The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-07-21

WI HE
while he watched the coming
Eyn OF those fakes so long strangers
Islim-
was once more In old England.
a19coming to his own place a wealthy
nf1n, which he had left three wears
before along with his friend and school
mate, and only five pounds between
them over and above their MASSAGE
money. They had gone to Australia
and taken to gold digging, and after
two and a half years OF colonial hard
lines and vicissitudes they had at last
found fortune in a l~uckyNclaim. But
with the strange irony Of fate, the
hole which had enriched item had
proved the death and graveNsf Door
Tom, leaving Jack as his legasee tn
carry home the riches they had
worked so hard for and do justice to his
memory. N
They had both made their wills when
the claim showed signs of yielding a
return, and after his friends death
Jack had scted like the honest fellow
he was and divided their joint fortune
equally, twenty thousand pounds
for himself, and twenty thousand in
two parta one half to go to the sweet
heart who was left di~sconsolate. and
the rest to the father matbar -
would see their son no his srao
of the grave.
Honest Jack Bridges had a hard task
before him on this early winter after
noon, for be had to recount how he
left his dead friend far away from civ
ilizatiot. with the trouble they had to
get there together, and the terrible
hard4hips he hal endured in the get
ting away from shatdesolate and fatal
claim, and doubtless he was thinking
spon this as he regarded the bleak
sky. with fixed stern, gray eyes, while
he kept chewing at the ends of his mus
tache.
At last the dog-cart drove up to his
boyhood's home, and his fond parents
were blest with the sight Of their long
absent son, now a tall, handsome, sun
tanned man, albeit the sufierings he
had endured had left their traces, for
he had a bad cough, and croucbed to-
gether as he got as near to the blazing
fire as he could. His face looked
pinched and esreworn, but he was a
rich man now, and could make himself
and his parents comfortable all their
lives, therefore they trusted that he
would soon lose that nervousness, and
be again the jovial Jack of yore.
He had q duty to perform, sc as soon
as he had answered a few pf his friends
numerous questions, he went off while
supper was getting ready, to see the I
parents and sweetheartof poor Tom.
He told his story simply and manfuliy,
and then left them to digesStheir sor-
row and examine the bank drafts
which he had placed in their haids.z
Ten thousand pounds to poor people,
even with the news of a death, are
mixed tidings of good and evil The
parents wept for. the son they hadSost,
and perhaps did not think much asSut
the legacy which he had left atieSt
not for the first night Nj
With the sweetheart, pretty AMMO
Holmes. 1t was different. Three yearsS
of absence from q girl who had not
been very sure of her own mind which
of the two friends she really liked
best, although as Tom had asked her
first, and she had accepted him, is q
severe test of endurance. Poor Tom
was in his grave, and gone from her
life for ever, while handsome Jack
had come home, handsomer and as
tender and ~lope-struck rs ever indeed,
as he looked al her while he told his
story, she was almost frightened ST
the intensity and hunger of his gfancesf
and went to bed with her heart beatty
ing tumultnousiy.
+ Ten thousand pounds. and jack
| back again. the owner Of, Twenty thou
sand, poor Tom, In that far off, lonely
grave, the dingoes 90 wrangle and
fight over yQar bones, but the girl you
left behind yon has, at the best. only
grateful kind of sadness ovsE your
memory, which is tempefed by The
pleasure Of your gilt 5pdtt the 10Y that
the presence Of you. Pend hassxoks'
Within hsus