The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-06-19
A CRY IN
THE NIGHT
By CENEVIEvE ULMAR

Seated before the blazing crate In
his lonely home. Phillip Vance was I'M
mersed In painful thoughts. Two vivid
pictures, coming, going, haunting,
agonlzing at times, stirred his spirit
to its depths.
lie had known two women In his
life who had filed it and then van
ished. His lips grew stern as he re-
called Vera Liscomb and pictured her
dark, scornful siren face. 1t was an
instinct of pity that had led him to
be friend of one who came across
his path as a poor orphan girl, with
a tale of friendlessness and struggle.
the very falseness of which made him
doubt all mankind when he came to
know that she was a scheming. heart
less adventures. Sorry for her ap-
parent loneliness he had asked her
to become his wife. He did not love
her; 1t was all an impulse of sympa-
| thy. Her brother had preyed upon
him for monetary assistance. and when
Vance was certain of the stained past
of the plotful twain he had confronted
| them with q stern, set face.
I'm that envelope" he said, casting
the same before them, "is money
enough, I hope. to take both of you
out of my life foreverl"
The man had seized the envelope
with eager avarice. The woman had
turned on Vance In a fury of hate
and menace. She raved. she threat
ened, she swore to have revenge. She
admitted her unworthiness, she even
Haunted It In his face.
A year later, after the scar had
healed, he met Evelyn Wilton, simple
country girl. She was the direct OPP
posite of that other one. 1t seemed
as if destiny, seeking to make amends
for the first stunning blow to faith
and hope, had brought into his life
an angel. Love irradiated the hours.
They welded, and at the end of a
year a sweet little cherub. Dorothy.
came TO bless their happy lives.
And then-heartbreak, devastation.
misery, sudden as lightning stroke.
Vance came home one day TO find the
house deserted-wife and child were
, gone. For a week he sought them
f frantically and then came letter ex-
\ planning all. 1t was signed with the
4 initials of Vera Liscomb and II gloat-
: ed over the revenge accomplished. He
e was told that Evelyn had fed from him
as from a pestilence. Crafty the
cruel siren had poisoned every thought
: of the pure. innocent wife and he
would never see her sgaini Then
II 1 ha6 Inf a nj
monotony. suffering. feeling bereft of
all that made life worth living.
"Hark -
z Involuntarily the word rose to his
| lips. Outside there was borne upon
o the chill night blast cry-long, wall
a Ing, infantile. He knew not why, but
" the accents seemed to echo within his
: very soul. He FASTENED TO the door.
r opened II and stared down oft basket
covered with a warm wrap. Trembling
y all over he lifted II into the room and
1r drew aside the covering.
Sc Dorothy" he gasped. and tottered
p and reeled. His own child.
Instantly he ran for a neighbor and
! his wife. Incoherently informing them
d of the situation, Vance dashed forth
into the storm and darkness in quest
,r Of the person who had left him a
Sc blessing, but had disappeared. leay
id ing mystery unsolved. Had the moth
o. err brought the child, or sent II? A
I'd least she was the inspiration for the
L. act. He spent weeks seeking TO trace
ne the mother, but his efforts met with M
- success. <.-~
= Time drifted on and the child be
came the one thought OF his life. III,
40 employed a kindly old lady as house
w keeper, and day by day. the little on
IS. grew dearer and nearer to him. On,
e. night a telephone message reaches
al him, announced as from a large cit,
IS hospital.
y "a dying woman begs us TO send 70
you," 1t said. and, thinking Of his wife
Vance FASTENED upon his eager mis-
sion. He was amazed when he wa
IN shown TO a cot upon which lay wha
cs was left Of Vera Liscomb. He wa
Or shocked as he viewed the wreck o
j. a once dominant grace and beauty.
Is 81 have but few hours TO live" sh
j. breathed, catching feverishly at hi
&c hand. 81 could not die with my aw
v full deeds upon my soul. j cannot RI
re store your dear ones. for ] know no
III whittier they went, but OIL say tina
you forgive"
Then the quivering woman san
back. Vance stepped from the roor
ls as a physician FASTENED to the co
D with a reviving cordial.
III ~Send the new nurse to take charg
u of the case" he directed an assist
ant. Vance, his head bowed In son
. Der thought. looked up startled
from the lips of Vera Liscomb ther
burst forth the impassloned words:
"ohl heaven has answered m
prayer, Philip yance-your wifel'
Vance stood spellbound. Appearin
through the doorway was the ne
nurse. After all the years-his wife
Quick come here!" cried Vera Ii