Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-09-20
CHAPTER VII.

for Miss Patten. connected the mys-
terry with the young lady had assisted
to run away, whose fate has been
good deal of trouble to me ever since.
/ wanted to help her, if need be. Is
she very ill?"
Getting better fast. 1t was mad
folly to start on journey sick as she
was. I don't blame you, Craig, for
that long ride and the risk yod ran;
she Is very winning, this troublesome
little lady, and brave too. 1t is Won
der what a woman can endure, a
slight frail creature whose hand you
could crush in your fingers"
"But she had," said Oliver, uneasily,
''plenty of money, had she not?"
''She was travelling in the day
dollars in shabby little purse. Miss
Patten was right when she said we
should not see Mrs. Minny until the
money you gave her was all gone.
Where has she been all these long
months? BY her finding the dog, Miss
Patten probably knows now"
eyes, and it was as 1 thought
something entirely original. Near
Boston Mrs. de Restaud got acquaint-
ted with an elderly female who ran
some sort of retreat for aged pets,
invalid dogs and cats. The idea was
so novel Mrs. Minny decided to stop
over and see the place. Finding Mrs.
Blinn agreeable, and Syke contented
in the society of his kind at the re-
treat, she remained. She met sailor
from Newcastle in the street one day,
and he told her Miss Patten had not
been home for a long time. So she
decided not to write anyone, but to
remain hidden. One day few weeks
ago she came home from the village
much upset, and acted oddly; she had
either seen some one or read some
thing in newspaper, for the village
storekeeper saw her poring over one,
looking much upset. Two days later,
leaving note containing board for
her dog, she disappeared. This Mrs.
Blinn, who seems to be good sort OF
a person, worried a great deal, looking
for her everywhere, and in her search
wrote to the postmaster at Newcastle,
for she had heard Mrs. Minny speak of
having been there. Through that let
ter Miss Patten found Skye, and then
started for Denver"
"She may have seen De Restaud, or
that servant of his" unused the doc
tor. "Well, now you are here-though
I'd much rather a stranger had come
want you to draw up paper setting
forth the facts in this case in proper
legal phraseology."
81 fail to comprehend just what you
mean"
"You see," explained the doctor,
''the French people are particular
about documents; and between the
property of De Restaud's father and
this child of Mrs. Minny's there is only
feeble child"
Mrs Minny's child?" repeated
Oliver.
"Why, of course. Perhaps I had not
mentioned it. A nice boy-healthy, I
think, and bound to outlive his cousin
across the sea. The little chap born
in that poor place, that switchman's
hovel, may be the heir of millions. So
there must be no flaw in his title or
the record of his birth"
"a child, and she here friendless,
almost alone" divers face saddened.
Poor little thingl' he muttered,
what hard world it has been for
her!''
''She is sensible about it, too" went
on DIR. John. "She wanted me to
write,for lawyer and have everything
straight"
Ibid she suggest sending for me?"
asked Oliver, oddly.
The doctor hesitated. mo: she has
forgotten you, old boy. Women are
not particularly grateful. Then it has
been a long time since she saw or
heard of you. Your vanity may be
hurt, but is il not better that she has
forgotten2"
Undoubtedly" Oliver said, coldly.
He went toward the house hprriedly,
"a freight train passes here in half
hour; l will go on that; so get your
papers ready and have the people here
sign their statements. Miss Patten
should also get that Mrs. Blinn to give
an account of Mrs. de Restaud's stay
at her house."
Mrs. Macon cleared the kitchen
table and brought pens and ink. Oliver
wrote swiftly, comparing his notes
with the doctors remembrance apd
Mrs. Macon's assertions. Finally she
and her husband signed their state
ments, the doctor bis, and then Oliver
looked at the clock. How hard that
writing had been to him no one ever
knew. From the closed door camp
the murmur Of wholesome that thrilled
every nerve and set his heart
fast beating. A feeble cry now and
then sounded strangely.-the little life
that had come in this far-of place and
that might mean so much in the fu-
ture Outside, he white-headed chill
dren played in the sunshine. Skye,
liberated from his hideous basket,
which he always regarded with terror
and plaintfve whines, rollicked with
then, glad of his freedom. How ID
fnitely painful to record those facts
before him, apd to think Of her as be
had seen her first, that child woman In
her clinging yellow gown petalled like
flower with its wide ruffie, her glow
ing hair, her beautiful pathetic eyesl
She had gone so far from those days
In bitter experience and suffering.
Was she changed, grown saddened and
| old, care-worn with thoughts calcu-
lating woman, forced to be for the
child's sake? Odd, in his mental pic
ture of her he could find no place for
| the child. He could remember her
with the little Skye terrier and that
| childish manner, but as a woman,
mother, never.
III, friendless, homeless, no wait Of
the streets was ever more desolate
than she when she stepped off the train
| at this barren spot, forced to accept
the charity of strangers. Her dead
could he have known. His every
| thought, his sister said, had been for
little Minny. Well it is the dead do
not know.
HHow fortunate you were on that
train!" Oliver said, suddenly.
DR.. John started. me? Yes, it
was, and that should have found our
little runaway. own up looked for
| her all the time was away"
The door opened and Miss Patten
came softly in.
''She is asleep, poor dear" she said,
gently. Il guess my eyes is red. ]
was upset, and she don't seem to think
she done any harm in not letting me
know where she was, she was SO des-
4 prit and scared-like."
"When you return to Boston," said
oliver, "have Mrs. Blinn make o state
ment of Mrs. de Restaud's stay in her