The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-07-10

her mother are now living"
They left the house together-one to go To
Sydney's lodgings, the other on his way to
Mr.. Sarrazin's Office.
CHAPTER LIy.
When the servant at the lodgings an
nounced a visitor and mentioned his name,
Sydney's memory (nstead of dwelling on
the recollection of the captains kindness)
peryersely recalled the letter that she had
addressed to him, and reminded her that
she stood in need of indulgence, which even
80 good a man might hesitate to grant. BEN
nydeck's first words told the friendless girl
that her fears had wronged him.
MY dear, how like YOU father you aret
You have his eyes and his smile; l can't tell
you how pleasantly you remind me of my
dear old friend" He took her hand and
kissed her as he might have kissed a daugh-
ter of his own. do you remember me at
home, Sydney, when you were a child? No;
you must have been too young for that"
She was deeply touched. In faint, trem-
bling tones she said: 81 remember your
name; my poor father often spoke OF YOU"
A man OF true sympathy is never in dam
ger of mistaking his way to a woman's heart,
when that woman has suffered. Bennydeck
consoled, interested, charmed Sydney, by
still speaking of the bygone days at home.
Il well remember how fond your father
was of you, and what a bright little girl you
were," the captain went on. You have
forgotten, ] dare say, the old-fashioned sea-
songs that he used to BIO so fond of teaching
you. 1t was the strangest and prettiest con-
tlast to hear your small, piping ctlld's voice
singing of storms and shipwrecks, and
thunder and lightning, and reefing sails in
cold and darkness, without the least idea Of
what it all meant. Your mother was strict
in those days; you never amused her as you
used to amuse your father and me. When
she caught you searching my pockets for
sweetmeats, she accused me of destroying
your digestion before you were 5 years old.
/ went on spelling it, for all that. Tx last
time l saw you, my child, your father was
singing The Mariners of England and you
were on his knee trying to sing with him.
You must have often wondered why you
never saw anything more of me. Did you
think l had forgotten your"
~ am quite sure l never thought that!'
You see l was in the navy yard at the
time" the captain resumed; 'and we were
ordered away to a foreign station. When l
got back to England miserable news was
waiting for me. 1 heard Of your fathers
death and of that shameful trial. Poor fell
low! He was as innocent, Sydney, as you
are Of the offense which he was accused Of
committing. The first thing L did was to set
Inquiries on foot after your mother and her
children. 1t was some consolation to me to
feel that was rich enough to make your
life easy and agreeable to you. l thought
money could do anything. A serious mis-
take my dear-money couldn't find the
widow and her children. We supposed you
were somewhere in London: and there, to
my great grief, it ended. From time to time
long afterward, when we thought we had
got the clew in our own hands-I continued
my inquiries, still without success. A poor
woman and her little family are so easily
ingulfed in the big city! Years passed (more
of them than | like to reckon up) before I
heard of you at least by name. The person
from whom l got my information told me
how you were employed and where"
'Oh. Capt. Bennydeck, who could the per-
son have been9s
"a poor old broken-down actor, Sydney.
You were his favorite pupil. Do you re-
member him?"
II should be ungrateful, indeed, if I could
forget him. He was the only person in the
school who was kind to me. Is the good
old han still llving?%
NO; he rests at last. l am glad to say j
was able to make his last days ON earth the
happiest days of his life"
Il wonder" Sydney confessed, show you
met with him."
There WAS nothing at all romantic in my
first discovery of him. l was reading the
police reports in a newspaper. The poor
wretch was brought before u magistrate,
charged with breaking a window. His one
last chance Of escaping starvation in the
streets was to get sent to prison. The magis-
trate questioned him and brought to light a
really heart-breaking account of misfortune,
embittered by neglect on the part of people
In authority who were bound to help him.
He was renlanded, so that inquiries might
be made. l attended the court on the day
when he appeared there again and heard his
statement confirmed. l paid his fine and
contrivcd to put hin in a way Of earning a
little money. He was very grateful and
! came now and then to thank me. In that
way | heard how his troubles had begun.
He had asked for a small advance on the
| wretched wages that he received. Can YOU
guess how the schoolmistress answered
him?'
81 know but too well how she answered
him." Sydney said; II was turned out of the
house, too"
"And l heard of it." the captain replied
''from the woman herself. Everything tina
could distress me she was ready to mention
She told me OF your mothers second mar
riagc, of her miserable death, of the poor
boy, your brother, missing, and never heard
| 80 .,,,,n ~. Dat, vl,nr 7 ,ct,ol ,-l,an. ,,~,, l,rl
gone she had nothing more to say. She
knew nothing, and cared nothing, about
you. II 1 had not become acquainted with
Mr.. Randall Linley / might never have heard
Of you again. We will say no more of that,
in the past time. From to-day, my dear, we
life. Have you any plans of your own for
the future?"
perhaps, IL could find help Sydney
said, ,esignedly. 81 might emlgrate. Pride
wouldn't stand in my way; no honest enl.
ployment would be beneath my notice. BE.
sides, II l went TO America, I might meet
with my brother"
MY dear child, after the time that hos
passed, there Is no imaginable chance OF
youF meeting With your brother-and you
wouldn't know each other again if you die
meet. Give up that vain hope and stay here
with me. Be useful and be happy Ill YOU
own country"
"Useful" Sydney repeated. sadly. "Youl
own kind heart, Capt. Bennydeck, is deceiv
ing you. To be useful means, I suppose, tt
help Others. Who viii accept help from
meP"
II will, for one" the captain answered.
"You%'
Eyes. You can be Of the greatest use tt
you shall hear now"
He told her of the founding of his home
and of the good it had done. ''You are The
very person." he resumed, ITO be the goot
sister-friend that / want FOR my poor girls
you can say for them what they cannot al
ways say TO me for themselves"
The tears rose in Sydney's eyes. ut L
hard to see such a prospect as that" sh'
said, sand to give it up as soon as It'll seen.'
why give it upP'
tBecause l am not fit for it, You are a
good as a father to those lost daughters o
yours. Ii you give tiam a sister-friend, sh'
ought to have set them q good example
HayeI done that9 Will they listen to a cir
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