Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-11-26

pitied.
"Why DO you look at me in that
way?" be demanded, harshly.
"Because l am sorry for you," she
said, sweetly. "You are old and
sad and all alone. Where are your
children?n
Il nave none," he answered, and
wondered at the same time why be
did so.
s'None Have you no little girl
to sit on your knee and call you
papa? I'm sure pity you very
much"
"Humph p
'But | do! Indeed | do! 1t must
be dreadful not to love anybody.
Did you ever have anybody to love
you ?"
A spasm Of pain shot athwart the
rigid face of Richard Steele, and his
tall frame quivered, it might be with
agony or anger, one could not decide
from his words. He pushed the
child away.
'sNot another word l will not
listen! Good heavens ! that lips
like those should ask me that ques-
ton I"
"Pardon mel didn't mean to
hurt your feelings. You loved
somebody, and heaven took her
away. Was it your sister,"
Alb, yes and memory few back
to that gentle, fair haired child who
had chung with soft arms to his neck
and kissed with warm lips his cheek.
His little sister May! How well he
remembered her, as she looked the
last time he saw her face, lying cold
and calm, like marble in the shadow
OF coffin. Yes, he remembered
May, and his eyes grew moist with
something like tear, but it was q
strange visitant and he dashed it
away. Yet that tear was not given
TO May she had been for years safe
in heaven; it was given to another,
whose blue eyes seemed to be look
ing at him out of the orbs of the lit
tie girl before him. He bent down
over her and scanned her features
closely. Then he asked:
"My child, what is your name?'
"Violet Gray"
The man smothered o cry of sur
prise, and Els face grew strangely
pale even in the ruddy light of sun
set. 1t must have been strange
emotion indeed which could thus stir
the hard heart of Richard Steele.
Presently he said /:
sand what was your mothers
name before she married 2"
"Violet Dale"
sand is she desd ?"
He spoke the words in deep
whisper, as though fearing to utter
them.
"She is with the angela
A silence fell upon the group,
broken only by the suppressed sobs
of the girl, and the heavy breathing
of the man.
When he again addressed her, his
voice had taken q scftness which
none in Milford had ever heard in
its measured cadence.
"And this boy is your brother?"
Eyes, my Brother Richard"
Orchard For whom was be
named thus ?"
Nj. Steele asked the question
breathleasly, with an earcestness
very strange and foreign to his stony
nature.
"For schoolmate of my mothers"
"And this schoolmate' g surname
do you remember it?"
sit was Richard Steele, sir.'
How the cold face lighted up, and
the stern mouth grew almost tender
as this proof OF the power of the old
love was given him.
"Did Violet-did your mother
ever mention this Richard Steele to
your"
The boy came forward and replied:
ellis name was the last on herlips
when sho died and, two days before
she left US, she gave ms letter
which l was TO put into his own
hand; and we are searching for him,
my sister and /, and when we have
found him, we are going to live with
a cousin of my fathers, in Ports
mouth"
"You need look no farther for
Richard Steele, my boy; he is before
you Come into the house, and give
me the letter.
The children followed him into
the great parlor, and calling his as
tonished housekeeper, he babe her
prepare them some refreshments ;
then, receiving the packet from the
boy, he went up stairs to his cham
Der, closed and locked the door, and
sat down in the arm chair by the
window. He held the letter some
time in bis hand, gazing intently on
the superscription, which he could
scarcely discern for the mist that
dimmed his eyes. At length he
kissed the writing and gently broke
the seal. which the fingers of the