The San Mateo item. (San Mateo City, Putnam County, Fla) 189?-19??, 1909-05-08

express tnai ieft az i O'CLOCK, ana
hurried down the street, careless OF
the fierce wind that buffeted, her
about and blew through and through
her thin garments.
at last" she thought, "at last I
shall find a home and rest"
She spent all but few cents Of
her meagre store for her ticket. and
finally, seated in the train on the
way home, she was appalled, at the
thought OF what she had done-spent
almost her last penny for the ticket,
when she had.no surety OF kind well
come, and might even be turned out
again when they learned OF her de-
ceit
AS for Paul Darcy, her former lover,
she dared not think OF him. She
knew now that she had always cared
for him, perhaps that was why she
failed in her career-4but did he still
care for her? Her heart beat so
loudly that II almost frightened her,
as she commenced to recognize the
names of the stations called. and TO
realize that she was nearing home.
II was nearly daylight when they
came to her station, and as she step.
ped 10 the platform, an awful sense
OF depression came over her. The cold,
gray morning, the deserted streets.
everything seemed so dreary TO her.
The stationmaster did not recognize
in this broken and worn woman the
light4hearted girl that had loft there
a few years ago. and looked curiously
at her as she passed down the empty
street.
She paused in front OF her old
home, and looked longingly at It for
some signs OF life; and as II In an
swer TO her wish, the door slowly
opened and her father came out. She
knew he was going to the barn to do
the few chores, and she pictured her
mother inside, getting breakfast over
the shining stove in the big kitchen.
The sight OF her father so bent
and gray, sent a swift pang to her
heart, and with a cry she was by his
side, her arms around his neck, and
her lips pressed close TO his, while
she cried:
Father, oh, my father, 1t is /, your
little girl, don't you know your
Eloise?"
"Elolse," ne cried, and the sound
was like music to her starved, sad
heart. you have come back to me.
and the poor old man sobbed with
JOY.
The heavy load was lifted with
Eloises heart, and they went in 10
see her mother. The welcome was
so genuine and their pleasure so sim
cere, that she cried and laughed
through sheer Joy.
The tired look left her face, and
the old Vigor returned to her step
In the next few days, while the years
positively rolled from her father and
mother, and Eloise wondered more
than once how she had ever stayed
away from this home so long.
The only hard part of her home
coming was the inquisitive glances
and remarks OF the neighbors, but she
felt that she deserved this, and bore
It all with a sweet patience quite un-
like the old spirit OF the naughty
! Eloise.
Then one night when the old brass
knocker sounded. and she went to
open the door, familiar figure step
ped into the hall, and she found her
self face TO face with Paul Darcy. She
had not seen him since that morning
so long ago when she had thrust
back the happiness he offered her.
with a laugh. AS he turned to her, the
lamplight fell full upon his face, and
! the look she saw there made her
turn away with blush, but not be-
fore he had caught the answering
I .loo,., In ha. loxyalv avaa and he