The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-01-31

Dut H. OpiiilOH Is that you tufHeu
your back minute and that the woman
got off without paying her fare. Prob
ably she was not 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?'
/ didn't see; but what can you do
when folks are SO sensible they can't be
lieve anything?
"'Twasnt like that-there she was
and there she wasn't" said l. ''Thats
how it was"
IF it happens again, come to me and
Ii write you a prescription and make
you present of it" said the doctor.
So | 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 kne.
'em, when one day, standing in Tia,
stables. talking to Mike Gallagher, the
old fellow that watered the horses and
always had joke for everybody. ]
heard my name called.
you're wanted JIM" said some one.
and l went out into the street, and the
man that had called me pointed to a
gentleman-abcut as fine looking one
as ever knew-and he. the gentleman
walked up to me.
Its your dinner time, isn't it?' said
he.
''Yes, sir" said L. "Tve got a few
minutes left.
''Come along, them" said he. He
walked me into a restaurant close by the
stables, and said: "Call for what you
want" and l named it. Then said he:
''You don't remember me, Jim Brown?
mo, sir" said |.
''You gave me a paper about six
months ago." said he. "a newspaper
asked your name"
"Oh, OIL" said l. 'No. sir, l didn't
know you. l begin to see the likeness
but you-you"-
II know" said he. II was pretty
well down on my luck, then. See here
he unbuttoned his coat, a seal skin,
bless you. and took out of the breast
pocket newspaper-'read that" he
said, pointing to where it was folded.
read it. This is what it said:
eff Ferdinand Melrose will return
home all will be forgiven by his dying
father" and after that where he was to
inquire for further particulars"
"Well, | am Ferdinand Melrose," says
the gentleman. 1.-THE black sheep of my
family. Long ago 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 had only bottle of laudanum in
my pocket | was going to the Central
park to take it. | should have slept my.
self out of life into eternity, and the city
would have seen to my funeral if you
had not given Inc that paper. l went to
the place mentioned, and found, as ex
pected, that money had been left in a
lawyers hands to take me home When
got there 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 found myself rich
man. had kept Jim Browns address
and feel that owe him something"
Nothing at all, says l. 1.-THE lady
the sister-told me to give it to you"
"What lady?" said he.
''Id like to know myself" said l, and
then told him my story.
''It is strange" says he. 81 could
swear that / was the only passenger
at the time. | felt so miserable and
SO shabby that purposely waited for
an empty car. And another thing is
strange, Jim Brown" said he. eve
have 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"
couldn't say anything. Neither of
us spoke about the thing again; but
when he insisted on starting me in the
eating house line wasn't fool enough to
refuse and. as you see. I'm not bobtail
car driver any longer.
No, haven't seen anything queer
] since that time, and can't say I'm anx-
ious; but whether the lady was ghost,
or what the doctor called an optical de-
fusion, it's certain that she only did good
to all concerned. Bless her for comingl
Mary Kyle Dallas in Fireside Com.
panion.