The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-12-19

this man had been away from home, and
during his absence his parents had died,
while he was riding wild ponies in Texas or
digging gold in Colorado, or gambling it
away in Kansas City faster than he had
gathered it.
As the train sped eastward over the level
lands of Illinois and Indiana, through the
rich farm lands of Ohio, and then amid the
wooded hills and streams of his own native
Pennsylvania-farer than them all-bis
mind travelled backward from the present
Richard Jennings, successful broker and re-
spectacle member of the St Louis Mer
chants Exchange, 10 the dissipated days of
his fresh young manhood, when his wild life
had separated him forever from one he could
never forget.
As the train approached Philadelphia and
lie looked out of the window at the numer-
Gus domes and spires and cupolas he reflected
how time, which had wrought such a differ
ence in the appearance of the city, must have
changed the sweet girl of IS, from whom his
own misdeeds had sundered him.
They had been sweethearts from child
hood. But old Ezra Kent, her father, was
stern man, and when stories got abroad about
the dissipated set of which Richard soon be-
came the leader, and when one day he came
home from his counting-house and found
Richard" Dick" everybody called him
then-intoxicated, he said it was the last
time Eleanor should receive him. She was
a dutiful girl. 1t wounded her life, but she
obeyed. The Kents came OF stern stuff, and
beneath Eleanor's gentle womanliness lay
heroic strength
After that Richard Jennings's intoxicated
habits became n public scandal, and when
his sister married Will McCray, a promising
young lawyer, Eleanor was maid OF honor,)
he disappeared from home.
Now he was returning very different
man, and regretful that he had staid away
so long. 1t was such short Journey from
the Mississippi to the Schuylkill he wonder
ed that he had not before summoned enough
courage to return. Seventeen years.
For the Doth time he drew forth letter
and read it with the same absorbed interest
as if for the first time:
DEAR DICK: VIII met Mr.. Coles last week. He
had just come from 81. Louis. and said he met you
there. You naughty boyl Why have you never
written or come home TO see us? We want you TO
spend Christmas with All the children are
crazy 10 see YOU There are five now. The baby,
beautiful girl, is 20 months old and has two teeth
The children often talk about Uncle Dick. Flea
nor has told them so many Tom Brown at Rugby
sort OF stories about you when you were al the
university. Mr.. Kent failed fouf years ago and
died last March. Eleanor and her mother still live
in the old house. They are very poor. Eleanor
teaches music and sings at 81. Brides. Mrs. Kent
looks very Old but she sews beautifully and makes
the prettiest things for the baby Do come and
spend onrislmas win u.s. The ehileren are dying
Ever your loving sister, MARY McCRAY
r. S.-The chidrens' names are Mary, Alex
he's named after father, of course-Sam, Dick
after and Eleanor. The baby. She's a little
angel!
X X
The street where Richard Jennings's home
was, where he was born, and where his
married sister lived, had once been fashion