Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1918-07-04

hair back trifie from your left ear.
do not mean TO be rude, but | want
to Identify you, as your name is I'M
familiar. / lost a very dear friend
years ago l have looked for her but
have not found her. Today Blair
tells me she may have been In my
home for weeks past"
From the depths of her chair she
looked up at him. There was little
smile about her lips as she replied
"The years have effaced the scar,
Mr.. Henderson, If ii is that you have
In mind"
"Thank heaven If there is no trace
of 1t. l have always been afraid
disfgured you for life. But without
it how am l TO know thS you are
really your
Am / so greatly changedY
"You have heard of the duckling
and the swami
surely it was not as bad as that.
but now that you mention 1t | recall
that you named me 'duckling. She
laughed. 81 have been wondering how
I y
me and when | entered the room had
reached the moment when | despaired
of telepathy. Mr.. Henderson, | must
have made of your life burden. Boys
do not always care for alteration, and
adored YOU"
at deyelopes chivalry in the right
sort OF a fellow" he answered thought
fully, as he watched her. 81 have
often wondered what became of you;
why YOU should have dropped so ut
terly from out my life. | was bewii-
dered when | found you gone. | had
been so long accustomed to alteration
| that 1t was hard to adjust myself TO
the colder attitude of those about me.
You had grown into the very fibres OF
my being. The duckling was lovable.
| ! missed her and | missed the care I
took of her, although the scars did not
! attest to II. | wanted to die when I
/ saw you lNing in the snow with the
blood running down your face
! He smiled at the remembrance. mo
| -ne seemed to know where your father
went after your mothers death. But
/ ! made Il covenant with myself; TO
/ find You | never thought of you as
| grown up. It was always as my little
sweetheart, which of course was fool
.sh."
"Why. Of course" she asked sedate-
| ly. Don't you think child can re-
tain memory" She unpinned the
watch hanging upon her breast, open
! ed II and held IL so that he could see
| two little birds drawn upon a scrap Of
paper.
II can match that" He snapped his
/ own open showing two hearts pierced
| by a dart. But there was something
/ else" He was showing more of ear
nestnesS than the occasion seemed to
| demand.
The girl colored. 81 have forgotten"
'Your pardon, but I think not"
/ She still held her watch, but as he
spoke IT fell from her fingers. Some
thing bright rolled away from it and
| slip of paper fell so that a line of
writing was visible.
| Blair Henderson stopped, his color
! rising as he picked up the trities.
''Why did you say that you had for
| gotten?" he asked. did you believe
| the boy could know what he wanted
and not desire it as MANI" He
| looked at the tiny ring set with tur-
| quoise forget-me-nots; the scrap of
| paper upon which was written TO my
/ wife, "Was that the reasonY
"Why should | remember anything
| when for four weeks | have been a
guest in your home and you did not
recognize me1"
"That is over and done with. I
| know you now, although l yet do not
understand your change of name. Are
| you going to play with me or will you
| be honest and give me the chance TO
show you the man is as earnest as the
| boy once was?
II think, Blair, the difference be-
| tween the man and the boy is only a
matter of years He seems about the
same 10 me-
"And the girl? Has she changedT
"When her father died she was
adopted by very dear aunt and took
her name. Inc years made great
| difference in appearance, but other
wise she did not alter. Old memories
were too precious TO part with and she
still cllngs to them. cannot play
with you, Blair / am happy In the
thought that boy and man are Of the
same mind, and If the little ring was
not so small l would be wearing II
now
THAT is fault easily remedled" he
returned, as he drew her TO him. "You
must let me have the measure OF your
finger"