Show A NOBLE DEED S am telling yoi you yot theS the tho S truth sir you can canS cando Y S do like lit said saidu I u it tall taB spectral spectral- u faced fud CUI g man nth one aim in a asUng 5 sUng to 11 o some w h lb hit it hi t flustering conductor of a on the r railway me cue wintry vil day ays some months alter aier the tite i battle of I bate S I Il lurg ur I A As soldiers soldier's 3 shabby overcoat b hung ug loosely about his hs attenuated form form p I fonn-I p soldiers soldier's dingy cap covered the brown biown ends curls a above ove his pale forehead His history can be told told in a n few words words Just released from front prison wounded prison wounded sick sIck furlough sick furloughed furloughed and ed-and and ro going ng home Government had nad led Ild him with n a n pass pas to New ew York but tin thi h had bad been BO 50 unfortunate as to iu iii il Baltimore and ond of courte e he be had no money monc This smart of did liot ri n. n word o o of of h his D si story however 1 i-I i He lie had had seen too many humbugs of that kind to be taken in easily as ns he Ito confidently nty informed an nn acquaintance near by but buti butin butin in i a n tone loud enough for the the soldier to t hear distinctly Ralph Moretons Moreton's cheek flushed buthe but ut uthe he be was w as silent Orders are arc positive sir said thea the a f You must either 4 put ve ytm Tc ivin put off of art at tl tt i e stopping stopping place I Very cr well veli sir sh returned Moreton I quietly though an nn involuntary shiver ran rn over o his hi bloodless frame me as he ho i glanced through the window at the I I storm of blinding blinding- sleet leet without I h Conductor bald baid a young girl gir of 14 1 or 15 with a school atchel of books booles on her arm m What What is that about putting putting- somebody off of She was occupying the next seat behind be bo- hind More Moreton ton and had heard beard something of the thc conversation between him and the conductor The Tho latter later touched touched- his hat to t hex her deferentially Evidently he knew who she sho a wan ne Beg your pardon Miss but here is i a fellow pretending to be a soldier and he says Ys he Ito has lost hits his pass and has no money to t pay his fare fare And Im I'm Im under the necessity of putting him off om Youre under no such necessity at atall It Itam all am alli said the young lady imperiously How much is tb the fare Foar Foul dollars The he bright eyes of tile the tle girl took toole in with a saucy half hal pitying half glance the thin f fitCe ice turned toward her bel and Ind then she took tok out of her pocket a dainty little gold clasped port mon Dale and drew forth a crisp nosy new bank note not Leaning over she touched Ralph More Moreton n on the tile shoulder See ee here Mr Soldier said she sho Papa gave gave me this money to buy a alace alace alace lace colar collar I 1 can do with it as a I 1 please I 1 am going to give it to you ou to pay your yom way home home and and hOlc-and and so so- so soI sung out the tile conductor and nud before Moreton cocU utter a a word o of or thanks the girl gir had gone out with the tho crowd But nut the tIO 10 bill bi was 1 in his hie hand and the thin touch of her breath yet fragrant flagrant on his bits cheek The young soldiers soldier's cheek crimsoned at thought of the child's childs frank lend hind hind- ness nes and he be would have havo given a great geat deal if i he be could have kept the identical note as a a a souvenir but that eyed eagle conductor was waiting to make mako the change Keally said he lie quite quie an episode Lucky Lueky for you my man luau for the storm is fearfuL More Moreton toil made no no reply He took hit hie hi change chango in silence but his ills trembling hands dropped some of it on the floor 1001 I S and in st stooping ping to pick it up he bc saw a almot knot of pink ribbon which had fallen falen from the young ladys lady's hair lb Ho no had noticed it among the glossy braids brIds and thought how IW lovely was the the contrast between it i and the beautiful curling chestnut hair mir which had hid defied braid and pin to keep it quite in place I pounced upon the bit of ribbon eagerly and bid hid upon it in the pocket breast of ills his 15 overcoat overcoat He lie le might never see her bright young face again but at all 11 events he lie IC had bad something which ll had d been hers hers Then he lie pulled his ca cap over his face and sunk Bunk back baek in his corner and spoke to no one until the train rushed into nto the bust bustling ng depot at the end of his bis hisS S journey S Ills Js la lady y mother and ancl ills his hi sister sinter R Rosa sn were there to meet him and he a was kissed and caressed and pitied pied an and ana until he lie almost felt himself a n little tn e boy and not a a. a a bearded hero bero home from the wars WI f. And when ben y his hs own luxurious ous fireside freid Ralph h Moreton told tol the story of his hs destitution SlId and Bud of th the lit lit- lit tic tor girls gills generosity iy both Kosa osa and te lIr Irl Moreton declared ho lie must search the world over for her and ond give her no the end of lace collars K A 4 brief furlough until his wound vi was sas as aswell well v and then theu Capt Capt Moreton rejoined his Ills l. l regiment Not however without making inquiries relative to Mist Miss I which bore ore no wort inquiries es I fruit and left him quite quit a as no ignorant ol ot t hud had been bean at t tL lJ r as its ho lie Ie Je n L P I ISo first So he ite went pack nack to the army and nud fought le the war through but he alway carried that knot bf tf pink pinic ribbon on about I him and l never ver quite gave up Ip the hope of tf finding his bis hi little benefactress s. s 5 5 At the end of the war vat Cal Col Moreton returned to New York and entered largely into int business and become a aI I successful and prosperous importer He lie le was a favorite in society and fair young belles beles fished perseveringly for him ll n and mammas with daughters on their hands bands courted him assiduously but but without material success He le was thirty