The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-11-15

into his face, and was silent, too, not hay
ing the courage to tell him why / had come.
But he must have concluded that was in
trouble and in need of help, for presently,
drawing some unopened letters from the
inner pocket of his coat, he said.
"These letters came last night Will YOU
open them and tell me who they are fromgn
They were from sympathizing friends in
London. / read the names and addresses
to him.
Have you opened them all?" he asked.
ayes"
81 hoped there was one from a friend-a
dear friend of bygone days-from whom
have been hoping and expecting to hear by
every post. Do you mind looking through
them again"
l understood his motive in giving me
the letters now, and seizing the opportu-
nifty asked him II it was from a poor
woman in distress that he expected to hear
"a nameless creature who dared not show
her face.
at cannot be my little friend, /" he said
sadly. "She would not fear me. We were
comrades she and l. and should be still
companions in adversely. To think that
could judge her harshly is to judge me yet
more harshly."
''She does not fear you, but she breads
those who have less charity"
"She is in trouble, you tell me. Can 1
help her?"
''She hopes you will. Her happiness
more than she can tell you-depends on
that" ..=.
"Tell me what she wants"
'She is in need of money"
"Does her happiness depend on that'"
"Yes."
"You are sure she asks for nothing more
than money!
Nothing"
He bowed his head as IL to conceal the
pain that came into his face Then, quickly
recovering himself, he said gently:
Poor soul, il money can make her happy,
she shall have it."
He rose, felt his way to writing table
and seated himself before it. From a
drawer he took out check book opened it,
and passing his long, nervous fingers over
the paper he slowly wrote his name in the
right hand corner. Then he tore out the
check, and returning to his former seat
gave it to me.
II have left it OPEN" he said. "Ask her
to write in-my unhappy little friend-the
amount she needs, and tell her, In case she
doubts it still, that her secret is safe In my
keeping and that she has made me happy
by remembering me in her Distress"
took the check, faltering some incoher-
ent words of gratitude.
"You will stay with us day or two2" he
asked.
mo; must go away today"
"Haye you far TO go homer"
~ am going to London" he replied eva
sively.
"You are staying with friends theres"
mo; have no friend to 20 to-"
"Are you quite alonef"
"Quite."
He was silent for moment, seeming
greatly shocked by his discovery. Then he
said:
"But you have friends" -
"None but Mere Lucas and"-
He held out his hand quickly, and as it
closed on mine smile broke over his face
"And me-" he said. ooh, if my ear and
reason deceived me the sense of touch
would tell me whose hand this is hold
Let us give up this game Of crooked ques-
tions and cross answers and be ourselves
Have faith in me, little friend"
For some minutes we sat thus, with our
hands locked, and neither spoke. Some
such feeling of mingled joy and sympa
thetic sorrow as choked my utterance may
have silenced him. Perhaps he was wait
ing for me to confide my sorrows 10 him
to pour out the history of past troubles
that he might give me comfort. But
dared not answer that silent appeal, and
the tear that slipped from my check and
fell upon his hand as l bent over it was all
the confession could make.
as there nothing l can do to help YOUR
he asked in a tone of deep agitation.
"Nothing-nothing more than you have
dnna M ono IN haIn mo I mad M hal
now The worst is past, Better days must
come. Then may tell you more"
II want to know no more than that he
answered impreSsively. III the worst is
past, we will cease to think OF it, Let us
go In the garden, " he added in brighter
{ tone as he rose 10 his feet. "Jhe sun ought
Ito be shining today"
- He took my trembling arm.
srt ,sYou know the wayf" he asked.
"Ycs; 1 walked across the lawn yester
day."
Il knew it, he murmured. Something
touched my arm and felt that you were
near. have been expecting you to come
He said this, thought, to encourage me,
but the radiant happiness in his face sur
prised me, though knew the vigor and
fortitude of his character One would not
have imagined but for those poor closed
eyes that he had lost the most precious
gift Of nature. He pressed my arm to his
side and spoke some wise words of assur-
ance, adding:
ave have both met with misfortune,
little friend"
II think too much of my own"
Mine" he said to turn my thoughts, "is
not so great as you would think. At first
1t was hard to bear-the world seemed SO
empty. But am learning to see now with
out my eyes, and find multitude Of
beautiful things that had before escaped
my notice. | never weary of sitting here
aud listening-puzzling out where all the
sounds come from and making better ac-
quaintance with tho hidden world"
And in the evening you have Miss Bell
to read to You and play"
Yes. She is a good, amiable girl, won
dcrfully patient and nntiring"
LTo DE coNTINrEp.l