The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-20
| The MISSING MHN |
By MARYR. ?. HATCH.
Author of
"The Bank Tragedy"

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| Carter, hurrying away, and Constance,
faint with sudden joy. though she al
most feared to give it room, was for
ced to loiter for a moment.
Not many rods away now came the
tramp of forty men and boys who
neld their torches high above their
with prolonged shout as soon
as they left the woods and entered it,
Mrs. Hamilton, with wildly beating
heart, was at the entrance to the
bridge, made darker by the flashing
, torches beyond its range. AS she en-
tered II she saw not far away q man
with something in his arms, who no
sooner saw Mrs. Hamilton than he
| said, in voice so overcharged with
feeling that it vibrated upon her nerves
IKE an electric shock, II found him.
knew L should. He lay fast asleep with
ms head on his arm. in a hollow shut
IN by tall trees. But 1 found him."
oh, thank you, thank you! My
baby, my baby!" taking the boy, still
sleepy, into her arms and covering his
| face with kisses.
| Il went after beechnuts. mamma;
the boys said they were thick, but
didn't find one, and I got tired and
went to Sleep" said the child, rousing
up, and winding his arm about his
mothers neck.
Poor little darling, to get lost!"
"Oh, no. didn't get lost. 1t was
you. | was there all the time, but
was alone, and it was dark, and was
'fraid till 1 thought what you told me
/ about God being everywhere and that
He would hear my prayers. So 1 just
prayed to find you when it got light,
and then fell asleep; and next thing
| II was light. and Mr.. Edes had me in
his arms. and now I've found you"
so your prayer was answered, Per-
, ley" said his mother, earnestly. II
cannot be thankful enough to God, and
to you," turning to the silent man, "for
| bringing him back"
mo one could find him but me-" said
the man again. with his child-like air,
as II longing to be praised again and
again, an air strangely at variance with
| his thought-seamed brow and we'll
! shaped head
mo one tried so hard, perhaps" said
| Constance. gently.
"Yes, that is it, no one tried so hard"
he replied, and then as the feet of the
| searching party trod the bridge with a
rhythmic motion that seemed to sway
it for moment. he walked slowly
away, leaving the boy with his mother
| "Edes found him." said the foremost
man, when we were not a rod away
| Strange our shouting and the lights
never walked him. He was fast asleep
Edes said;" and with the garrulity born
| of such occasions, man after man took
up the tale, till the wearied woman was
| ready to drop, but still stood smiling
and grateful in the midst with her boy
! now sleeping Sweetly in her arms.
At last she felt that he was being
gently drawn from her arms, and look
ing up she saw Edes had returned.
II will carry him home for you; he Is
heavy" said he. simply.
THANK you, Edes. Come, Constance"
said her uncle. This standing in the
night air will never do after so much
excitement"
II am very tired, and 1 thank you
ALL" she said to the assembly.
J You are welcome said the foreman
of the mill with bluff politeness which
yet was genuine, as they fell behind
! the owner and his niece.
! After this, it was impossible to one Of
so grateful a disposition as Constance
| to be unmindful Of Primus Edes. She
felt that he had a claim on her kind
ness which 1t was a pleasure as well as
a duty to requite.
With one so absent-minded 1t would
be easy, she fancied, to make changes
in his surroundings which he would
never notice except in a vague way, or
suspect Inat Iney came through her.
BY gradual evolution, therefore, his
room at Mrs Fry's came to wear the
dainty look that white drapery, pict-
ures, and books could give it. Next,
as cool weather approached. a stove
mysteriously found it's way there, and
comfortable dressing-gown, or loose
coat, If he chose to call it that, was
found hanging in the closet
Up to this time the lodger had ac-
cepted without questioning these
changes as emanating from Mrs Fry,
and had done many an odd job for her
in returns but the coat puzzled him.
Taking it to her he said:
81 found it. but it isn't mine.''
"Oh, yes, it is,' said she. Its yours,
fast enough"
mo, / never had one like it. 1t got
into my things by mistake"
"Well, if l was you, I'd wear it an
ask no questions" said Mrs. Fry,
speaking as she would to a child.
But look of decision flashed into
the mans face.
'I can't wear it until know where
II comes from"
"Oh, well, if you must know, Mrs
Hamilton sent 1t over. It's Christmas,
you know, or was last week, and
she always thinks of them that's alone
in the world"
With a sudden gleam of light in his
eyes, the man left her and went into