Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1899-04-06
AFTER MANY DAYS.

Poor little girl. She was tired. SO
tired, as she took her way to her work
that crisp winter morning.
The wind blew fresh from OF the
lake, the sun shone brilliantly in a
cloudless sky. and the shops were gay
with beautiful things to tempt the
money from full purses, and the shop
pers were already beginning to throng
the streets.
Two years ago-swo short years to
the happy, but lagking on leaden feet
to the burdened heart-Alice Clayton
had been the petted idol of her father.
Left motherless while yet baby. there
was no desire which wealth could not
crafty left unsatis,Ied
The petite. slender form, with deep
violet eyes, and th-t "woman's crown
of glory" wealth Of wonderful golden
hair, at 10 she was one of the reigning
bellies in the city OF her birth. and
more than one man had laid his heart
at her feet: but net one among them
all had stirred her pulses till John
Areher's dark eyea looked into hers.
the look man gives to but one wom-
an on earth.
But John Archer Aesitated to ask her
to pledge herself to him till fortune
should smile on him more sweetly; SO
there had been no word spoken of love
between them. when youag Archer was
called to South America on a long
business trip which promised great
pecuniary returns.
month after his departure the sad
old story. SO often told, was again re-
peated. One day there was a panic in
the stock market, and Richard Clayton
went at night to his magnificent home
a ruined man.
The next morning a servant knocked
at his room in vain, and when at last,
the frightened man opened the door,
the form lying across the bed was life
less. The physician pronounced it
apoplexy, but pain and grief are swift
destroyers.
Alice bent like a lily beneath the
blow, but fower-like, rose again, and
after a little, bravely took her way to
the big city, where amid new scenes,
she might forget the averted glances
and cold words of her former friends.
As speedily as she could I'll herself for
it. she obtained employ ment = tyre
writer with Fhrm Of attbrneys and
counsellors-at-law, and her new life
had gone monotonouslyt on from
month to month.
The confinement was irksome to the
girl. who had never in her previous
life known a more laborious task than
answering a half-dozen notes of
morning. and. though her employees
gave her as much kindness and con-
Liberation as could be expected. of pre-
occupied business ,aen. her grief over
the loss OF her fs Ger and her home,
added to the wre.cked sense of loneli-
ness in the great city. was fast paling
her cheeks and dra wing dark circles
under the sad blue ives.
And to-day was the second anniver-
sary OF that father death. All the
crowded sorrow OF the interval be-
tween rose befor. the girls mental
vision. and she pulled the veil down
over her face to conceal the traces of
her tears.
AT last she reached the tall building.
the scene of her daily work, and enter
ed the elevator with her usual pleas
ant morning greeting to the attendant.
On the third floor they stopped to ad-
nit tall. dark, distinguished looking
man.
A little sound, half sob. half gasp,
drew his attention TO the slight, girlish
figure of the other occupant
The next door reached she rose to
leave. but staggered. and must have
fallen had not the stranger caught her
swaying form in his arms.
she is Miss Clayton" said the
frightened elevator boy, she works on
this floor in No. e.
Pushing up the sitting veil, John
Archibald, for it was he, looked into
the face of the girl of whom for months
he had vainly en5eavored to obtain
some trace.
He bore her quickly into the law Of
flee. few explanatory words to her
surprised and sympathetic employers,
and doctor was telephoHed for. Be
fore the physician reached his patient
the blue eyes opened. and the white
lips murmured:
oh. John. l have been SO lonely, so
lonely" and the strong man, bending
low whispered: You shall never be
alone again.
As the reunited lovers passed down
to the carriage which was summoned
to carry Alice TO her humble room.
which had been TO her for so many
months all she could call home. the
senior partner of the law firm dryly
remarked 70 his associate: Il suspect
We have lost our typewriter, and that
young man has gsined a wife ''-Bos-