Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-07-12

expressed n desire not TO be taken bacI
to your father they resolved to bring yoJ
here.
''They are very good to me- said 4
faint voice. But do they know that
am poor girl without money to pay
them for their care:'
"They know everything that is neces
sary."
Miss Maxey had drawn a great chair
in front Of the fire and had made il
doubly easy with pillows. The comfort
able back chamber was in state Of or.
der and neatness wonderful to behold.
Everything was in readiness for the re.
turn of the patient. They placed her in
the chair, and Maxey sighed as the cling
ing hand left its warm nesting place ON
his neck. Then they all stood back from
her, and she looked about, first at the
strange faces of the artist and his sister
and then at the various objects which
went to make up the character of the
room. Her glance wandered to the win
dows, with the fine prospect far away
and the ice clad river underneath, to the
piano, the pictures, the bookcases, even
to the little white bed in the alcove
room, the curtains of which had been
purposely drawn back that she might
see it.
Maxey could not conceal his disap-
pointment. 1t was the glance of the
stranger. But there was another senti-
ment in the artists mind, even stranger
than this. In the anxious days when the
face which now looked up from the pill
lows i'll the easy chair lay on the bed in
the alcove room Maxey had often
watched it with an insufferable feeling
of regret and pity at his heart. The deli
cate outline of the oval face and the
classic features, despite the unnatural
expression which distorted the eounte-
nance and robbed it of its chief charm,
had whispered a sorrowful story of a lost
radiance that would have dazzled the
eyes of the beholder. And now, as the
artist saw this face again, lit up with
the light Of reason and changing with
the varying thoughts, deadly pale and
hollow though it was, he realized, with
the unerring instinct of student of the
pleasing in nature, that the reality was
even stranger than he had pictured it,
and he said to himself:
"She will be beautiful. ~
There was deeply troubled look in the
dark eyes, as they finished the momen-
tary survey of the apartment and came
back to rest ON Miss Maxey's face. The
pale lips murmured something which
sounded to her hearers like, 81 do not
understand.
At any rate, DR.. Lamar took it upon
himself to say again.
"These are your friends, Miss Maxey
and her brother, who took care of you in
your illness You are to stay here with
them as long as you like, to make your
home with them, if you will, until you
are well, strong and able to go where
you desire"
Charity" whispered the voice,
slight color coming into the face DR..
Lamar understood the delicate shrinking
Of sensitive nature and feared that it
might have tendency to retard her con-
valescence. The unscrupulous man lied:
''Not in the least. Your father has Sc
cured them to take charge of you during
his absence. He was obliged to go
away"
He is not my father" she returned
in clearer voice. The sound of that
voice made Maxey's heart beat faster.
The accents and intonation were reve-
lation. They could have been the prod
uct alone Of refinement and education.
A joyous thought seemed to arise sud-
denly i'll the poor girls mind, q thought
that made her eyes glisten and her breath
come quick. She looked eagerly first into
Maxey's face and then into the face Of
his sister. Something seemed to tremble
on her lips, but she forbore to utter it.
The artist, who had been watching her
every movement, started forward.
Say that you know us; that you rec
ognize this place; that you remember to
have been here before!''
The rising color suddenly faded from
the pale face, and to the astonishment
of everybody she said:
'You are my brother and you my sis
ter! You have brought me home!"
Maxey's heart sank. Was her mind
wandering? Her eager glance encounter