Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-11-18


four"
"Aak him if he has seen heri"
Mrs. Dotty went into the hall. Almost
instantly she returned.
"He has not. He says there is the
body of young woman at the town
morgue."
"Whati"
Godfrey Kirke leaped from his chair.
she says that the body of young girl
was found in the East Branch to-day"
Godfrey Kirke sank back in his seat.
Mrs. Dotty smiled hard little smile to
herself as she closed the door and went
away. She knew how many friends
Bessie. had. She shrewdly suspected if
she were not found at one place she
would be at another; aud she was malici-
ously and pleasantly conscious that she
had given the hard hearted old man a
genuine scare.
Long the latter sat where she had left
him. Thinking. For the first time in
years he was thinking, sadly, seriously,
solemnly. Than sgiving-evel Ia his
wife's time the house used to be gay and
cheerful on that night, SO filled with COM
fort and bright anticipations, SO odorous
with the homelY fragrance Of good things
- z = Z 4,
the brisk hustle attendant on the NOR
rows festivity. Now it was desolate,
dreary, darksome with depressing and
unutterable gloom. Whose fault was ita
Hisl decided Go o1frey Kirke, as savagely
relentless to himself in this moment as
he would have been to another. Hisl
when his devoted wife had dropped and
died under his ever-increasing arrogance,
dictation. His when Maud married the
first man who offered himself, to escape
from her fathers pretty rule. His when
Robert rau away to escape the narrow
obligations and unjust restrictions laid
upon him. HIS! when the child his
dead daughter had left him could no
longer endure his brutality, or accept
from him the scsut support he so grud-
gingly gave. His fault-all hisl In
those lonely hours the whole relentless
truth dawned upon him, as such truths
will dawn, in most bitter brilliauce. He
dropped his head on his hands with
groan.
He looked around the dim, shabby
room. He looked at the dying fire in
the CRATE. He wondered of what use
would be to him now his twenty-thou-
sand in bonds, his eight hundred acres
of meadow land, the money he had out
at interest. He rose in dazed kind of |
way, shadowy purpose taking definite
ness in his mind. He wished he had
been better to Besse; he wished-but
what was the use of wishing now2 There
could be but one satisfactory answer to
all his f-condemnation. A shot from
the revolver in the drawer yonder, that he
had always kept in readiness for possible
burglars. H 9 rose. He moved toward
the table. His figure cast a fantastic
shadow on the wall. The tears we're
streaming down his cheeks. There
might be thanksgiving for his death,
though there could never have been any
for his life.
Hark
He had the weapon in his hand. He
started nervously. Was that Bessie's
voice9 He turned, dropping the revolver
with clatter. Yes, there she was, not
three feet away, fresh, fair, damp, smil-
ing.
''It is the queerest thing" she said,
coming toward him as she spoke. 81
-badly-yesterday, and l went over
to Mrs. Farnham's to see if she could get
me work. | met Mrs. Nelson, aud she
asked me to go home with her. Dicky
was ill, and she wanted me to stay over
night. She sent you note. At least
she sent the boy with it, but he lost it,
and only told her so this afternoon. As
soon as I knew that l started home
alone-although Dicky was no better"
"Yesl' said Godfrey Kirke. He was
listening with an unusual degree of in.
terest.
"And tonight, when l was almost
here, Nelson's is quite two miles away,
you know, got lost in the fog"
Her grandfather regarded her In
amazem ent, What made he pale cheeks
so bright9 What excitement had
blackened her gray eyesa
"And-a gentleman who was coming
here found me, and-and brought me
home. Please thank him, grandpa.
Here be is !"
With au inciedulous, gaspng cry,
Godfrey Kirke retreated, as big brown,
muscular fellow came dashing in from
The hall.
"Robertl"
sFatherl"
Then they were clasped in each others
arms.
s'I'm back from the sea for good,
'ather. And l CHANGED to find my little
liece Bessie lost out there in the fog. A
Toung lady, vowl And I was think
ng of her as mere baby yet! Just
ihinkl She tells me Charlie Nelson
wants her"
"NoG Well, Charlie is fine fellow.