The age-herald., 1900-02-18

ber ,s 1914 Harry Weir and I (John Oruns- by) were seatedu in the smozinfi room of a big ocean liner en route from Liverpool to New York-HaTry to enter ate employ of a firm of stockholders, of which his elder brother, Mars5ton, was one, and l to join some friends and travel in the west
 Weir was as healtny hearty, handsome specimen of a young Englishman as any one need wish to see. He had been my friend from boyhood, and though found him irritaing at times, because of his total want of imagination and fancy, l believe his companionship was good and healthful fer me, who have rather a suDerabundance of both qualities. He had been talking to me of his mother, to whom he was pas sionately attached, and l. felt my own eyes moisten alt the slight tremble in his voice as he said tenderly:
 "The dear, dear mother What a wrench it was to say good-by to her! Her face keeps Ina uniting me as Ut looked that last morning at Weir'hurst."
 I made some commonplace and would-be comforting remark about his running over to England the following summer to see her. He smiled a little sadly and said in his practical way:
 "Oh, that's qufte out of the question: No, shall not see her for many a long day I can't fool myself about that You know, Jack, don't think there every was a mother more devoted to her sons than ours. She always made companions of us, so that even in our sports we felt she was one of us. She's the best horsewoman in all the county. And dance-why, Jack, I don't know a girl anywhere who dances better, though she is over 50. How on earth do you suppose sin emanages to keep looking and feeling so young?"
 Good health and her love for her sons, l fancy" said l, knocking the ashes off my cigar. "She certainly is a remarkable woman
 Isn't she!" exclaimed Weir eagerly q can't for the life of mee SOW I'm going to get on without her. The fact is Jack Fun beastly homesick tonight I must brace up, or I'll make a fool of myself. Come, let's get Brown and Jackson and have a game of whist"
 I readily assented, and a quarter of an hour later found us in the card room with two steamer acquaintances deeply inn mersed in whist. We were all good play CTS and well matched, but Weir and I were soon several points ahead. I watched his face narrowly, and seeing its look of absolute concentration felt glad, for it was qui.e certain that home and 'Nthe mother, subjects upon which he had been dwelling necessarily and some what morbidly all day, were for the time being driven from hsi mind.
 He had mechanically put out his hand to sweep in trick, when the movement was suddenly arrested. The look of concentra- tioh upon his face gave place to one of ut ter surprise. He half rose, dropped back into his chair again, brushed his hand across his eyes, and then sat as if looking at some one who stood beside him.
 We were all too much asitonished to speak, and keut our eyes fastened upon his face, which betrayed in quick succession joy, wonder, grief, awe. Somewhere clock struck eleven. I counted the strokes mechanically. Weir turned, threw down his cards, and saying, with strange catch In his voice, "Gentdemen, you must ex- cuse me-" rose and left the table.
 "Is he il1?" the other men asked as pushed back my chair and prepared to fol- low him.
 'He must be- I replied. But when knocked at Weir's state-room door he said in a voice thick with emo tion:
 Mot now, Jack I can't see you now Don't worry! l am not ill. Leave me alone'-
 Weir's manner was so entirely foreign to his usually healthy, happy self that I felt alarmed about him, but as Brown and Jackson we're but casual acquaintances made light of the ma atter as possible merely saying that my friend has been safd- denly seized with headache and wanted to be quiet for a while.
 Next morning Weir came to breakfast looking like ghost. He confessed that he had slept all. To my question, urged again and again, as to what ailed him, he at last replied: saesg 1e~
 q can't talk about it now. Jack I've had had news from home" F
 "Bmt., my dear felFow,' exclaimed, "there's possible way for you to re- ceive news from nome. good or bad!'' f"Don't9' he implored.s Some time I will tell you, but not now-not now"
 Was my friends mind unbalanced? cooked at him furtively( but beyond look of great sadness and weariness there was nothing unusual in his appearance
 On the following day we sailed up the Narrows and into New York bay. The steamer was off Quarantine and Weir and I were standing at the rail watching the doctors boat as it came panting nd puff ing toward us.
 Why, there's Marston! I cried as the tug drew nearer. How good of him to come and meet us here"'
 "Yes, I see him. He and the health off, cer are friends responded Harry, duly fixing his eyes on his brother, who stood near the gunwale of the tug, anxiously scrutiniZ.ng the crowds on the steamer S deck. As he caught sight of us he raised his hat and smiled. few moments latter the tug was alongside, and Mars'ton Weir and the doctor had stepped on board. Harry was strangely overcome at meetng his brother. and the latter patted him af- fech.onately on the shoulder, saying: "Brace up, old boy, brace u!' Presently we three went down into I Harry's stateroom, and Marston insisted | that his brother should have something l to drink. Your nerves are shaky, Hal,' he said L. "I know, I know." replied Harry. tossing of some whisky.