thirty three now v. a and d people called caled him hima hi a aery very ery cold unimpassioned sort of man luau and anti perhaps ho be was wasl for forat at thirty thirty- three the the the-hort of an nn unmarried unmarred man manIs mani manis is i generally pretty much gone to seed lint But lut Ralph Moreton lla kept himself himsel pure in heart and life Ute and such a man manou ou ought ht to t be respected In these degenerate degen degen- crate erate days days At the close of a wintry afternoon of mist and drizzle Ralph Moreton oreton was putting on his fur overcoat to t go home from rom his ls place of business Some Iome one rapped timidly at the door of the handsome room counting room and a womans woman's soft voice asked for Mr r. r Dixon the head clerk clerI Dixon smiling ambling and plausible stepped to the door Whatever What ever the tho ladys lady's r request was it was performed per per- formed formell in a 1 low Jow voice Well Veil Wel really Miss Miss said Mr Dixon I 1 am sorry we can do for you Very sorry I 1 Times dull money dun money hard hard bard work scarce I Everything at ruinous rinous prices I II II I 1 have been told BO so 10 a great man many v times during the past three weeks said tile the tle sweet street sad voice which stirred so strangely some forgotten half memory nemory iu iti the breast of Ralph Moro More ton Indeed I would not uge urge you but I 1 must have food lood for my father He le Heis is ill i and very old and helpless Sorry t begat began bega DL Dixon on but Ralph stepped stopped quietly before him and motioned mo mo toned him back bace to his hs deskI desk desk I am Mr eton Moreton he said taid kindly tell me inn what you desire Before ho bo spoke he had time to observe ob oh- ob serve her fully A tall taU slight figure in mourning a pale face lighted by brown eyes and framed in lu curlu curling S I I i I I chestnut hair The face of a 1 woman woman woma who had bad known much sorrow but after ofel all al the face tace of the careless happy school girl gid he be had met five years ago ngo But lut no flush fush of re recognition glowed on oct her cheek and Ralph suffered a apang apang pang to think that she whom he remembered re ye so long had forgotten him him She stated her ller business tremblingly lie ne knew she was just on the brink of tears tear Poor Ioor Por child hil she had been so ho many tny times repulsed that hope had had almost failed luied in her breast breast bhe thc would copy papers or keep hooks books books but she must take tale work worle home bome because I of her fattier father faller Ralph unlocked lilt lih hs private desk dealt and took out a pile pie of ol papers at random landom nearly all aU of theta them old worthless le let t r bills bis of exchange exchange ex ex- change invoices etc but he lie assumes the tile gravest of business airs as he lie made them into a n package and handed them to her to be carefully copied at her ber earliest curliest carlest convenience And t then en he lie gave lIe her ten dollars as ns her first weeks week's salary How her white while face lighted up at sight of the money money money-it it would do o EC so I much Juch good for her pOr poor old ol father I Site bhe thanked him quietly and hurried h awa away Duse luse take it I said Dion Dion round round- eyed eye eyed l with wih won wonder cr th s 's a queer way of doing business I You didn't even cven look at ut her ller or ask lice her bel her name I Moreton smiled in a curious u way ay but bul gave his clerk cleric no information on the subject subject The rhe papers were alt all brought back neatly neaty copied In le less les than titan ave l land and J r t n saw sav il th that t th the t girls girl's eyes were brighter and bet hei cheeks checks i osier rosier indeed she was quite quie like the tile little beauty w with wih ith the satchel satch l lof of books bools was alone in the office when she came and after looking hooking over the work worl he took tole a seat beside beside her hel Miss said he lIe I Iss am got forry Fory that that your memory is less les faithful than mine I do not understand you youl yoni she said with a 1 slight shade of ot haughtiness No o Hut lint I 1 ask asle you to stormy winters winter's day five years ago ngo the scene a n crowded railway car the a self important sel conductor a forlorn wounded penniless soldier and a n faced bright ri ht- ht young school girl in ina a plaid dress with wih pink ribbons on her hair See here heie is one ne of the tho very ver knots which tied her brown braids and he held up the pink ribbon to hex astonished eyes She remembered it all al then and the contrast between the tJ happy life she had known rand cand the tho dreary present was too much I She tried hard llord to restraIn restrain re reo strain h herself tile but effort efort was vain and aul down went vent her head on the ta table le and she sobbed like a child Ralph Moreton lifted her up and Ind smoothed back the hair from her hot hal ho forehead My little girl gir said he be I loved you then I 1 lot lore lo e you Jou now v. Surely l e years year of devotion oton dc will wil give me mc an ext ex excuse cuse cuso for speaking I do not ask asic any answer now you now you shall have weeks to think of it in and in-and and meanwhile I will wi make the acquaintance of ot your father Ho He walked home homo with her er that evening even evea ing and nod learned the whole sad Ead history of fallen falen fortune fortune Nothing new v ne only new only the old story of speculations loss and ruin afterward Mrs r. r death cleath and then her husband was waa wa stricken with wih partial paralysis which unfitted him for any kind of labor or business business Then ben everything fell fel upon Mauds Maud's young shoulders and many and man many a time the girl gir had bad suffered foi lot bread bread She was was not to suffer for lor anything longer It I was a delightfully easy elY lash tasU for lor her to learn lear to t love Ralph Moi Moreton and not lint three months after he lie found his little litte help in time of need he lie carried her home to his lila handsome house his bis wife wife |