The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-11-04


dered him to leave the house. His SIM
pie assurance of innocence satisfied
Marie, and she believed in him, even
while she was compelled to give him
up. At last, after weary waiting, and
after all trace Of him had been lost,
his innocence was clearly established.
| Harry Crowther had gone to "the
| dogs" and at last had sunk to the
| lowest depths. For some months he
| also disappeared. and then his mother
received telegram from French wa
tering place summoning her to he sons
death bed And then he made tardy
reparation and cleared Douglas Of his
shame. Worldly and hard as Mrs.
Crowther was, death bed injunction
was sacred in her eyes, and she COM
municated her tidings to the Gordons.
But Douglas could not be found.
That night Marles maid was very
voluble as she dressed her mistress for
dinner.
by the by, MISS" she said, as she
was brushing Marie's hair In front Of
the big mirror, "I've had such funny
letter today from India. You know,
Miss Marie, I've brother out there a
soldier, and, as he can't write himself.
he always gets some one to write for
him; and, though 1t seems strange,
can't help a-thinking that this letter
is really from him."
what should make you think that
II is not from him, Alice?" inquired
her mistress with faint interest.
| "Well, you see, miss, there's some
money with 1t, and it's not signed by
him as he usually does. No one else
in India knows me, so fancy that the
letter must be from him, and that the
man as wrote 1t for him forgot what
he was adding and signed his own
name to it by mistake"
How very curious, Alice! May see
the letter? l might be able to tell you
what to do" said Marie, interested at
last.
Delighted at her young mistress in
terest in her affairs, the maid gave her
the letter and resumed her work, chat
ting away all the time as she did so.
| What could it mean? Marie's brain
was in a whirl, and her maids chatter
fell upon unheeding ears. There, in
her own hand. before her eyes, was
the we'll known handwriting, and at
the end of the letter was the bold sig
nature, "Your loving brother, Douglas
Gordon"
In the haste Of the moment. with
his thoughts full Of Marie and the past,
Sergeant Hollis" had unwittingly
signed his real name to Browns letter.
Isn't 1t beautiful letter, Miss Ma
rie Such a beautiful name, too! oh,
Miss Marie. whatever is the matter?"
Marie, with her face buried in her
hands, was sobbing Historically. And
the dinner bell rang unheeded as mis-
tress and maid laid their heads to-
gether and attempted to solve the enig-
ma
"Who says Europe letters?" sang out
Corporal Jones, d troop orderly-cor-
poral, as he entered the troop bunga-
low with bundle of letters and news
papers in his hand.
Down went the jack-boots and
swords that the men were polishing,
and rush was made for the bed on
which Jones had enthroned himself
with his precious burden.
GIVE a fellow a chance to breathe,
you chaps! What do you want,
Brown? You don't suppose there's one
for you?" he growled.
do you think l amt got no one to
write to me, corporal?" retorted
Brown. How do you know that my
pa amt died and left me fortune?"
'Oh, yes, know! Your pas dook
amt he. Brownf Why-criminal
Yes-no-yes- 1T is! Here is one for
you with big fat crest on a.! Who's
your pal, Brown-the commander-in-
chief-eh?"
''Never you mind, corporal. Just
hand it over here" said Brown, and.
having secured his property he put on
his helmet and crossed over to Ser
geant Hollis bunk"
Say, sergeant, I've got letter." he
said as he entered.
well, can't you manage to read 1t
now yourself?" the sergeant answered.
'No-not quite. I can manage print
all right, though. But you might read
1t for me, sergeant" and Brown hand
ed the letter to the sergeant and, seat
ing himself on the edge Of the bed, pre-
pared to listen.
To his surprise his sergeant read 1t
through to himself first, then took an
other enclosure out of the envelope and
read that, looked at them both, sat
down, got up again, and finally went
marchinc up and down the yeranda
With the letters in his hand. whistling
loudly, Rolling Home to Merry Eng
land" then he dashed inside and
shook Brown by both hands until that
much-perplexed man opined that ii
was either the ''jim-jams'' or sun
stroke. Then the sergeant subsided
into a chair and sat gazing first at
Brown. and then with strange intensity
at the letters.
Brown was puzzled. 1t must be the
"jim-jams." All of sudden the SER
| 0aont rnca op1 ,,,ada anAtbar da-h M