Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-07-13
THE ourcAsr's RETURN
A Glimpse Of Paradise 10 Soul f'''
Had Lost II.

ullutVno W
Had Lost H.
when I was leaving philadelphia y
90 New York my old friend mi
n'a1,a,J the lawyer, gave me ot
49, =, Introduction 10 Mrs. shirley hhu
~, Laughter. who lived on Fifth ave
nue., o ahi,Iey for 20
vears. - he said, "but sue was Wv
sweetest girl that ever lived; sas s,a
was old Colonel Taylors only emu
and she married shirley-as hne y ie,
Iaw as ever liyed-beforo she had pesh
here from Virginia six months. Ai'e'
,sa,, marriage they went TO Mexico
'.'ns,. SHIRLEY was Interested IN mines
Tha climate down there killed HIM ana
Mrs Shirley went TO New YORK WIZ
ii,,Ia Martha, who at her fathef
Jsa,h wns about two years OF age
Ssi,,sv had securities, so that when nc
died Susan had only TO Pick Up
handful Of papers and her BABY, MAJ Ma,
Inn. and come back TO the auanu'
",iartha Is A beautiful young woman
,ow - continued my friend, "and
have heen told that the fortune icf,
ha, nv her father has made her one OF
,he greatest heiresses in the Empire
tate susan has never thought OF mar
wing again, and has devoted all OF hei
time 10 her daughter Is happiness
when / visited Mrs. Shirley ana hei
daughter In New York / found that
thew lived in one Of the finest houses
in the city. enjoyed dinner with
them a number Of times, and one even
inc Mrs. Shirley informed me tha'
Martha had become engaged to marry
Thomas Wainwright, rising young
attorney. whose parents were wealthy
and OF high position socially: l meI
,be bappy couple at reception some
time later and noted that they were as
proud of each other and rs perfecuy
banpy as two afiianced lovers could be.
The week before Martha was married
was the coolest. snowiest season Of the
whole winter. Mrs Shirley had asked
me TO come and stay until Martina
came back from the wedding journey
She told me she feared TO be alone IN
the great house without her daughter $
company.
"Mamma needs q prop, Martha
said holding her thin shoulders and
smiling fondly into her mother eyes
When we went out into the hall to-
gether. afterward, she turned to me ana
added seriously, 81 believe my dear
mother misses my father as much to-
day as the day he died. / have seen
her look at the door as though she ex'
pected him TO walk in. / just remem'
Der him-such a glorious, big man he
was,p
Martha was TO be married on Tues.
day morning, and after an informal
reception 10 a few of the old friends
of the Wainwrights, the bride and
bridegroom were to start on a trip to
California.
ON Saturday Martha went down to
spend the day with Thomas's married
sister on Long Island. The elder Mr..
Wainwright was TO take her.
They started off in gale of merri-
ment in the morning, and Martha was
to come home for dinner. 1t was hit
tie past the hour, and her mother and
were waiting for her, with only one
gas Jet and the cheerful logs in the
fireplace to give us light, when we
hearl the bell
"That is Martha now," / said; and
then there were sounds of an alterca-
ton in the hall. Someone was insist
ing on seeing Mrs. Shirley. We both
arose. The portieres were put aside,
and there stood before us figure that
looked most homogeneous in the exqui.
site apartment. 1t was the wreck Of
a man. He must once have been pow
erful and handsome, but now his chest
and cheeks were hollow, and his bony
hands trembled. He looked at Mrs.
Shirley with a pitiful, feverish gaze, as
condemned man might look at his
judge.
"You may go, Mary" said Mrs.
Shirley to the maid, and then she
turned to the man. "What do you
wantf" she asked sharply.
"Susan! Susan!" sobbed the human
wreck, as he fell upon his knees before
Mrs. Shirley, "let me see her, just
once! Just once! / shan't live long.
/ am dying. They say she is going to
marry and 60 away. l read it in the
paper, and where you lived. / couldn 7
once!" His voice was hoarse and gasp
ing
"How dare you come heres" she said
with anger.
81 must see her," answered the
figure, huskily. "Only once.
She is mine as well as yours. -
eyes, yours that you deserted, as
you deserted her mother!' cried Mrs.
Shirley. cit is not your fault that
she is not beggar as you rightly are.
You would have put every penny out
of our hands. You compelled me to be
a thief, criminal, to steal what was
rightly mine and hers--the fortune
you had gathered up to take with you,
to spend on that Her voice was
getting beyond her control, and she re-
covered herself. elbow dare you come
here7'
81 swear you were Mistaken the
outcast answered. 81 meant to leave
your share of the money" She sneered
in his face. ~ was fool" he went
on, "but l have suffered. I ask-oh.