The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-08-25
SALTWATER MINNESOTA, THURSDAY AUGUST 25 1910
You have already done that, sir

You have already done that, sir,
by assuring me Of your forgiveness" +"
Thank you,' said Mr.. Black.
And now that everything and every
body are forgiven, let us go into the
gents furnishing department and see
what can be dol. in the way of rig
ging you both up with new outfit
of wearing apparel. Then we will
proceed to my house, from where
we will send hurried telephone
call to your mother, asking her to
come over at once. Being neigh
bors, she has for years been greatly
attached to my niece and her little
girl, as you know, Harry. So she
will no doubt hurry over at once,
thinking that perhaps someone is
sick or that an accident has hap
pened. Then, what happy sur
prise she will have.
My niece has been in Buffalo the
past two months, with her father
who has been very sick. | expect
her home on the steamer Dixon, due
here at 1890 but being three hours
late, will not arrive until $780,"
The meeting of Harry and his
mother can better be imagined than
described in words. After Mr.. Black
had explained to Mrs. Smith how he
had been informed, just two hours
before, of her sons presence in the
city, (she was left in ignorance as to
his object in coming back, } and how
he had arranged it so the meeting of
mother and son should take place in
his house, since he considered him
self the cause of the long separation,
when these explanations were over,
Fred Morton took his host by the arm
and led him into the library.
why, Mr.. Morton, are you i'll?
You appear quite upset"
No, Mr.. Black, | am not ILL,
physically, but | could not bear to
remain in there and look into the
face of that beautiful child. Her
eyes seem to recall the memory of a
day that l have struggled desperate
ly for years to forget"
She is indeed a most beautiful
child, Mr.. Morton. Tonight she in
sisted on staying up to meet her
mother
Listen, Mr.. Black. Twelve years
ago, when I was twentythree years
of age, was employed in the Of
fees of a millionaire manufacturer
I fell in love with his beautiful
daughter, who returned my love
Not daring to approach her father
with the subject, we were secretly
married. A few weeks later my
wife took her step-mother into he1
confidence and told her of our mar
riage. Her mother promised tc
smooth things over with the ole
gentleman, and she did. He agreed
that if his daughter would go abroad
for a year with her mother he would
during that year, advance me to
higher position. Upon her return
our engagement should be formal.
announced and we should be re
married.
The day of her departure | re
, ceived letter from her few hour
, after she had gone. The letter stat
ed that she had deceived both her
, self and me; that she had discegere'
) she did not love me and had gon
to Europe never to return until
l had promised her father to look up
on our marriage as thing that ha'
7 never taken place. She said he
father would give me all the one
| l needed to leave the country wit
| and as the minister who performe
e the ceremony had died a few week
later, nobody would ever be any tn
t wiser. | went to her father and wa
9 assured of the truth of the lettel
He said it was at her own suggestio
s that the ruse Of going abroad wa
/: decided upon. He offered me te
+ thousand dollars to leave the cit
: and never return or seek to mee
n his daughter again. While | d.
g cided to leave at once, never to n
u turn, l spurned his money as s
) much poison. What amount {
: money could ever heal the woun
1t my heart had received? That is Il
t. story. You see what it has made
e me-a vagabond."
When his guest had finished M
o Black arose, grasped Fred's haI
l and asked:
s Tell me, sir, is your name Be
r toni"
'r Yes, sir. my name was Arth1
Benton twelve years ago."