soul wa
0 awakened. In the busy city of New Yor
3 he had passed perhaps dozen in on
walk.
8 But he was young then, and the wh1l
4 of life there STILES many cry: n