Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-16

honor All other things might Dej Dut not
that.
He resolved to leave New York and go
out West: it was just possible that Maisrie
had taken some fancy for revlsltlng the
place of her birth; he guessed they might
have certain friends there also. Hugh
Anstruther came to the railway station to
see him of.
eyes" he said, "you may hear something
about them in Omaha, but 1t is hardly
probable, for those Western cities grow at
prodigious pace, and the traces of people
who leave them get very soon obliterated.
Besides, the population Is more or less
shifting; there are ups and downs; and you
must remember it is q considerable time
since Mr.. Bethune and his granddaughter
left Omaha. However. in case you don't
learn ANYTHING of them there, I have
brought YOU a letter of introduction to
Daniel Thompson, of Toronto-the well
known bauker-you may have heard of him
and he is as likely as anyone to know
anything that can be known OF George
Bethune. They are old friends"
Vincent was very grateful.
"And 1 suppose" he said, as he was get
ting his smaller belongings into the car, II
shan't hear anything further of that fellow
de Lara?"
"Not bit-nota bitP' the good-natured
Scotch editor made answer. "You took the
right way with him at the beginning. He'll
probably call you scoundrel and black
guard in one or two obscure papers; but
that won't break bones"
'tI have a stout oak cudgel that can,
though" said Vincent, ''if there should be
need"
It was long and lonely journey; Vincent
was in no mood for making acquaintance;
and doubtless his fellow-passengers consd-
sidered him an excellent specimen of the
proud and taciturn travelling Englishman.
But at last he came in sight of the wide val
ley of the Missouri, with its long mudbanks
and yellow water channels; and beyond
that again the fiat plain of the city; domi-
mated by the twin-spired high school perched
on distant height. And he could see how
Omaha had grown even within the short
time that had elapsed since his last visit;
where he could remember one-storied tene-
ments stuck at haphazard among trees, and
waste bits of green there were now streets
with tram cars and important public build
ings; the city had extended in every direc-
tion; it was vast wilderness of houses that
he beheld beyond the wide river. Perhaps
Malsrie had been surprised too-on coming
back to her old home? Alasl it seemed so
big place in which to search for any one;
and he knew of no kindly Scotch editor who
might help.
And very soon he got to know that Hugh
Anstruther's warnings had been we'll found
ed Omaha seemed to have no past, nor any
remembrance OF bygone things; the city was
too busy pushing ahead to think Of those
who had gone under or left. It is true that
at the Offices of the Union Pacific Railway,
he managed to get some scant information
abour the young engineer with whom ILL
fortune had dealt SO hardly; but
these were not personal "reminiscences; there
were new men everywhere, and Maisrie's
father had not been known to any of them.
For one thing, he himself had not lived
much in Omaha; his work had lain mostly
in the Platte Valley, and still further west.
As for the child orphan and the old man
to remember them? They were not impor-
tant enough; Omaha had its manifest des-
tiny" TO think of; besides, they were now
gone some years-and some years in a West
ern city is a century.
This was not wholesome life that Vim
Harris was leading-so quite alone was he
and anxious-and despairing. He could
not sleep very we'll. At intervals during
the night he would start up, making sure
that he heard the sound of a
violin; and sometimes the dis
seemed to have suggestion of Maisrie's
4 daurna tryst wi you, Willie,
daurna tryst ye here;
But we'll hold our tryst in heaven, Willie,
In the spring time o. the year
and then he would listen more and more
intently, and convince himself it was only
the moaning of the wind down the empty
street. He neglected his meals. When he
took up newspaper the printed words con-
yeyed no meaning to him. And then he
would go away out wandering again. through
those thoroughfares that had hardly any in
terest for him now; while be was becoming
more and more hopeless as the long hours
went by, and feeling himself baf1ed at every
point
But before turning his face eastward
again, he had written to Mr.. Daniel Thomp-
son, of Toronto, mentioning that he had
letter of introduction from Hugh An
struther, and stating what had brought him
out here to the West. Then he went on:
MIR. Bethune was never very communica-
tive about money matters-at least, to me;
indeed, he seemed to consider such things
too trivial for talking about. AT the same
time understood from him that when his
son, Miss Bethune's father, died, there was
either some remnant of his shattered for
tunes, or perhaps it was some fund sub
scribed by sympath1zing friends-I never
could make out which, and was not curious
enough to inquire-that reduced a certain
small annual income. Now thought that
if could discover the trustees who paid
over this income, they would certainly
know where Mr.. Bethune and his grand
daughter were now living; or, on the other
hand, supposing the fund was derived from
some investment, if 1 could find out the
bank which held the securities, they also
might be able to tell me. But all my in
uuiries have been in vain. am a stranger;
people don't want to be bothered;
sometimes I can see they are suspi-
cious. Now it has occurred to me that
you, as an old friend OF Mr.. Bethune, might
chance to know who it is who have this fund
in trust; and if you could tel me, you
would put me under a lifelong debt of
gratitude. If you were aware of all the
circumstances. you would be convinced that
no ill-use is likely to be made OF the infor.
nation. When I first became acquainted
with Mr.. Bethune and his granddaughter,
they seemed to me to be living very happy
and simple and contented life in London;
and am afraid am in some measure re-
sponsible for their having suddenly resolved
to leave these quiet circumstances, and take
TO that wandering life OF which Miss Be-
thune seemed so sadly tired. If can get
no news of them here, propose returning
home by Toronto and Montreal, and shall
then give myself the pleasure of calling
upon you, when may be able to assure you
that, if you should hear anything of Mr..
Bethune and Miss Bethune, you would be
doing no injury to them, or to anyone, in
letting me know"
Then came the answer-from a cautious
Scot. .,