The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-09-22
Kind Fate
By George Elmer Cobb
Copyright. 1917. by w. C. Chapman

1t was Il pitiable situation, ana The
two most involved in the same sat Will
others on the rear platform Of the OBJ
servation car of the Overland Limited
silently viewing the darkening land
scapc. 1t had been Il hot day and the
I sleeping coach was close and Stuffy
/ The train had been shuntcd on 4 sid.
( ing near a wretchcd little hamlet
their engine having broken down, and
the crew were awaiting the arrival of
! 4 substitute locomotive.
'IoU Will find -\nice no better. R0S-
\ o"c," Sp"ke his companion in Il low
\ anxious tone. WHY do you 90 through
/ This ordeal twice each year WHEN she
/ has every care, every luxury that
money and affection can provide:"
/ Because | hunger for the old-timc
love-" came the answer in accents Of
! deep emotion. Il can at least sec
Anice at a distance: can feed my s0r-
rowing heart on the hope that some
day she will be restored to us
Il fear your hopes are ba<clo>S.''
murmurCd Eda Walters. "Anicc ever
/ and over reviews the conviction that it
was your fault that little Pearl was
drowned. Her love for you has grown
iato Il perverSion where She shrinkS
with dread, almost hatred. at the mere
mention of your name"
1t was 4 sad tragedy. Roscoe Var
nor and his wife. Anice had led 4
happy life for fifteen years. her sister.
Eda, living with them. Warner was
wealthy and life was one placid DAY Of
sunshine and happiness. Pearl their
only child. had gone with her father on
one of his business trips To n distant
city. One section of the route was on
steamer line. Amid the riot and CON
fusion Of a sudden storm little Pearl
had been swept overheard and
drowned. Her body was recovered. but
her mother never saw the face of her
dear one again. When the dreadful
news reached Mrs. Warner she was ut
tcrlv crushed. For months she lay in
fever and delirium. When she came
back to life again her mind was a
wreck. Her physician reported his be
lief that She would never recover her
full reason and advised that she be re-
moved permanently to some distant re-
treat. An isolated but beautiful estate
in California was purchased y-hcr de-
voted husband. Eda. the sister, became
her nurse and guardian.
From the first Mrs. Warner evinced
tI,,,. IN 60, T. l.
him she ascrhed all the blame for the
loss of her little one. She seemed to
entertain consuming hatred for him
whenever he was in her presence, fly
ing into the most unreasonable pas
sion. The physicians declared that
this deluSion must be catered to.
Thenccforth. twice year. when Eda
came East for brief visit to her
parents, leaving her sister under COM
netent care. Warner accompanied her
back to the California home
There he would linger about the
beautiful country place, never reveal
ing himself to the wife he idoliZpd, hut
from carcening shrubhery. or recring
through open windows he would catch
vaCrant glimpSes of Anice Her mood
had changed to more Quietudo. but
thorc was not day that she did not
refer to her lost darling.
"tnd he took her away. the mon
Ster" she would rave. "IIc has hidden
her. He has given her to some new
mother he loves better than he does
me. Oh. cruel, Crscl,"
This had been the mOurnful routine
of five long years. For the tenth time
Roscoe Warner was once more entered
upon the hapless hcgira, to go back
to his lonely life in the Eastern city
and endure its Indebtedness, only be- |
see the wife to whom he dared not re-
veal himself
And now, though both these loyal |
souls never dreamed it, fate was
weaving strange crisis in the tragedy |
that had wrecked their lives.
Two years previous q brisht-eyed |
beautiful girl of twelve had been |
farlned out from an orphans home to
Levi Gore, man of family having a
small slovcnly cared-for farm not more
than a mile from the railroad siding
where the Overland Limited was now
stallede She had never known father
nor mother. She had never received
love or sympathy, though her longing
childish heart craved the same hun
-rily. The Cores made slave Of her.
Mrs. Gore beat her. Upon that event
Jul night. with great stick the old
had started to belabOr the
frightened child for some trivial re-
nissness. Wanda had fed A big
brutal son Of the household was sent
o bring her back. The chase led
ownward. Exhausted. desperate, lit
lie Wanda had reached the siding. She
;nrang up the steps Of one Of the cars,
'ntered a deserted sleeping coach and
lodf ed behind the curtains of n made
~ berth. There she lay. painting and
and lapsed into slumber.
Within an hour the tain started up.
Hiss Walters went to her berth, bid
ling her brother-in-law. Who occupied
section at the end of the same coach.
'ood night. With a strangely per-
urhcd face she came back to him alb
NIFTY.
"hrother. quick" she treathed OK
itndly. "the strangest thing. Look.
b. ;oOki" !