Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-01-01

Don't do that" said Dick, hastily
"You don't know me AZ all, II you do
that. I thought there was something
strange about you. want to help you
If you'll let me-"
There was something 30 winning
about the boyish, good-humored face
and in the frank young voice, that she
began to regain confidence; and told
him hurriedly, and in as few words
as possible, something Of her story.
OF how she had been left almost pen
nileSs, with a younger brother to sup
port; of how she had come, with the
younger brother, TO this quiet place
in search of health for the boy; OF
the death Of the boy; and Of her find
ing herself friendless and penMless in
a strange place. In a moment OF de-
SPAR she had donned her dead broth
er's clothes, and gone out, in the hope
of earning money in some fashion
that should find her food. While she
talked Dick had a sudden inspiration,
and acted upon it.
Look here" he said, what Is your
name?"
"Tamlyn-Bertha Tamlyn," replied
the girl
most extraordinary" exclaimed
Dick, inventing story on the spot.
MY father knew your father-great
friends they were; and he left a sort
Of injunction upon me to look after
you-to be friends with you. Shall we
begin now?"
She was very Ekeptical at first, but
Dick stuck to his story; and the girl,
after all she had gone through, was
very glad to meet some one who treat
ed her as frankly and gently as he
might have treated his own sister.
For perhaps the first time in his life
Dick Lyddon began to be deeply inter
ested in some one; began to cast
about in his mind for methods Of help
ing her delicately. Suffice 1t that he
smoothed the way for her wonderful
ly; that, among other things, mys-
FERROUS letter arrived from an equally
mysterious lawyer, inclosing sum OF
money-"some payment sue to the es-
tate Of her late father" And then one
day, in the midst of this new haPPi-
ness, some chance word of his, when
she and Dick were sitting together
watching the sea, under the shadow
of the quaint rock at the western end
of the town, showed her in moment
the gentle fraud that had been prac-
ticed upon her, and the position in
which she stood. She said nothing
then; but the next day there was no
Bertha Tamlyn in all Dawlish, and a
disconsolate Dick Lyddon searched In
vain for her.
He searched for three months, while
a long summer wore itself out. he
dragged the faithful and unfortunate
Capt. Boxer about here, there and ey-
erywhere, but all to no purpose. And
at last one day, after many journey
ings, the little train ratified him again
through the little tunnel into Dawlish
He found her that night sitting
quietly under the shadow of the big
rock, gazing at-the sea. He came and
sat down beside her and she did not
try to run away. Very gently-being
terribly afraid to startle her, or to
drive her again from him. he began to
tell her something of his search for
her-something too, of that old story
which yet is always a new story, and
which had grown SO steadily in his
heart.
"You only say this out Of pity for
me-" she said at last in a whisper,
without looking at him. "YOu are
sorry for a penniless girl who had to
masquerade in boys clothes to try to
get living"
81 was always sorry for YOU" he
said gently; "but it's something bet
ter than that. Dear Bertha, Pm just
as lonely as you are, except for the
captain; and one gets tired even of
the captain in time. Won't you for
get that I'm so abominably rich p
won't you try if you can't love me
little"
you've been like fairy prince to
me-" she said, gratefully. "You came
and stretched out a golden hand to
me"
ooh, no; it only had dime in it at
first" he said, laughing. and it's
quite an ordinary hand, Bertha; and
it just wants to help you over the
rough places in the road, and to fight
some of your battles for you. Won't
you let it do that?"
She took the hand he held out to
her, and carried it swiftly up to her
breast, and laid it there, and bent her
lips to it.
And on the honeymoon it was Dick
who carried the bag.-American
Queen.