The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-12-08

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each other, though he was very much
older. That evening, as he informed
me, was the twentieth anniversary of
his wedding. His wife was long in her
grave. In return for this confidence
l told him that l had spent all my
money and must go to work. The
result was that l became his errand
boy, though he treated me like a friend.
This relation continued for months
One day toward the middle of Decem-
ber he told me q queer tale about hav
ing sent money to some poor relations
on the Maine coast for a year and n
half. They were his cousins widow
and her son and daughter. Recently
he had received a letter from the son
which led him to believe that none of
this money had been received, where
upon he had sent check-the other
remittances having been in currency
which also seemed to have gone astray
He showed me the stub marked "Celn
X. Garland, Nov. 81, 'O7, $3.50"
could not understand this story "
fact, L never expected to understand
any story of his, for he always omit
ted all the essential particulars-bu |
agreed to go to Easterly Harbor and
see what was the matter. 1t was ar.
ranged that on the next day after my
departure he should mail another letter
In pink envelope of unusual shape
and l should watch for 1t. I was to
say nothing to anybody and conccal
the fact that came from him. But at
the last l was to play Santa Claus for
this family In muni6cent fashion, for
which purpose he gave me some checks
signed in blank and letter to a bank
er named Manning in Belfast. an Old
friend Of Garland.
On Saturday, Dec. IA, 1 arrived at
Easterly Harbor and found my way to
the Garland house, where it was be,
lieved that l could secure board. |
was, in fact. welcomed with the most
charming courtesy.
And here | received a surprise quite
characteristic Of Garland and his err
rands The household consisted of
the mother, whose name was Lucy;
cousin of about her own age, who was
called Aunt Kate; the boy, Frank, and
the most beautiful blue eyed, golden
haired girl who ever existed. And she
was Celia!
Surely nobody but Garland would
have failed to tell me that he had sent
his benefactions to the daughter and
not the mother and why he had done
so.
1t was possible, Of course. that at
the time when he began to send the
money Mrs. Garland may have been
prostrated by her recent bereavement,
in which case Celia would have been
the natural head OF the family, for
Aunt Kate seemed not quite of sound
mind, her great affiiction tempered by
Gods mercy and her own lovely ma
ture into gentle. dreamlike detach-
ment from the worlds realities.
1t required no detective skill to dis
cover that this family was in very
narrow circumstances and that Gar
lands remittances had gone astray.
] waited with great interest, there
fore, for the test letter, or, rather, for
the day set for its arrival. The truth
Is that I had no expectation of seeing
1t, having made up my mind that the
whole series of letters had been stolen
in the Easterly Harbor postoffice.
But the letter came. / saw Frank
take it from the box at the postofice.
Right at the foot of the steps he
met his sister.
'Nothing for you, Sis" said he.
This was dire. l had not for an
instant dreamed of theft by a member
of the family. What should do?
After some hard thinking decided to
state the facts to Garland in the mild
est possible manner, not condemning
the boy unheard, but merely asking
for authority to question him. A re-
ply by mail could not be expected be-