Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-02-01

- - p -
He bent his head TO catch my response,
and McrC lrGS dnOthcr pause.
You haze come alone, Nine, Leroy" he
asked.
Yes"
There was no friend you cared to bring"
"No''
These faitering monosyllables must have
betrayed me- even if he doubted the evil
dcnce of my voice, but the belief that
wished to remain unrecognized was suili-
cent to withhold him from discovering his
knowledge.
you are yoing to stay with us, Nine. /
Leroy he asked
NO: think Of leaving this afternoon"
/ Stammered.
He made no reply, but look of pain came
into his face, and ] was silent, too, not hav- /
ing the courage to tell him why had come
But hsmust aave concluded that | was in .
trouble and III need of help. for presently, !
drawing some unopened letters from the
inner pocket Of bis coat he said:
These letters came last night. VIII you
open them and tell me who they are FROM
They were from pathizing friends in
London. read the names and addresses
to him.
nave you bllcNtu lDtlll an. Ic dShtJ
"Yesn
Il 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?'
| understood his motive in giving me
the letters now. and selling the opportu-
nifty asked him if it was from a poor
woman in distress that he expected to hear
"A nameless creature who dared not show
her face.
1T cannot be my little friend, " he said
sadly. she would not fear me. We were
comrades, she and l. and should he still
companions in adversely. To think that ]
could Judge her harshly j, to Judge me yet
more harshly.'
'Shc does not fear you, but she breads
those who have less charity
''Shc is in trouble. you tell me. Can l
help her"
SHE hopes you will. Her happiness
more than she can tell you-depcnds on
! that"
/ Tell me what she wants"
/ ''She is in need of money"
! "Does her happiness depend on that
eyes"
"You are sure she asks for nothing more
than money
Nothing
He bowed his head as if to conceal he
pain that came into his face. Then, quickly
recovering himself, he said gently:
Poor soul, money can make her happy,
she shall have it,"
He rose. felt his way TO a writing table
and seated himself before it. From a
drawer he took ont checkbook, 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.
Il have left it open" he said. Ask her
to write in-my unhappy little friend-thc
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 two" lie
asked,
NO; must 20 away today"
"Flave You far to go home"
IL anu going to London, he replied eva
sively.
you are staying with friends there2"
mo; | have no friend TO 90 to-"
Are you quite alone
Quite
He was silent for "A moment, seeming
greatly shock ed by his discovery. Then h,
said:
But YOU have friends"
None but Mere Lucas and
He held out his hand quickly, and as il
closed on mine II smile broke over his face
And me- he said. "Oh, If my ear anC
reason deceived me the sense of toucl
would tell me whose hand this is hold
Let us give up this game Of crooked cues
tons and cross answers and be ourselves
, Have faith in me, little friend
For some minutes we sat thus, with on
hands locked, and neither spoke. SOM
such feeling of mingled JOY and sympa
: thetic sorrow as choked my utterance ma,
have silenced him. Perhaps he was wait
ing for me to confide my sorrows to him
to pour ont the history of past trouble
, that he might give me comfort. But
dared not answer that silent appeal, an'
the tear that slipped from my cheek ant
r fell upon his hand A. bent over it was al
, the confession ! Gould make
rs there nothing ] can do to help your
, he asked in a tone of deep agitation.
"Nothing-nothng more than you hay
7 done. No ONT can help me. need no hel
now. The worst is past. Better days mus
: come. Then / may tell you more
: ~ want to know no more than that, h