The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-05-31
A
SHORT
STORY

4
coins which were scattered over the
floor. Best she should not see them"
/ he said to himself as he returned them
to the pouch and fastened the belt Sc
| curely round the patients waist.
Come in, Mary" in answer to another
knock. "Ah! you have the brandy
Stop! not that way" as she was put
ting wine-glass to his lips; she won't
be able to swallow. Just hand me my
hypodermic case; you'll find it in my
coat-pocket, hanging at the back of the
door"
With practiced quickness he prepared
the syringe and injected a few drops
into his patients arm. To his sur
prise Mary was not at his side to help
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 excitedly.
Richard looked 1t was the little
daguerreotype he had picked up in the
mans room and slipped into his pocket
almost without looking at it.
"Oh, that's only a likeness of some
body that | found in his room as we
| were leaving. and thought had better
take with me. Put it on the mantle
piece; he may want to have it again."
But, Richard, do you mean to say
that you don't recognize it? Why,
good heavens! don't you see it's a like
ness of mother?"
"Of your mother?" he exclaimed,
Snatching it from her hand. He held it
close to the lamp, and had to turn it at
several different angles before he could
catch the faded tints on the shining
silver plate from which they seemed
oblterated, and when he did so he
could not repress loud exclamation of
establishment.
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-I'm sure a hun
| dred times! How extraordinary! How
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 it better for you now. Open
&.
tie Molly, and we shall be so happy to-
yether again. Oh, Richard, make him
come to; do your best now if you never
did before"
She was down on her knees beside
| MIN, trying to raise his head on her
breast, chatting his hands and covering
his unconscious face with kisses.
"See the air is reviving him already"
| said Richard. Now. Mary, control
| yourself; don't speak to him till tell
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 signs. "Sit up, Sergeant
| Wentworth"
Eyes, Colonel!" cried the sergeant,
raising himself mechanically, and lift
| ing his hand in military salute. Sud-
| denly his daZed eye cleared and he
| looked round with keen, suspicious
| glance. "Why, it's the. doctor! How
| do you know my / mean," he STAN
| mered, suddenly conscious of having
committed himself, "my names In
| gram, not Wentworth"
Come, come, Jack Wentworth, don't
turn away your best friends. l 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 about you ever since we were mar
ried, 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
| think could ever forget you? Don't
tell me you have forgotten me! Oh,
4 Jack! what dreadful times you m st
have had! But We'll make you fors /
| all your sorrows now"
molly, Molly. it is really your"
| cried the hardened soldier, actually
bursting into tears. Forget you, my
| little pet? Why, you were the one
memory that kept me from blowing
out my brains 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
| don't look twas the hope of being
able to find you one day and share my
winnings with you. When made my