Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-05-10
The Redemption of a Hunchback By ELEANOR H. PORTER
{ Copyright, isoS, by Joseph 5. Bowies)

I bought a curious old desk last | week at still more curious old shop on Third avenue. That night, as was | gloating over my new treasure. l chanced upon an inner secret drawer; and there found-torn straight across from top to bottom--a closely written manuscript.
 Carefully matching the jagged edges together read this:
 | So her name is Alice! It's a pretty name-but what is that to me? What I have to do with pretty names or pretty faces, or yet with pretty fan cies?
 Remember? What indeed, do I not remember?-ah yes; there are some 1 few things, after all do not remem- Der kisses, save those of compassion; nor smiles, save those of pity. do not remember romps and games. save those that for me bore defeat. I do remember eyes. my moth CTS eyes, always mournful when turned on me; and other eyes. my fathers. always quickly averted, If by chance they met my own. There were still other eyes. round, widely opened, curious, yet frightened. my playmate's s eyes, always following me about with fascinated horror.
 Was it the eyes that first told me was not like other boys? Or was it. l the Mirror? The Mirror was fearful thing of shifting lights and shadows. It reached from floor to ceiling in mothers room, and 1t said that one was small and ugly, and that ones head set far forward on shoulders that were high and squarely cut. It said that one's back was not straight and slender like Toms or Dicks or Bills, but that it crooked and curved and punched into 2 great round knot below ones neck
 School? An. yes, I remember school. It was thing of hard. high seats. and ] of boys and girls, all tall, so hopeless ly tall; thing of large, round eyes. all mirrors, and of romps and races l in which alone had no part.
 School was followed by college, and college was but school intensified. When it was over took up law. And now from early morning until late at night work and study. save that at four each day walk in the park. It was in the park this after noon that saw-Alice.
 She sat alone on one of the seats, and stood for long while watching her from behind screen of shrubs. Her pretty head was tilted back against a tree trunk. and her brown hair flashed golden in the sunlight that came s.antwise through the trees. Some dainty worsted stuff of pale blue lay in her lap, while her slender fin gers toyed with two long knitting 1 needles of ivory.
 By and by girl older than himself I came hurrying up. ..s "'Bfd Y'keep you waiting, Alice?" she said.
 Alice. But what, indeed, have to | do with pretty names, or pretty faces. or yet with pretty fancies?
 My brain is on fire, my hands trem- ble. and can scarcely breathe; but l must write, even though I am forced to resort to my old trick of using my left hand-my right wrist was sprained today.
 ! must put this thing into words. then look at them. study them, and understand what they mean.
 When reached the park to-day, Alice was already there, laughing and playing with a kitten. The ball was half unwound so that long coils of blue lay loosely over Alice's dress and over the grass at her feet Suddenly the kitten. with the ball between her teeth. jumped to the ground. bounded across the path and the narrow strip of grass and into the roadway beyond.
 Alice. with laughing protest, sprang to her feet. and. passing the blue thread hand over hand. quickly reached the struggling squirming bit of mischief. and dropped on her knees at its side.
 It was then that heard the wild chatter of an unguided horses feet. and saw. coming around the curve above driverless horse and q swaying empty carriage.
 Alice gave a frightened little cry and rose to her feet. The kitten sour. ried across the road into the bushes, but the girl stood irresolute.
 Tn one awful moment realized that the only thing between her and possi. ble death was my own puny arm. could not reach the girl. but I might the horse Oh. for the broad shoul. ders and strong grip of a man-no' the feeble grasp of a pygmy, I dashed across the grass and hurled myself at the beast. which seemed sc hopelsssly huge and untamable as il lowered for an instant above me. might as well have tried to check th- speed of cyclone. The animal shook me off as though were trouble