Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1915-01-21
BY H. M. EGBERT


your ease, Mr.. -"
"Tupman," said the cripple, quietly.
"Take your ease, Mr.. Tupman, In
getting up them stairs. You'll pardon
me If I'm a bit short at first-you
know we're all scared to death about
the devilchair."
She watched her roomer into his
chamber, and then tapped at the door
adjacent. We'll, you've got neigh
Dor, Miss Haynes she said. Hes
a mechanic-th though how he mechan'
les with both his legs helpless beats
me. However, he seems quiet sort
Of chap, and he's only going to stay
few days, SO you won't mind?'
She looked keenly at Eleanor. The
girl had been crying. The landlady
shifted. for she felt certain that some
man must be the cause. She had
profound contempt for men, and rela-
tionshp to Mr.. Poole, she was well
aware, was something it was not al
ways discreet to question. Mrs.
Thompson shifted again, more loudly,
and so passed out of history.
1t was on Thursday evening that
the cripple stopped at Miss Haynes
door. He had made her acquaintance
during those two days of suffering; he
had known his child at once when
he saw her leaving the Office of Poole,
and had pondered long how to dis
close himself On this evening, see
IA 10 hn ctr
or came out; she looked woebegone,
and she had been crying again. A
rush of anger swept away his hesita
ton. Who was the man who dared TO
make his daughter cry?
You're in trouble. Miss Haynes"
he stammered. Isn't there anything
l can do?'
"Oh, no." she answered, holding out
her hands impusively. "You don't
know how | appreciate your kindness,
Mr.. Tupman. Won't you come in
momcnt?" she asked, and, when he ac-
cepted her invitation eagerly, she con-
tinued half Historically:
1T must seem strange to you-lt
must, asking a stranger in. But
you'll think me foolish, but you re-
mind me of my dear father. If there
were any hope that he was alive, !
should believe you were my father,
she went on. "But what nonsense I'm
talking | don't know what you'll
think of me-lm in trouble, and not
quite self-possessed-"
She broke off in confusion. Haynes
seated himself quietly at her side,
Your father is dead?" he asked.
She began to cry softly. "lie was
drowned with my mother. in that ter
rible accident to the excursion boat at
Nokomis, five years ago. 1t was ter
rible shock to me; | had not even
known that they were aboard until
their bodies were identified among the
burned victims in the hold of the ship.
NV father and mother were English;
he had brought US to America to
claim some large landed property,
and his lawyer sent him an urgent tel
egram to bring my mother to the
steamship Office before the boat sailed
They had to verify some deeds at Ill
ington. up the river, before noon. l
was out of the house at the time the
message arrived, and they could not
wait for me. never saw them
again"
Haynes felt the muscles Of his
hands contract involuntarily. The
plot had been backer than he had
suspected. While they had lured him
away on that last morning OF his
freedom. the scoundrels had also con-
trived in some way to separate the
women. Doubtless his wife, If she
still lived believed him and her
daughter dead.
Gradually he drew from her the
story of her trouble. He learned,
partly from what she told him, part
ly by inference that, having separat-
ed the women, the conspirators had
determined to keep the girl In such
a state Of tutelage that she should
be unable to prosecute a search for
her mother-in case she suspected or
learned anything afterward When
in the bitterness of her distress, she
found herself, as she imagined, alone
in the world, the scoundrel Poole had
adopted her, taken her hundreds Of
miles from Nokomis to this remote
town near the Canadian border, and
put her to school. When she emerged,
he had taken her into his home.
When, terrified by the character Of
the place in which she found herself,
Eleanor Haynes had attempted to
escape, rather than lose sight Of
her, Poole had given her position
in his office, keeping her salary so
low that she could save nothing nor
every hope to leave Grand Valley.
But her beauty and ingenious in
nocence had attracted him. For
months he had pursued her with his
attentions; every repulse only accen-
tuated his resolution to win her.
Finally, so desperate had his pas
sion become, that he had risked all
on a single throw. He had threat
ened her with dismissal, hoping to
win her through fear, since by love
he could not do so.
When he had drawn out this story
from her Haynes nerved himself for
the disclosure. He took her hands
in his, and, trustfully, she allowed
him.
Miss Haynes" he said, in chok-
ing voice, your troubles with Poole
seem very big to YOU But they are
nothing to the troubles that confront