The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-03-13
OLD Man GILBERT.
by ELIZABETH W. BELLAMY,
CsKAMBA THoRPE,"o
author of "Four Oaks" "Little Joan
NO." Etc.

copyrighted. All rights reserved. published by
special arrangement with the Bedford Company,
New York
The colonel, anxious to crafty her
every whim, and greatly rejoiced that
her desires had taken so commendable a
direction, wrote to his aunt i'm New
York, begging her good offices in the
selection of a governess much as he
would have written for any bale of mer.
chandisc.
The colonels aunt, Mrs. Lorrimer, was
AS fixed in her opinions as the colonel
was in his, and she positively declined
the responsibility of selecting a governesa
FOR Winifred Thorne. The colonel, she
argued, was not yet past the prime Of
life-wherefore should she send a woman
10 Thorne Hill at the risk of bringing
about a matrimonial crisis2 But, as she
felt an interest in the child that bore her
name, she earnestly entreated her nephew
10 let her have charge of Winifred in
New York, where she could have the
benefit of treatment by specialists and at
The anne time receive the best instruc.
zion.
The colonel acknowledged the wisdom
Of this plan, but he was loath to send
Winifred away from him just yet; and
while he was still bordering this neces-
sary step Christmas came round again.
To Missy this Christmas was u grievous
disappointment. She had cherished the
hope that Nicholas would return at this
season, and when the day came and
passed without him she was in a state of
almost frenzied distress.
Gather! Fatherl Where is Brer Mich.
clasp she cried. pushing away the gifts
shat had been lavishe'0 upon her.
1t was a question the colonel could not
cnswer.
Don't you ever think of him?' pleaded
The little sister, with her slender hands
pressed against her aching heart. 81
think of him all the time. l don't ever
forget him. Oh, father, suppose he ii
hungry this Christmas day"
Her father turned upon her a face
stony in it's despair. "We must forget
him." he said, hoarsely. He is not t.
I've found for any search of mine. To
forget is All CnaC Is leIC us.
.'Oh, what does this mean?' cried
Missy, wringing her hands.
sit means that he has hidden himself
cut OF our reach" answered the colonel,
gloomily.
IF l were a man" cried Missy, cN1ch-
ing her small fists hercely, 'Td search
The big world over"
The colonel was hurt that Missy should
doubt he had done his best, but his pride
iisdained to explain what unavailing eff
forts he had made to discover, for her
sake, his sons retreat; and Missy, ignor-
ant Of this, felt her heart waxing ever
moro and more bitter against her father.
She did not know that she was miserable
because of this bitterness; she thought
she was miserable only because she miss
ed her brother.
Missy. however, had by no means
abandoned the hope of her brothers re-
turn. Some day he would surely come
home, and in this confident expectation
her energies took the form of a feverish
ambition to improve her mind. Brer
Nicholas must not find her the ignorant
child he had left crying to him in the
vain; she must strive for the commenda-
tion of the beloved absent brother; for
him she studied-as her strength permit
ted; for him she labored at the detested
piano, in q pathetic anxiety thaJ her
mind should atone for the defects OF the
poor little body, famed in the futile ef-
fort to reach him.
And now a great dread possessed Col.
Thorne, a dread lest Missy should become
morbid through the indulgence of this
tnsistent desire to her brother,
and he suddenly determined to take her
at once to New York and put her under
the care Of a physician, as his aunt had
repeatedly urged him to do.
This was in the summer Of 1860. Col.
Thorne was one of those who felt sure
there would he no war; therefore, when
he. found, after u few weeks in New
York, that Winifred was in a fair way
10 improve, and that she could be o n
tent to remain with her aunt, he did not
hesitate to leave her when he returned
nome in October. His child, he thought,
gould travel homeward with frissd. at
time. or he could go to her.
the fighting began the colonel,
ex others, declared that it would
nj be- less than sixty days; but
Xas the war went on-an rye deepening
Norror-he reioiced, even while his heart
ached for the sight of her, that his little
lame daughter had been Ieftin New York.
He did not see Missy again until the
fall OF 1885.