Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-16

main in mis- side, one of It's most troublesome
symptoms, was keen just then. But O'Brien
answered from his own point OF view.
People who have enjoyed every
material prosperity are fond
of indulgirg in imaginary troubles. To
have knocked about two hemiSpheres as l
have done would soon cure them; and to
have known the want of e crust of bread or
a glass OF water, makes a man not only
grateful, but cheerful under moderate good
fortune"
"Yes. indeed" said Scott, ''those are
hardships one rarely encounters. 1 was re-
ierring to other trials, as real perhaps to
some minds, though less tangible. But you
must have seen strange times. Van Hannen
tells me here you have had some curious ex-
periences?"
fIhaye gone through as many unpleas.
ant adventures as are 10 be found in dime
novel, and now, after 20 years wandering,
find myself home again az last.
Twenty years. repeated Scott struck
with the coincidence in date with memories
of his own. After 20 wears YOU must ind
MANY changes, not only in London itself
though that is altering very rapidly-but
amoug YOUR own cqUa1ntances-and FAM
ilv?"
"As it happens, I've never been
in London before; and never
remember any kith a,nd kin, except a
brotter and he, poor fel How, met his death
the wear l went abroao--Iet me see, tnat was
in the spring of '6S.
Scott. apparently busy searching for
something among the many papers that lit
tered his desk, was in reality listening with
strained attention.
Your brother was older than you?" he
hazarded.
Michael was some five years my elder.
He would be IS or so now. Excuse the
question, but is anything the matter with
you?"
Scott had gone white as the paper he hello
in his hand, and that huttered with the
tremor of his pulse.
Nothing" he gasped. with an effort:
nothing at all but this pain-ah!-it oftea
takes me like this. Go on; what were you
telling me?'
81 was speaking of my brother. He was
clever fellow. Had he lived, life would
have gone very differently with me. As it
is. the early mocha nical training had with
hlm-he was an engineer-Served me in
good stead at Van HannenS, and so has been
the indirect means of my obtaining an intro
ductIOn TO vou.
IF YOU had a footing in their works, you
could not have done better tnan held on.
Theirs is fine business; my operations are
mere trifes in comparison.
Scott leaned his he.td on his hand, and
traced abstractedly dots and dashes on the
blotting pad before him.
But l had to get back to England, ex-
planned his visitor. For many years nv
whole thoughts have been centered on get
ting back and, strange as it may seem, l
have never until now been able to manage
it, Once 1 actually took ship, TO be wrecked
for the second time in my lie; and on an
other occasion I got knocked on the head
tor the sake of nv passage money. L spent
the next TWO months in hospital, and the
next two years hunting down the man who
did It. 1 paid him back with interest"
SAID O'Brien, smiling, ''for l never forget
debt, an idioSyncrasy that mas injured me
more than once. / had, for instance, many
chances of settling down in America, could
I have ioregope my purpose of returning
over here. But there are some things even
dearer to a man than success"
Yes, yes, said Scott, peace of mind is
best OF all His own peace was gone
wears ago-but be was overcome now by un-
usual agitation. 'SIrangep' he unused,
strange that Michael should have a
brother, and l not know it; stranger still that
among all the millions in London chance
should lead that brother to me. But is it
not Providence rather than chance who thus
provides ME with the means of making
reparatioI2 And even if l am mistaken
vet the name? the date? no. l cannot be
but even so, will still help him for his
own sake" Ior Scott felt that inward lean
ing toward the stranger that comes to us
when we meet a person whom we shall after
ward call friend.
We'll, Mr.. O'Brien," he said aloud, 81
will see what I can do for you. Leave me
your address, or perhaps you wouldn't mind
giving me another call toward the end of
the week? Saturday, shall we say? Yes;
perhaps by that time L may have hit on
something Tor you.
The visitor rose and took his departure, and
he might possibly have looked more elated
had he known into what good hands his
interests were confded.