Frostburg mining journal., 1894-07-28
LOST AND FOUND.

Harry drove the last nail into tho
large packing case and laid the ham
mer on the shelf in the corner
Its too bad, Madge." he said. turn
jng and looking at me sadly. This
Oh room has always seemed like
home. How different it looks now"
| did not speak; so for answer only
pressed the baby closer to me and let
the tears that would not be control
led drop down on his little curly head.
Cheer up, little woman he said.
brushing away my tears. ITS our
last night. YOU know, and a soldiers
wife must be brave. Have | not come
unscathcd through many Il battle?
ann troubled, now. chiefly. about the
welfare of you and Harry Temple. ir.,
dur ng my absence. Where can you
stay"
| buried my face in baby's curls
and Sobbed abound. at makes no diff
ference to me where | am when you
are away | said hopclcssly. I'VE
can live any place.
But you can't Harry answered.
authortatively. land even if you could
where is that place? Its too bad or
derS came so unexpectedly"
Il have it," said Harry at last. after
we had rejected Il score or more Of
wild plans. There's my uncle. who
lives i'll Hereford
But you wouldn't send me there,
Harry" l interrupted in dismay.
Why: you've always said he was
crazy"
Not crazy. dear. Just little &C.
centric, that's all. Don't object" he
said as | commenced to shake my
head dubiously. "There is nothing
else left to do
Besides" and he waXcd enthuSias-
tic over his revcla ton. as he termed
it. you've always been seeking a mis-
sion. Here it is. Uncle is recluSe: Il
veritabe hermit, in fact. Go up there
and reform him. Let him know that
l;fc is worth living, after ALL"
But perhaps he will not like this
'ntruSion," | suggested. in the hope
of finding some loophole of escape.
"Probably not at first Harry as
Sented. indifferently. ''but what can
he do about it. He cannot turn you
away. And after you have been there
Il few days he will fall in love with
his pretty niece and never want to
give her up
In the early light of rainy Satur-
day, | badc good bye to the then dis
mantlcd barracks that had been our
home during several months, and with
Harry'S farewell kiss on my lips and
his God bless you ringing in my ears,
/ started for Hereford
AT o o'clock that night | stood in
the wayside north country station and
hclpleSSly asked the solitary individ-
ual who guarded the place what /
should do: Il query whose answer was
Il solemn assurance that he did not
know.
ITS mighty funny thing. anyhow,
this visiting old man Temple. Why.
I've been here nigh onto a dozen year.
an | can take my oath on it that
you're the first person that's ever got
on'n that train to go to see him. Some
says he's stark. staring mad. an
others says he's just a-brooding and a.
saving, that's all. Anyhow. it'll be
nightly lonesome for a young woman
like you down there to that hall
"You stay here and let me go across
the fields and zee if the blacksmith
won't take you over"
The blacksmith consented to take us
for Il consideration" and beaten
upon by streams of rain, from which
the canvas covering of the cart but
poorly sheltered us, we rode through
almost tire-deep mud to the hall.
The blacksmith pulled the heavy
iron knocker vigorously again and
again, and after what seemed to me
an eternity the door was opened eau
tiously and someone asked impatient
ly, "Who is it?"
"pts a lady," explained my friend
of the anvil. "She's almost drowned.
too. I'd advise you not to stand there
gaping any longer, but take 'er in"
What is 1t, John 1 heard another
voice saying within.
"A lady came here, tonight, sir.
What shall l do?
! | had descended from the cart and
with the baby in my arms l stepped
inside the half open door.
| Just beyond the servant stood one