The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-12-26

the room where hope you will sleep
comfortably for such time as it seems
best for you to be my guest"
"Well-have it so, you will" muf-
INJURED the other.
The meal-a very simple one-was
eaten in silence. AS it concluded DR..
Deane suggested that a good nights
rest was next to be thought of; but
the guest shook his head.
IL could not Sleep" he said gloomily,
land l would rather sit here by the
fire than lie awake even in a comfort
able bed. Tomorrow-why, tomorrow
will be New Years Day, won't it?' he
added, as if the recollection OF that fact
had just come to him.
ITO be sure it will!'' answered the
doctor. cit is one of my habits-old
time habits, suppose-to see the old
year out and the new year in
"No habit of mine," said the other.
"But l will do it tonight if you will
have my company"
The proposal was not very accept
able. On that night, of all other nights
in the year, Doctor Deane let memory
carry him back to his younger days;
to his hopes, his ambitions, which for
the most part had never reached frui-
tion, to thoughts of the loved and lost.
Yet he could scarcely request the un-
known visitor to leave him.
Gas you will,' he said with slight
hesitation. "Only you will, l am sure,
pardon me if give myself up to think
ing instead of talking. Sometimes the
dead past seems revivifed-it is so
with me on the thirty first of each
December, and l do not resist its
power
The other answered nothing: but
leaned back in his chair, gazing
thoughtfully into the fire.
The little timepiece struck the hour
of ten and of eleven; yet still these
two men sat on in absolute silence,
each apparently absorbed in his own
reflections.
1t must have been within half hour
of midnight when the stranger reused
himself as if from a dream, and. sitting
erect, exclaimed
"DeaEe! John Deane!'
The doctor started violently; it was
so sudden an awakening to the actual
present that his professional compos-
ure deserted him, and his voice shook
as he responded
"What-what is ity'
"This: l can't sit here by your fire.
side and keep silence. | wonder now
whether could not manage to ride
another five or six miles further"
"Better not" said DR.. Deane. "That
sprain needs two or three days of rest.
But even if you could ride off, bearing
the pain, the roads are slippery; you
might be down again, and probably
it being now nearly midnight-with no
one at hand to help you. Why can
you not content yourself here? have
made you welcome
"Yes, and it is more than l can
bear, for l don't deserve it, So I'll
tell you who I am, and you will soon
turn me out and have your revenge"
"Revenge," and the other man spoke
slowly, "is not to be thought of be-
tween those who are alike Gods crea-
lures. Pardon of injuries, where in
juries have been done, pity, patience
that is my notion of duty"
The strange guest looked fixedly at
the doctors face
$50 you are changed by the passing
years, are you? Think back bit.
Did you never vow that you would be
revenged on one who wronged your
"Yes-once and only once, if my
memory is true. If there could be any
excuse it would be that l was a very
young man, and hasty of temper, as
the young often are. That vow Of
mine has been repented of long since.
l would like nothing better than to
clasp the hand of him who injured me,
and tell him I have long since made
remuneration of that first purpose"
"1ou-would-do-tba The words
came slowly, one by one "Why?'
because the past is past, and life
is not long enough to be burdened
with anger and resentment. Besides
But at this point Doctor Deane was
interrupted.
81 am Frederick Watson"
A strange silence fell upon these
men, and it lasted several minutes,
during which the thoughts of both had
travelled back many years.
81 came between you and one whom