The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-12-27
HER SONS RETURN.


he will come" And the girl turned her
drawn aud anxious young faco toward the
cottage door, just az If her blind mother
could SEQ the action.
1t Is probable that tbeold woman OWNED
the longing glance from the change In the
ward the door.
1t was no new thing-thls waiting for
the scapcgrace son. The girl had grown
up to it, for she would not know her
brother should she meet him In the street.
Since sight had left the old mothers eyes
she had fed her heart upon this hope.
He had left them IS years before In fit
of passionate resentment against his IA
Their, whose only fault had been too great
an indulgence for the son Of his old ngo.
His father, having risen by the force of
his own will and the capabilities Of his
own mind from the people to the church,
held, as such men do, that he had only TO
give his son good education to insure his
career in lifa So everything-eyen to tho
old parsons sense Of right md wrong.
WIS sacrificed to the education Of Stephen
Leach ut public school and university.
youths whose futures wore insured, and
who were only passing through the formula
of an education 50 that no one could say
that they were unfit for tho snug govern
ment appointments, living, or Inheritance
of more substantial sort that might DO
waiting for them.
Not having been university man him
self, the rector did not know that at Ok
ford or Cambridge AS in the army, one
niay live according to ones taste. Stephen
Leach had expensive tastes, and he I'M
scrupulously traded on his fathers igno-
rance.
At last the reGtor's eyes were opened,
and when narrow minded man eyes are
once opened he usually becomes stony at
the heart.
Stephen Leach left England, and before
he landed in America his father had de-
parted ON u longer journey. The meier do
well had the good grace to send back the
little sums of money saved by his mother in
her wdowhood and gradually his letters
ceased 1t was known that he was In
Chile md there was war going on there,
and yet the good old lady D faith mover way
cred.
"Ho will come, Joyce. Ho will surely
como"
And the girl would go to the window
and draw aside the curtain, looking down
the quiet country road toward the village.
Eyes, mother, ho will come" was her
usual answer, and ono day she gEve little
exclamation of Surprise and almost OF fear.
Mother, she !. s4 ! med, There lie some
hn ,lI lv Cl- =, oil ~,
bed, staring with her sightless orbs toward
the window.
Thus they waited. The man stopped op-
poste the cottage, and the two women
heard the latch of tho gate. Then Joyce,
turning, saw her mother had tainted. But
1t was only nomentary BY the time she
reached the bed her mother had recovered
consciousness.
Down stairs on tho doorstep the girl
found II tail man of 80 or thereabout with
brawner face than English suns could
account for 1Io looked down into her
eager eyes with u strange. questioning
wonder.
Am I too latc?" no asked In u voice
which almost seemed to indicate hope
that it m.ght be So
mo, stephen she answered. "But
mother cannot live much longer. You arc
just in time.
! Tho young man made u hesitating little
movement with his right hand and shltl1ed
uucnsily on the clean stone step. The re-
turn Of this prodigal was not dramatic
success. No ono seemed DESTROYS Of learn
ing whether he had lived upon husks or
otherwise and with whom he had eaten
The quiet dignity of the girl, who had re-
NAMED behind to do all the work and bear
all tho burden, seemed in some subtle
manner to deprive him Of any romance
that might have attached itself to him.
Stephen Leach followed silently. He
was rather large for the house, and especial
ly for the stairs Moreover, he had GER
tain burliness of walk, such as is acquired
by men living constantly In the open
When he followed tho girl across the
threshold of their mothers bedroom, the
old lady was sitting up in bed, holding out
trembling arms toward the door.
Hero Stephen Leach seemed to know bet
| ter what to do He hold his mother In his
arms while she sobbol and murmured out
| her Joy.
Joyce" was the first distinct word the
old lady spoke. "Joyce, he has come at
last He has come! Come hero. dear
Kiss your brother This is my flrstborn,
! my little Steve"
Tie young man had sunk upon his knees
at tho bedside, probably because 1t was the
most convenient position. He did not Sec
ond his mothers proposal with much en-
| thuslasm. Altogether he did not seem to
have discovered much sympathy with the
sister whom he had left in her cradle
Joyce came forward md leaned over the
bed to kiss her brother, while the old lady 8
hands Joined theirs
Joyce" continued the old lady fever
ishly, Il am not afraid to die now, for
Stephen Is here. Your brother will take
care Of you, dear, when | am gone"
1t was strange that Stephen had not
spoken yot. and it was perhaps Just rs