Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-12-09

Tour nand has Orten rested on my mead,
dear lady; yes, many and many a time.
But, of course, you don't remember me
one in the fifty or more who used to
stand up in long line in front of you,
but one day it seemed to me your eyes
stayed fixed upon my face for long
time, oh, so long a time, and then you
smiled and beckoned me to your side
and smoothed my hair and asked me my
name and told you, and then tried to
put my arms around your neck. for you
seemed so sweet and good, but the ma
tron pulled me away and whispered:
NO, no, child, don't do that; go back to
your placer"
The tears had been gathering in
Molly's eyes as the sailor lad ran on this
way with his "reminiscences of the Wal
ter home, and had not Zach's stern face
been fixed upon her she would most
surely have reached out and taken hold
of the boys hands.
"And oh, dear lady" resumed God
frey, 81 can't tell you how glad I was
when they told me that you were COM
ing to Sydney, to look after Capt. John
Allaire. have tried to think out some
good reason why he doesn't come home,
for I know he must be alive somewhere.
/ know itl'
Molly started up as if awakening from
dream and caught the sailor lad by the
hand For n moment her lips moved,
but she was powerless to utter a word. A
deeper pallor spread over her face, and
she seemed upon the point of falling
into swoon, when suddenly slender
but strong arm was passed around her
waist. 1t steadied her and held her ten
derly and firmly upright.
Poor lady, cheer up," said Godfrey.
Don't worry; everybody says that
Capt John is living with the natives
somewhere in the wilderness, and that
he is such brave and strong man that
he'll get away from them yet. Don't
cry, motherl''
"Motherl" repeated Molly, in a smoth-
cred tone of joy, as her hand passed
caressingly over the thick black curls
that grew in wild profusion on the lads
head. "Mother?"
"Why, yes, lady," said Godfrey, sur
prised at the effect of his words, that's
what we used to call you at the home.
Our mother, our dear mother to whom
we children owed everything in the
world, our home, our clothes, our food,
our educationp'
Overawed by the stern look and
wrinkled brow Of the seaman who
stood with twitching hand and trem-
bling lips following every changing
phase of this strange and moving
scene, Molly drew herself in and
showed a calmer exterior.
"My lad," she asked almost in a
whi3per, what is your name?"
why, I've told you, lady, Godfrey" :"
"No, no, your full name-the name
of your family?"
81 have no other name, madam"
But your parents-who were they?"
81 don't know, dear lady, l can't re-
member them. l can only remember
my nurse and wouldn't be able to do
that only she was so black, oh, SO
black, and her teeth were SO big and
white and sharp. Yes, I remember
heri"
But who took you to the Walter
home?"
81 can't tell you, dear lady, only
remember being there when | was a
little toddler I think was the small
est one of your family, motherl''
AS this word again fell from God
frcy's lips, Molly lost all control over
as her breath came and went in sob
like catches. She turned, and throw
ing both her arms around the sailor
lads neck, drew his head with a wild
and impassioned outburst of feeling
close and tight against her bosom.
For a few seconds there was deep
and painful silence, broken only by
the sound of Molly's breathing, then
with little joyful cries mingled with
Unsurpassed sobs, that mothers
heart emptied out its long pent up
grief in a shower of kisses and ca
resses, which Godfrey was neither loath
nor slow to return. Zach looked on
with wide-opened eyes and parted
lips, seemingly paralyzed by what was
being enacted before him.
''Oh, the poor womanl the poor wom-
anr' he groaned. What will become
of herr
Suddenly Molly, with an almost SUI
perhuman effort, drew herself to.
gether and succeeded in checking this
outburst of feeling Then with her
arm wound affectionately around God
frey's neck, she led him to the door,
kissed him, and said:
$50, my dear child, go. l need to be
be alone. I'll see you again soon
very soon.'
The lad turned, and fixing his large
dark eyes inquiringly upon the beauti-
full face halted for an instant, then
passed out of sight. Zach made move
ment as if to follow Godfrey, but Molly.
who was still prey to the widest emo
ton, made a sudden gesture which
caused him to close the door again.
Don't go, Zach"
Madam, madam" urged French,
"calm yourself, for Heavens sake; your
health will suffer; you'll not be in u
condition to superintend the vast details
of the expedition which you are to set
on foot upon your arrival in Adelaide. /
implore you be calm, be strong"
no heed to the mans words. Zach,
this child was raised in the Walter
home He was born in San Diego; he
is fourteen or fifteen years of age; in
features he bears a strong resemblance
to John He has that same open, manly
bearing, that strong love of the ocean
He must be sailors son, Zach. Oh,
Zach, he is Johns son-he is mine The
world thinks that the dark waters Of
the bay of San Diego swallowed up that
dear little baby, but no, oh, no, no, he
was not drowned. God knows he was
not; some one rescued him-some low
ing hands reached out for him as he
went floating along on the bosom Of
those dark waters; they didn't know
whose child he was-how could they?
They didn't know what mother was
stretching out her pleading hands to
Heaven, but / was there all the time,
my poor mind darkened and clouded
with not a faint glimmer of hope to
save me from insanity. Oh, Zach, my
friend, my dear friend, tell you this is
my child-this is my little Walter, my
son. God has had mercy on me at last.
He has given him back to me-"
Molly's voice died away. She could
not utter another word. Her transports
choked her, pressed the very life out of
her. She could only hold out her hands
toward the honest seaman, her stanch
and loyal friend, as if imploring him to
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