The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-09-02

son. lie was standing by the mantel-
board, evidently waiting for his caller,
and he did not stay for Jack to remove
the covering, but hastily took it away
himself to see how faithfully his in
structions had been carried out. He
took the canvas in his hands, and, evil
IDENTITY under great emotion, gazed at it
for a moment. Then, with an agonized
cry, he sank into chair, still holding
almost frantically, and cried out:
My wife My wifel My darling
Rosellel"
He saw no one in the room, but,
with tears rolling down his cheeks,
seemed to speak within himself. "Just
as you were, Roselle. Just the same
as when we first met. Those eyes are
yours. Your smile is just as it used to
be for me. Don't look at me, darling
Roselle. Don't smile just now. Oh,
why were you taken from me? Why
did our child go too? l loved you bet
ter than all the world, but the angels
loved you best" Then he became
himself once again, and, turning to the
young man, said:
"You must not think anything of
this. lost my wife and child at sea.
They were on their way out to me, but
the vessel was never heard of again.
You have put upon that canvas the
face of my wife just as she was. l
thank you with all my heart. 1t is just
as my little daughter would have been
had the sea not claimed her. God bless
you'll God bless you'll" and the broken
hearted man clasped Jacks hand and
pressed it long and fervently.
For the first time the thought flashed
across the young mans mind: Was he
holding the hand of Adde'S father?
He seemed to realize it all and asked
excitedly:
How long is this ago?"
=" Sixteen years." replied James Rob-
ertson quietly.
"Sixteen years-my Addie-sixteen
years''
I" Why do you look like that7 Tell
me, man, tell mel"
Because-oh, it can't be truel-
1 painted that picture from a living
model. The girl whose face you see
there lives. She was found sixteen
years ago, saved from the sea, and y
But Robertson cried out, his whole
frame trembling:
"Great heavensl Where is she?
Take me to her. Let me see if she is
my child. shall know my little Ro-
selle. Don't trife with me, young
man, and, oh, don't disappoint me
now!"
"She is in the house," said Jack.
James Robertson flew from the room.
1t was pitiful to see him.
" Roselle, Roselle, my little Ro-
sellel" he cried. "Come to me.
Where are your I'm looking for
your"
Little Addie sat quietly in the house
keepers room. She heard the name
and bent her head to listen. She
seemed as If in doubt, but smile was
in her anxious look and her childhood's
days seemed with her once more. She
was with her mother, who held her in
her arms and kissed her many times,
calling her" My little Roselle." The
name was on her lips when the man,
half frantic with expectation, reached
the door, still crying out the name by
which her mother called her.
He looked for a moment upon the
girl before him-only moment-and
then, with cry of joy born only in a
fathers heart, took her to himself with
a strong embrace, kissing her passion
ately and weeping as though his heart
would break, yet smile of relief was
there with his tears. And his child
never for moment took her arms
from around his neck, but seemed to
accept the truth, when the man, brought
low with emotion, cried out:
my little Roselle, have found you
at last?'
He took her on his knee, Jack stand
ing quietly by, and then he told her
how, when quite tiny thing, she and
her mother were on their way to join
him in distant country; how they
never came, for the vessel was lost;
how he had lived alone ever since then,
for who could share the love he had for
his wife and child? And then Jack
chimed in with Z" the birthday" story,
and the father, child and lover sat there
many hours, the happy man often look
ing down to say, MY little Roselle,"
and to kiss her once again.
But, father, you will have to call
me Addie-little Addie. 1t is the
name Jack knows and loves me by"
James Robertson understood. Jack
had his reward.-Detroit Journal.
=