Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-08-25

might have got on well enough; but
at my elbow, always bursting into
my room when I wanted to read,
filling his room with friends as noisy
and light-hearted as himself, spend
ing money recklessly on all sides,
and turning everything said into
joke-all this was a daily annoyance
to me. 1t grew intolerable. / had
no sympathy at all with any of his
pursuits and grew more cold and
reserved, until one day, exasperated
more than usual, | told him that il
he wanted to 60 to the dogs he might
60 by himself. His temper was as
| quick as mine. His sharp answer
drew sharper one from me, which
reused him to a fury. You won't
see me again, so you need not trou-
bic your head about it. | can work
for myself and be was gone. Even
then, sister, if had gone after him
might have stopped him, but ! was
angry with him, and glad that he
was gone. AS glad then to bear that
he was gone as I should be now TO
hear that once again on this earth ]
might hope to see his face. I live
for that, and ore day it may come. ,
"And you never heard of him
again? 2"
mo sound from that day TO this
He went without money, and he
could draw none except through me-
"Perhaps," l suggested, utterly at
loss what TO say, che found some
work or''-I began, rather hopeless
ly.
| 'No," he replied, with deep tone
of sadness in his voice "no; not
one of his friends ever heard of him
that's four--no, five years ago
| Five years-and night and day
think of those words, "You viii
look after Jack. Toni"
/ The door opened to admit the
streeher with a new case from the
| surgery. and DIR. Preston was in z
moment the professional man, alb
sorbed in investigating the extent O
the new arrivals injuries.
Before leaving the ward he turned
| to the bedside Of the patient whose
friendless condition had led to oul
conversation. He took down tht
head card to fill up the details.
"Name, sister,"
"George Thomas"
"Age?"
II do not know; he looks abou
forty;but he is very weather-beaten?'
The doctor glanced at the tanned
SCARED face, nearly hidden by ban
dages, and stood hesitating, pen il
hand.
"Oecupation-do you know"
"Sailor.v
+ "No other particulars, sister,"
He laid the card on the table ani
wiped his pen careful ly-a method
cal and orderly man in every detail
of his work.
Il only found a few coppers ant
these old papers in his pocket,"I said
showing the contents of pocket
book much the worse for wear. Ont
crumpled piece of paper had thu
words,"1 Black Wells Court, Hull,
written upon it, probably the ad
dress of his last lodging. proceed
ell to unfold another piece, anc
found an old, plain gold locket, worl
thin and bright; one side was smooth
and on the other was a monogram
still family legible, ~. F."
I felt it suddenly snatched from
my hands.
| DR.. Preston had seized it, aud car
rying it quickly across the ward
turned the gas full Oh, and gazed OF
the locket with eyes that seemed t.
pierce it through.
/ "Look, sister!" he said, and hi
strong band shook % be held i
toward me, "there can be no mistake
| remember this locket go well. Jacl
gave it to my father with his photo
graph inside before he went to school
and after father died Jack kept it
1t was an old joke Of theirs to taxi
each others things, because they
were marked with tie same initials
I could swear to this anywhere, ant
1 see quite clearly how it came here
Jack met this man at Hull, perhaps
he came off the same boat, and if h'
was rd-up-but he must have beer
hard up before he would part will
this, and then it's not much use t.
any one else. No one would give {
shilling for an old thing like this, bu
here it is, and here's the address o
where the man stayed. It's the frs
clue / have ever had, sister," and hi
face was bright with hope. "Jacl
may be still there / must 60 withou
losing a minute. may catch hin
before be goes on further. Is Their
anything else you want me for to
night?"
He was already near the door
mo, not tonight /; the others are al
very comfortable; but do you no
think it would be worth while to asl
this man where he got the lecket
1t may not have been in Hull at all