The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-11
The Redemption of
a Hunchback.
BY Eleanor III. Porter.


bought curious old desk last week
ut still more curious old shop on
goating over my new treasure, /
and there found--torn straight
across from top to bottom-a closely
written manuscript.
Carefully matching the Jagged edges
together, I read this:
So her name is Alicel IT'S pretty
name-but what is that to met What
have to do with pretty names or pref
ty faces. or yet with pretty fancies7
Remember? What indeed, do i not
remomber7-nh, yes; there are some
few things, after ALL 1 do not roinem-
Der kisses, save those Of compassion;
nor smiles. save those OF pity. I do
not remember romps and games, save
those for mo bore defeat.
do remember eyes. my mothers
eyes, always mournful when turned on
me; and other eyes. my fathers. al-
ways quickly averted. II by chance they
met my own. There were still other
oyes, round, widely-opened, curious. yet
frightened, my plsymate's eyes, always
following mo about with fascinated hor-
ror.
Was 1t the eyer that first told me. I
was not like other boys7 Or WAS It.
the Mirror? The Mirror was fearful
thing OF shifting lights and shadows.
1t 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
said that ones back was not straight
and slender like Toms or Dicks or
Bills, but that 1t crooked and curved
and punched into o great round knot
below ones neck.
School? Ah, yes. / remember school.
1t was thing of hard. high seats. and
ly tall: thing OF large, round eyes,
all mirrors. and of romps and races 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 I work and study, save
that at four each day walk in the
park. 1t was in the park this after
noon that i saw-Alice.
She sat alone on one of the seats,
and / stood for a long while watching
her: from behind screen of shrubs.
Her pretty head was tilted back
against n tree trunk, and her brown
hair flashed golden in the sunlight that
came slantwise through the trees.
Some dainty worsted stun of pale blue
lay in her lap. while her slender fin
gers toyed with two long knitting
needles of ivory.
BY and by girl older than herself
came hurrying up.
did 1 keep you waiting, Alice2" she
said.
Alice. But what, indeed, have to
do with pretty names, or pretty faces.
or yet with pretty fancles?
My brain is on fire, my hands trem-
BILE, and can csarcely breathe; but
must write, even though l am forced
to resort to my old trick of using my
left hand-my right wrist was sprain-
ed to-day.
1 must put this thing into words,
then look at them. study them, and
understand what they mean.
When l reached the park to-day,
Alice was already there, laughing and
playing with 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
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 10 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.
1t was then that / heard tho wild
clatter on an unguided horses feet, and
saw, coming around the curve above,
a driverless horse and swaying emp
ty carriage.
Alice gave a frightened little cry and
rose to her feet. The kitten scurried
across the road into the bushes, but
the girl stood irresoluto.
IN one awful moment j realized that
the only thing between her and posi-
bic death was my own puny arm. l
could not reach the girl but / might
tho horse. Oh, for tho broad shout
ders and strong grip of lnan-not
the feeble grasp of pygnly.
l dashed across the grass and hurled
myself ut the beast, which seemed so
hopelessly huge and untamable as it
lowered for all instant above me.
might as well have tried to check the
speed OF u cyclone. The animal shook
me- off as though / We're a trouble
some fly. and dashed hcadlong down the
road. But that one instant OF attack
caused him to swcrve ever so slightly
in his course. and only the wheel OF
the carriage grazed Alice's dress as he
passed
over and over I rolled until I reach
ed the gutter. AS. soon as possible 1
was Oh my feet and at Alice's side,
steeling myself to meet the look i knew
should find in her eyes.
you are not hurt I faltered.
She turned toward me. her blue eyes
frightened and widely opened.
'No--no-oh, no--i'm not hurt she
began tremulously; but there was an
accident. was there not? II shouldn't
be here. will go back to the seat"
she added, reaching out both her hands
and starting tinlidly forward.
And then l saw. Alice was blind!
What said ana did ] hardly know.
I only know that my heart leaped with
III me and that my hrnin soema1 on