The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1908-10-21
A BaunGsGr.



a lawyer. and lawyers were in thc.c
days provcrbial for their rrctrhcG
handw riting. 50 found 1t difficult t.
make out the address. AS near ~
could come TO dcciphcring ihc lamc uf
the street it was Lafayette. This Wa.
not correct. II was Isabelle street
Leaving the alton on my arrival. |
took cab AMI told the driver to take
me to 80 Lafayette street. When saw
the house | was surprised that my
father could afford to live in Il. had
left two story frame cottage in the
west to come h. n four story stone
front house in the east
| paid the coayhman and. going lip
the stcOp. rang the bell. \ mail came
to the door whom | hai never seen
AMI told her to tell mother that had
come from school. she asked ne whom
she .hould say had come. told hcr
''hcr daughter. Of course" and. going
into the drawing room. loo!.cl about
ne mt the handsome furniture. still
wondering how father had been able 10
purchase it, The maid Went upstairs
10 make the announcement.
waited quite long while for her
return. When she Carr down she told
me that no one was 1T home cNccpt my
mother. who hnd recently hal 81 catn-
ract removed from one cf her eyes and
was Obliged tn remain in Il dar'; room
/ was surprised. for lad not been III
formed of there being anything the
matter with her eye. and a. The maid
said l WAS tp 20 UP to her | ran up-
stairs and through room that had
been tiarkcnsd So that one entering my
mothers room should not lei in ally
light. The chamber occupied 10y my
mother was SO dark that could scarce.
ly see my hand before my face.
didn't know which way To turn ill she
called me. AMI even then l went in the
wrong direction till she had done SO
several times. Then l found her sit
ting in an easy chair ana put my arms
around her neck.
"Why, child" she said. "why did you
write us that you would come tom0r-
row? Your brother would have met
you at the station"
1 was startled. My mothers voice
had changed. Could it be that her
trouble with her eye had broken her
faculties.
mother dear" I replied. 81 wrote that
I was coming on Thursday. Thursday
and Friday by q bad writer may be
made to look alike. Perhaps there's
where the error lies"
l was about to speak of her trouble
when I heard the door of the ante
room open and shut. Then the door of
the room I was in opened, some one
hurried in, and mans voice said:
'Where are you, sisf"
"I'm here"
"Ellen told me you'd come, and come
day ahead of time"
My brother Tom, ten years my
senior, never called me anything but
isis" and "sissey," but there was some
thing wrong with his voice. l had no
time TO wonder what had caused the
change when 1 felt myself clasped in
two strong arms and lips pressed
against mine.
"What's become of your beardF
asked.
"Beardl 1 never had one. We've
been counting on your coming. Moth
er is shut up for the present, but she'll
come out all right. The doctor says
she may have the light in one week
more. Awful glad to see you'll mean
to feel you, ha, ha! Can't see any
thing in here. Have to rely on the
touch" And he gave me another good
hug and several kisses. But come
out into the light. want to see how
you've improved. You won't mind
will you, mother?'
"Not If you don't keep her too long"
Putting his arm around my waist, he
led me out through the anteroom, and
| opening the outer door, we stood on
the threshold between the room and
the haH.
say we stood there, and so we did.
We didn't get any farther, at least not
| Just then Never We're two people more
astonished bewildered. We were on
tire strangers to each other.
"Grcat Scott" was his exclamation.
"Heavens!" was mine.
He dropped his arm as IL it had been
shot, and quickly drew away.
"How In the name off,
II must have-got into-the wrong
At this point he regained his cqua-
nimity. 'If you're not my sister, you're
certainly worthy to be any ones sister.
at any rate, I'm happy to make your
acquaintance, even by mistake, though
1 assure you don't usually on so
slight an acquaintance
He paused, and my face flushed Grim
son.
"Come," he said reassuringly, 'tell
me how 1t happened"
told him my story, and he replied
that his own sister, who had been
away from home on n long visit, was
expected the next day. He insisted
that / needed n luncheon and ordered
one, and while was eating 1t he telc-
phOned for q carriage. When 1t came
he got In with me and began hunt
for me for my home. My fathers
name was not in the directory, but ]
told my new found friend that he was
an attorney, and, driving to the Office