Daily camera., 1901-10-09

on tue OutSAlTtS OA Inc tOWu. Ae WSnV
to get the lay Of the land and left the
officers sent with him. At the tavern.
lie found an old-faxhionsd country.
plaae--a big. homelike house sur
rounded with great trees in the midst
Of : farm Of great natural beauty.
rolling meadows and fruitful fields
travsrsed by rippl!ng brook.
In response to the knocker . grin
old woman opened the front door far
enough 10 let the major see that It was
fastened with chain inside, and In re-
sponse to his request to see Miss
Fletcher was told to wait on the porch
and she would see him there. A tho
major stood smiling At the crude At
tempt to thwart the edict OF the law.
and inwardly fuming at the trivial ne
cesity for taking him 30 far from his
snug bachelor apartments. the door
opened and Immediately he heard the
chxin rattle into place again. Turn.
ing. he lifted his hat to the girlish he-
ure In the doorway. 1t was . perfect
type Of budding womanhood, the
major noted briefly. just before his
eyes rested on her face. Then with .
start the hat dropped from his hand
and he grasped the railing for sup
port.
AMY" he gasped. his hand seeking
his brow with = gesture Of bewildsr-
ment. Fer there before hm In the
flesh stood Amy Lester. the swset.
heart Of his boybood. just ~ she had
looked on the day he had left her to
20 to the war. Not . day older, not
. feature changed! And he knew she
had died these ten years ago. Had he
lost his mind? Had paresis overtaken
him in the prime Of life7 He stood
transfxed, with trembling limbs and
staring eyes.
Amy Fletcher, IL you please, sir"
replied the young woman. with some
spirit. And what 10 your business
here. may I ask?"
II mus. beg your pardon" said he,
with courtly grace. you reminded
me so strongly Of an old and very dear
friend"
"You were . friend Of mamma's,
then." inquired the girl Her name
was Amy Lester"
"Yes; she was once . very dean
friend OF mine." replied the major,
gravely.
The girl. who had been standing de.
family. with eyes flashing, softened
visibly.
"Oh. I'm SO glad you came. I'm In
the most dreadful trouble. and they
are trying to take the old place away
from me: but they won't do it. Ill
never let them. I'll die hrss. Grand.
pa told me never to let them do 1t. ssd
that they had no right. and I won't.
Blu. it's 80 hard for . girl who don't
know anything about business or law
or anything to combat all those men.
need . friend. Indeed do. and II you
we're = friend Of mamma's you will be
my friend: l know you will. You will
help me. won't you? You are so big
and strong. And you know all about
these horrid business things; l know
you do. And-and you-you are kind
and honest; l know you are. Tell
.me-tell me what to do"
"Tel me all about H." be said, with
. ,rehor In his voice.
They sa, down on the rustic bench
.ogether-and the majors tall. sol
3ierly figure thrilled ~ Il had not for
20 years. and he could not realize that
IL was not the other woman-the wom-
an Of ~ years sgo-~ho was seated be-
side him. A. she had been so often in
the old days She told him her pa
thetic story-how she had been left
an orphan TO her grandfather's care.
and how he had died year ago in the
mids, of = quarrel with . big land syn.
dicate that sought TO acquire his prop
eriy, and had told her that the nego-
tiAtions had not been closed. although
some papers had passed. He warned
her never TO yield possession OF the
property. Then there had been law.
suits, and aow they were trying to
eject her from the house in which she
was born and to deprive her OF all she
had In the world. Going further into
the matter. the major learned many
things that had puzzled him during the
trial Of the case involving the proper.
~, and discovered how . great injus-
tice had been wrought.
"Do not be afraid" said he. rising sb-
ruptly. "Yoa viii b Asrassed NO
more"
He went straight back TO the city.
and there was an interview with Van.
delmsier-the stormisst, II 10 said.
that ever occurred In the major's old
fashioned back room-and the result
WAS that certain checks bearing the
majors signature passed to Vandel-
meier and the deed to the Fletcher
estate passed to Amy Fletcher.
There was the glow Of long deferred
youth on his face and the agility Of .
boy In his soldierly carriage ~ he
sprang up the steps with the deeds In
his pocket. She did not entertain him
on the veranda this time. and before
the day was over she invited him to en-
JOY . short season on the estate he had
saved for her-she did not know 1t
what cost. He remembered Eastmsn's
sdmonition that. he needed . vacation.
and he decided to spend 1t.
There really Is NO need Of tsllingtAe
rest Of this story. for the major was
in the very prime Of life. despite his
iron-grsy hair. for . life Of modera-
ton and regularity had left him in per-
feet health. and Shk had been drAwn
to hin from hs frst>by> tbstsubtls a.
! traction always felt b. daughters for
thA unsuoce.sftli snitor tor TIE moth
er's hand. AS for the mstos. be never
could realize thatit was not his Amy
OF old TO whom he was paying court.
It might be added that after the we'd
ding the major. greatly 70 the delight
of his partners. jabandonsd the old
fashioned Office and The arm moved
into palatial quarters In The newest
building in the city.
)lI|ef0 = Best Results