The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-10-15
THE RETURN.
Tho Poor and Humble Sutton OF the Past
Had n Favor to Request.

Had II Favor to Request.
"You do not know meP"
The speaker was man In the very prime
Of life, his weather beaten face bronzed and
burrowed by exposure under the fierce heat
OF tropical sun, and us he stood with easy
grace before the president of the great rail-
road company into whose presence he had
been admitted he represented the very type
Of those men in whom physical cournue
blends with personal beauty, and to whose
undinching spirit there is no obstacle to the
accomplishment of their purpose. The dis
tlngulshed man whom he addressed paused
for moment to look with deep scrutiny
into the face of the stranger, and then,
thoughtfully leaning buck in his chair, he
replied briefly:
NO, sir; must say that fail to recog-
nize you"
You do not remember" replied his Wis
1tor, the beardless youth of 10 years ago,
the poor and obscure clerk, who. guided by
the purest and deepest love that ever found
Its passionate utterance in the breast of
man, sought your daughters hand, and
whom, sir, you rudely repulsed and drove
In scorn from your house without one ray
OF hope and with all the light gone out of
his life? Little did you dream sir, when
you sent me forth alone on that dark and
rainy night of the fierce spirit you had
aroused, for come of n race where the in
domitable pluck of the Puritan still lives
and which has never yet acknowledged it's
master.
"Humiliated, but not utterly crushed,
set out to gain the fortune that you coldly
informed me was the price I must pay for
my love- / left the humble roof that had
sheltered me, babe goodby to home and
friends, and in distant chimes | sought for
the gold had sworn to gain. With tire
less energy trod the unbeaten paths of far
countries. In the jungles of the cast have
tracked the deadly tiger, and stricken with
disease have lain for months tossing upon
an obscure cot in India. Never once my
undaunted purpose tagged, until finally in
the mines Of Brazil found the thing that
had so long sought. labored rs no man
ever labored before, aNl now, sir, stand
before you rich beyond the dreams of ava
rice, not rs the humble and abashed sutton
OF decade ago. but rs the proud representa-.
tive of millions"
The look of recognition that came into
the aged face of the elder man had sudden
ly given place to deadly palor, and rs the
speaker ceased he sank back in his chair
utterly overwhelmed.
Alas, sir" he murmured, us with de-
spairing gesture he seized the hand of the
youthful millionaire, "alas, Mr. Caxton-I
believe that is the name-I fear it is too
late!"
TOO later' repeated the other. TOO
latel Why'-
YES" interposed the old man. "Weary
and worn with hope deferred. my poor
daughter, whose loving heart stood the
test of SO many years of waiting for your
return, has succumbed Last week she was
married"
look of intense relief came into the
travel stained face of his listener.
"You mistake me, sir" he said, kindly
laying his hand on the shoulder of the other
man. II am sincerely glad that your
daughter has married, and trust she has
done well. That, sir, was not the object of
my visit"
mot the object of your visitP" repeated
the venerable railroad man. his hand trem-
bling slightly as he passed it over his fore
head. Then, recovering his composure and
resuming the busincsslike air habitual with
him, he said, Then, may ask sir. what
you came for?'
Certainly" replied the hardy traveller
end representative of millions. II wanted
to ask, sir, if, in view of our former rela-
tions, you couldn't waive point in my case
and accommodate myself and family with
passes through TO Chicago. Tom Mason
In Truth.