The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-05-24
FROM The DEAD PAST
BY GEORGE ELMER COBB.

his natural senses"
81 mean socially and morally
Thus, two men at the club discussed
the member who performed his social
functions as though they were a pen
ance, and cast a chill over all those
with whom he came in contact. The |
first speaker went on:
1T was Is years ago. when he ar
rived at age. He lived in a town sew |
eral hundred miles from here, and |
was engaged to marry beautiful girl. |
Her name was Elsinore Dayton. There
was another sutton. His name, too, |
was Dayton-Horace Dayton, but he
was no relation to the fiancee. Young
Thearle had inherited some money
He had built a rare nest of luxury for
his bride-to-be. It was filled with the
costliest furnishings. Life never
seemed more roseate to a man. One
night Elsinore Dayton disappeared,
Horace Dayton, too. They have never
been heard from since"
"Eloped?"
Presumably so. From that hour of
perfidy and heart-break Marvin
Thearle has been as you now see
him-shunning all womankind, a tyrant
the world"
"And the residence he bui1t?"
with all its rich belongings went
up in smoke one night, and the next
| day he left his native town forever"
Into the store of this misanthrope
there came two days later tall, slen-
| der boy of tender age. He was neat
and clean, but his shoes were patched
and his well-brushed suit was thread
bare. Mr. Thearle gave him mere
passing glance. The manager hired
the boy. who became known as Paul.
A week later the lad was called into
the Office of Mr.. Thearle. The latter
barely nodded to him.
Hang those pictures Of the new fac
tories" he ordered gruf1y.
Paul obeyed AS he stepped from
the chair after hanging the last pic
| ture, however, he stumbled. His pen
ell, a knife and a cheap silver watch
he wore fell from his pocket With a
murmured apology of embarrassment,
the lad started to pick up the scat
tered articles.
The case of the watch had opened.
1t had landed directly against the foot
of the employer, who stopped to pick
1t up. AS he did so, he could not help
but notice the photograph of wom-
ans face pasted inside the case.
With a start, with thrill, almost
with an involuntary cry, Marvin
Thearie stared askance at the facs be
J fore him.
"who-who is this?" he ground out
! hoarsely.
, MY mother, sir answered Paul.
"You live with her.
mot here. not now, sir She is in
another city, but as soon as I earn
enough l hope to have her with me. >
And your father?"
81 have no father, SIR replied Paul
sadly.
Very we'll, you can 60"
Marvin Thearle sent for his man
ager. Briefly, he gave his orders-tc
I discharge Paul at once.
Two weeks after that, as Marvin
! Thearle was turning corner. he al
: most ran into a woman coming from
o standstill, his face turning almos
/ CHASTITY. 1t was E1sinore Dayton. He
I would have passed on. She graspeC
: his arm.
: Wait she spoke unanimously. "
!. should have found you elsewhere, 81
/ I may speak here and now. You arr
i the man who employed my boy, ant
I cast him adrift without character
+ and broke his courage, and he i
dying. But that his kind-hearted land
lady sent me word, I should neve
have seen him again. He CONSTANT,
raves Of your inhuman treatment
Why was it done? How you mus
hate me and mine-but why?"
+ Why! Even on the open stree
If Thearle burst forth with his soul bul
Ell den of years In amazement Elsinor
x Dayton listened. He almost curse
E. her openly.
u 81 eloped with Horace Dayton!" sh
II cried why, after. he had proven t
= me by written evidence that you wer
q already welded to another and l fie
n from my misery, l never saw hill
" again"
OF Howl" cried Inearle SHARPLY u
nc boy, Paul?"
IN rs a poor, homeless child / adopte
az to assuage my loneliness and banisl
i, ment"
al Marvin Thear1e trembled, stron
n man unnerved. The woman, still fai
stood humbly by his side.
He stood beside Elsinore Dayto
two days later, listening to the lov
musical humning of a sweet hon
MT tune from the lips of the recoverin
y, invalid in an adjoining room.
OF "You have brought my boy back
- life," she said gratefully. But fl
" your timely, generous aid he wou
al have died"
ID "Elsinore," he said, can you forget
err "My wicked lack of faith in you
an she faltered-"oh, never, neveri"