The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-01-03

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the wounded from the wreck, Ebe1
Hallet returned to his young friend,
the trainboy.
The lad was still in a swoon, bu
Eben laved the white face with water
brought in his doubled hands from q
nearby pond, and forced swallow
between the boys colorless lips.
These ministrations caused him tc
open his blue eyes wonderingly, and
then close them again with moan OF
pain.
you're all right" said Eben
soothingly. 'Your leg is broken, bu
it will soon heal: Lay perfectly quiet
and trust to me-"
The boy raised his hand; it was the
ore in which he still clutched the ap.
pie.
I. At sight of it he smiled feebly.
81 remember now," he whispered,
family. eve were talking about the
sheepfolds. What happened?"
"lrain jumped the track, answere /
E5en.
And he would have explained all
about the wreck had not a couple OF
farmers come forward with stretcher
% carry the wounded boy to one Of
the wagons.
''Lord bless us!" said the foremost
man. ''It's Gale Givens's little Billy. ;"
''Hullo, Mr.. Stetson'' said the boy.
tTake me home to mother"
Then turning to Eben he asked:
won't you come with me, sir? You
shall have all the sheepfolds you can
eat.
"Reckon 1 WILL" answered Eben,
srimly.
And he took seat in the wagon be-
side the wounded boy.
The farmer drove slowly, and not 8
word was spoken during the journey.
Eben Hallet, busy with his
thoughts. saw only sweet-faced girl,
who laughingly caught the rosy
checked apples he tossed down to her
from the spreading branches of great
tree that overhung a sheepfold on that
rugged New England farm he had left
so many years before.
''She married Gale Givens," he
unused; "but I thought they were
still in Naumkeag. But then I haven't
heard from there since Belinda Will
lzins wrote me that An-she was going
10 get married. And this is her boy.
Well, we'll, time brings about strange
things. 1 wonder if she'll know me,
and what she'll say, and whether"
His meditations were broken in up
on by the stopping of the wagon.
He glanced up quickly. They were
opposite comfortable looking farm
house that stood back short distance
rom the road.
Here we be-" said the farmer.
::Anl there comes Miss Annie
E5en's heart gavea bound as he saw
coming toward him sweet-faced
woman-the Annie OF other days ma
tured.
::What is it, Mr.. Stetson ?"she asked.
And the tones OF her voice caused q
thrill to shoot through Eben Hallet's
body.
Before the former could answer, he
stepped forward and raised his hat.
"There is no cause for alarm,
madam" he said. "Your little son
William, 1 think he is called-has
met
He stopped short, for another noise
broke in upon him, and another wo-
man, with Armies features, but older
and more careworn, bounded down
the garden path toward them.
"Mv boy-my Willie!" she cried,
and would have leeped into the wagon,
had Eben not interposedand restrained
her.
Briefly he explained about the acct
dent aud Quoted the fears Of the two
women.
Both ran back to the house to pre-
pare bed for the wounded boy. and
ilben assisted Farmer Stetson to carry
the lad in.
"She don't recognize me-" he
thought.
But after Willie had been undressed
and placed in bed, and he was about
to take his departure with few civil
words OF sympathy, the boy spoke up.
aunt ANNIE" he said, "this gen.
tleman was very kind to me. He was
about buying some of the sheepfolds
when the train jumped the track.
1t 1nust have been the picture of
long ago that that name conjured up
which caused Eben Hallet to start
I I. T.. l.
The wounded lads aunt glanced at
him sharply and then uttered a low
cry.
"Eben Hallet - she gasped. ''You?'
She held out her hands, and there
was something i'll the expression o.
her face that caused the Texan to seize
them in firm grasp and lead bel
from the room.
1t was under an apple tree similar
to the one on the old Massachusetts,
farm-in fact, it had been grafted
18th a scion from the parent stem
that the two halted.
What they said to each other doe:
not interest the reader.
A great mistake had been made year,
| before because of the idle and mallc
ious gossip of the girl who had writer
Eben that letter from his old home
which had hardened his heart aga1ns
| all women.
'I-I-somehow thought that WI
should meet again, Eben!" said Anni'
! Davis, when, holding her in his strong
arms, he told her OF the love that ever