The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-05-07

is old and feeble. He might move on
and"
She suddenly dropped her voice t
an indistinct murmur, for an apparitiol
appeared in the doorway of the shacl
which made her excited. She shaded
her eyes and looked more keenly. 1
was small. toddling child. scarcely
two summers old, holding uncertainty
to the side of the doorway, and cooin:
at tile big ball Of fire slowly disap
pearing below the horizon. The mar
raised his hands and the child ra1
to him and jumped into his arms.
"He is married then, and has q fam
ily,' Dorothy breathed. Maybe ]
have misjudged him. Has the child a
mother, Or"
Again her sentence died out in ar
| indistinct murmur. but the sun had Sc;
and twilight was rapidly spreading
over the landscape. Dorothy saw ar
other form. bent Of figure and white of
hair, walking across the field. and
Gfter waving hand Of welcome to him
she turned to her work inside.
There was seldom any mention of
their neighbor's affairs between father
and daughter. and tonight Dorothy
merely told OF the presence Of the baby
on the opposite side Of the dead linc''
and then subsided. Jared Wellington
raised his shaggy eyebrows and
gyunted:
"Then he's married? He'll bring his
wife next. I suppose. Maybe he has
heard that the courts
A horrible suspicion entered the
minds of both. Had the courts decided
respecting their claims. and had Henry
Egerton heard that he was the sole and
legal possessor Of the quarter section?
Otherwise why had he brought his
family out to his lonely home when he
had lived without them for three
months? 81
Jared Wellington felt the heavy op-
preston Of disappointment, and his
white head dropped lower ard lower as
the evening advanced. Dorothy tried
to cheer him, but in vain. Finally she
decided to present the matter clearly
to her aged parent c:nd show him
that all would not be loss even If the
courts decided against them.
what of it, father?' she said, cheer
fully. eve can 80 back East and live.
I can work and support you. will
enjoy life more than out here. I can't
stand this much longer. I must haye
companions and neighbors."
"No, no. Dorothy, it can never be" he
'murmured. I shall never live to sec
the East again. If it is true that-that
he owns it''-pointing dramatically
toward his enemy's sha ck-"it will kill
me- I cannot survive it."
The tears blinded the blue eyes Of
the woman, ard she turned away to
hide them. 1T may not be, father"
she murmured in 4 thick voice.
But whether true or not. Jared Vel
lington took to his bed, and on the NOR
row he was unable to raise his head
from the pillow Dorothy nursed him
with all the skill she possessed, but he
needed more than she could give,
slumbering ftfully, the patient would
awaken occasionally, and murmur H.
distinct sentences. The fever Of age
and anxiety had unsettled his mind,
and he raved like a child Of ten..'
Dorothy turned away in despair.
Impending death in the dreary shack
made even her stout heart quail. It
was ten miles to the nearest physician,
but 1t was necessary to go. Would the
feeble patient awaken, and finding
himself deserted, commit some Wild
act?
She held the door half open,. debat-
inS@whather to go or stay, when sud-
denly a slight pressure from without
made her turn hastily. There. almost
at her feet, was a bundle Of red cloth
ing, surmounted by shock OF light
brown hair. The pair Of innocent eyes
looking up at her suddenly cleaned
with a newborn happiness.
"Muzzer! Nluzzer! I'se found you
at last. Where's you been so long?
Baby's been cryin' an cryin' fur you.
Hug baby, an tell him you'll nebber,
nebber leave him again." J. Il. =
A pair Of warm arms were raised be-
seechingly upward. Dorothy picked
the little child up in her arms and
hugged and kissed it. The longing in
her heart for some one to love and
speak to was almost too much, and she
broke into a violent sobbing. The child
cuddled close to her and said softly:
Don't cry. muzzer. fur I won't leave
you ag'in. Use goin' to stay forebber
an ebber with you.'
The hands, chubby and warm, stroked
the hair of the weeping woman. Dor
othy raised her eyes to look at the little
face pressed to hers, and then she
started. A dozen feet away stood Henry
Egerton, an expression Of confusion
and uncertainty on his face. -.
He raised his hat and said:
Pardon me, I've come for Virginia.
She ran away, and I could not catch
her until she crossed-crossed over
here"
Dorothy still held the child in her
arms, and Virginia suddenly ex-
claimed:
Use found muzzer! Use found muz-
zer, Uncp Hen'y. Here she is"
The face of the man worked strange
". A softening Of the firm outlines
made him look tender and sympa-
thetic.
"Poor Virginia lost her mother
week ago." he murmured, "and she has
come to live with me. could not
bear to tell her the truth. But sup
pose I was wrong. Come, Virginia,
come with Uncle Henry" .,..
"Not unless muzzer comes, too,"
pleaded the child.
The embarrassment of the man in
creased Dorothy, understanding the
position of the two, suddenly raised
her eyes from the shock of brown hair
and said quickly:
"T,eave the child with me q short