, 1890-01-08
fastening 1t up In his coat, pinning it
with a black headed pin.

fastening 1t up In his coat, pinning it
with a black hssded pin.
At the next corner he got off.
That night 1 went TO Dr.. as kind
, man as ever lived. I knew he wouldn't
charge me for an opinion. / told him
my story.
Now, DOCTOR" 1 said, "if I'm Iooney,
out with itr'
mo, no., Jim," said he; Every sane
men have optical illusions now and
then"
II don't any more of EN-, said
l. Collecting fares of optical illusions
don't pay"
81 should say not" said the doctor.
But my opinion is that you turned
your back a minute and that the woman
got off without paying her fare. Prob
ably h was not a real Sister of Charity.
The city is full Of frauds. She made
you take the paper to the man to give
herself a chance. See now?"
1 didn't see; but what can you do
when folks are so sensible they can't be-
Geve anything?
"Twasn't like that-there she was
and there she wasn't" said l. That's
how it was"
III 1t happens again, come to me and
III write you a prescription and make
you a present Of it," said the doctor.
So l thanked him kindly and went
away, and it didn't happen again. And
weeks went along, and it was winter,
and as cold as Greenland, and passen-
gers more bothersome than / ever knew
EN-, when one day, standing in the
stables, talking to Mike Gallagher, the
old fellow that watered the horses and
always had a joke for everybody, l
heard my name, called.
You're wanted jim" said some one,
and 1 went out into the street, and the
man that had called me pointed to a
gentleman-about as fine q looking one
as ever 1 knew-and he, the gentleman,
walked up to me.
"1t's your dinner time, isn't itT' said
he.
Eyes, sir, +" said l. 1--WE got a few
minutes left"
Come along, then" said he. He
walked me into a restaurant close by the
stables, and said: "Call for what you
want" and / named it. Then said he:
"You don't remember me, Jim Brown
mo, sir, said l.
6o'o Do q PoPei aDOub blA
months ago" said he. "a newspaper.
l asked your name"
"Oh, OIL" said 1. mo. sir, 1 didn't
know you. 1 begin to see the likeness,
but you-you"-
81 know" said he. 81 was pretty
well down o. my luck, then. See here"
III unbuttoned his coat, a seal skin,
bless you, and took put of the breast
pocket a newspaper-"read that" he
said, pointing to where it was folded.
/ read it. This Is what it said:
"1f Ferdinand Melrose will return
home all will be forgiven by his dying
father" and after that where he was to
inquire for further particulars"
"Wen, 1 am Ferdinand Melrose," says
the gentleman. 1.-THE black sheep of my
family. Long & my stepmother made
mischief between my father and myself.
He forbade me his house, and l rather
went to the bad. No matter for my
story. Besides the fare you inquired
about 1 had only a bottle of laudanum in
my pocket. l was going to the Central
park to take it. l should have slept my
self out of life into eternity, and the city
would have seen to my funeral if you
had not given me that paper. 1 went to
the place mentioned, and found, as / ex-
pected, that money had been left in a
lawyers hands to taxi me home. When
/ got there 1 found that my stepmother
had been dead three years, and that my
father had been attacked by a disease
that must be fatal. We were reconciled,
and when he died l found myself a rich
a l had kept Jim Browns address,
and I feel that 1 owe him something"
Nothing at all" says I. 1.-The lady
the sister-told me to give it to you"
what LADY," said he.
''Td like to know myself" said l, and
then 1 told him my story.
sit is strange" says he. 81 could
swear that l was the only passenger
at the time. l felt SO miserable and
SO shabby that I purposely waited for
an empty car. And another thing is
strange, Jim Brown" said he. 1--WE
hav n ghost in our family. A nun
is said to appear now and then, always
to do good. And my father declared that
while he was ill she appeared to him
three times, always pointing to my por-
trait, which hung in his bedroom, and
always conveying to him in some way
that it was his duty to search for me.
In fact, she was the cause of our recon-
Citation"
l couldn't say anything. Neither of
us spoke about the thing again; but
when he insisted on starting me in the
eating house line l wasn't fool enough to
refuse, and, as you see, I'm not a bobtail
a driver any longer.
No, / haven't seen anything queer
since that time, and l can't say I'm anx-
ious; but whether the lady was a ghost,
or what the doctor called an optical de-
fusion, it's certain that she only did good
to all concerned. Bless her for coming!
Mary Kyle Dallas in Fireside Com
panion.