La Junta tribune., 1898-12-03

/
him. and when he turned to look for
her she was standing near the lamp.
gazing with fixed eyes and parted lips
on something which she held close TO
the light.
Richard, Richard. look here." she
exclaimed eacitedly.
Richard looked II was the little
daguerreotype he had picked mp in the
mans room and slipped into his pocket
almost without looking at It.
| "Oh. that's only likeness of some
body that found In his room as We
were leaving. and thought had better
take with me Put 1t on the mantle
piece he may want to have it again"
But, Richard do you mean to say
that you don't recognize it7 Why.
good heavens don't you see it's a like
ness OF mothcr7"
"Of your mother7" he exclaimed.
snatching 1t from her aand. He held II
close to the lamp. and had to turn It at
several different angles before he could
catch the faded tlnts on the shining
silver plate from which they seemed
obliterated and when he did SO he
could not repress u loud exclamation OF
astonIshment.
! 1T Is she, sure enough, No one
could ever forget those long curls.
And I've seen her in just such bonnet
all round her face--lm sure a hun
dred times, How extraordinary! How
I on earth can he have come to have IT,"
why. Richard. how can you be so
stupid? don't you see It's Jack! our
/ lost Jack. whom we have believed dead
so many years! oh. Jack, Jack. Is this
the way We find you again? Poor, poor
/ fellow. what miseries you must have
passed through, But we will try and
make II better for you now. Open
your eyes, dear Jacki 1t Is I. your lit
tie Molly. and we shall be so happy to-
] gether again. Oh Richard make him
come to; do your best now II you never
! did before"
She was down on her knees beside
him. trying to raise his head on her
breast, chatting his hands and covering
I his unconscious face with kisses.
See the air is reviving him already"
J said Richard Now, Mary. control
yourself: don't speak to him till tell
l you: have something to say to him
first. Put out the lamp and sit down In
that chair. away from the window.
| Come now turning to the patient.
who had just opened his eyes with two
or three deep sighs. sit up, Sergeant
Wentworth"
yes. Colonel" cried The sergeant.
raising himself mechanically. and lift
ing his hand In a military salute. Sud
denly his dazed eye cleared and he
looked round with keen. suspicious
glance. Why, RS the doctor, How
do YOU know my mean" he stam-
mered, suddenly conscious of having
committed himself, my names In
gram. not Wentworth"
Come. come, Jack Wentworth, don't
turn away your best friends. / know
all about you, and here is your little
sister Molly. just waiting TO spring
into your arms Don't tell her you
don't remember her: she has been talk
ing abou, you ever since we were mar
rled, and even after she had boy of
her own. whom she would insist on
naming after you"
"Oh. Jack, jack" cried Mary, run
ming into his embrace: how do YOU
! tnlnk ! EOuIt 'N'i 1oIsNN Don
tell me you have forgotten me, Oh.
Jack! what dreadful times you mus,
have had. But we'll make you forget
all your sorrows now
Molly. Molly. 1t is really your"
I cried the hardened soldier. actually
bursting into tears. Forget you, my
little pet? Why. you were the one
memory that KEEP. me from blowing
ou, my brains 4 dozen times, And the
one thing that made me save my plum
der and scrape and starve in the midst
/ OF plenty-for am rich, Molly. though
| I don't look twas the hope OF being
able to find you one day and share my
winnings with you. When made my
way home to the old place in York.
shire and found all the family were
| gone, and the only thing l could hear
Of you was that you had married a doc
| tor and were living no one could tell
| me where, l just started OF in search
| of you. and for three weary years I
/ have tramped nearly every road in
England looking for you. It's not like
| ly that I'm going to say now don't
remember you. my little Molly
He turned to Richard with out
stretched hand. II hope you'll forgive
me for what said Just now. You have
treated me with the greatest kindness
ever received from any one. and re-
| paid you with insult. Blu; was really
| not sane where that belt was con-
cerned. You were quite right about
1t. l got the jewels at Burmah: Lord,
what do 1t was! will tell you the
story one o. these days. l don't know
yet myself what they are worth. but It
is something fabulous. The possession
Of them made a regular miser of me,
but I was thinking OF Molly all the
time. Now I have found her. and the
half OF them are hers. and as for the
l .a.s xor ca, nut ..x, ...t4i -