OCR Text |
Show I V..V.'...V.V.V.V.V V.V.V.VAV.'.f.'.J.'.X-J ! STANLEY'! RETURN 1 ' " i;! By GEORGE MUNSON. Q ,V.' V..V.V.V.VtV..V.V.V.-. ... Ilobert Stanley was running away. Tho train was a local. Tlmt was p'art of his scheme At Philadelphia ho meant to catch n quick train to tho South. Thonco ho could mako his way undetected to South Amorlca. Ho felt ns eager as n schoolboy over It. And it occurred to him that-hls past llfo had ended when Miriam had died. Tho flvo and twenty yoars that had olapscd was only an intorludo. Ho looked up as tho train stopped nt a small station with an odd sonso of familiarity. Ho saw tho namo Mr-mlngham. Mr-mlngham. Why, tiiat was his homo town, and ho had nover been homo slnco his mother died. Ho had always al-ways meant to, until ho heard of Miriam's marriago, and then 'ho had dropped a veil ovor tho past. Now ho had a sudden longing to bco tho llttlo placo again. He took his suitcase nil ho wob carrying with him and got off. Two othor passengers woro leaving tbo train. Ono was a man about flfty-flvo, tho other a girl of nineteen or twenty. As Stanloy stood or. tho platform alio turned, nnd ho saw Miriam looking nt him. ' Ho raised his hat automatically, gaspod, and stood Btaring at her foolishly. fool-ishly. Tho girl looked doubtful for n moment then sho whispered to her father, who turned with a puzzled expression ex-pression upon his faco. "I beg your pardon," stammered Stanley, "but my nnmo is Robert Stanloy, Stan-loy, and I I soomod to recognize " "You did," smiled tho man. "What an odd mooting I My namo is Roger Loston, and this Is my daughter Miriam. Hor mother often spoko of you." "I know you from your photograph, I Ir. Stanloy, at onco," said tho' girl smiling. "Though it was takon boforo I was born " "I fool complimented," said Stanloy. Stan-loy. ''Aro you staying in Birmingham?" inquired tho othor. "It bo you must bo my gucbt. I hopo you won't.refuso, for my wifo always spoko- bo kindly of you; in fact, I understand you wore nn old admirer of hers?" Kindly of him? Could anyono hnvo over spoken kindly of him? Stanley was unguarded. For tho first tlmo in a scoro of years ho dropped tho mask of coldness that ho presented to tho wojld. "And I know all about you," tho el-dorly el-dorly gentleman continued. "I was saying to Miriam only yestorday that you must be harnsscd to death, by thoso Wall street scoundrels. Wo hopo you'll best them. You seo, wo all speak kindly of you in Birmingham. It will bo a 'great honor " Poforo Stanley could rocovor from Iho surprlso of this dramatic mooting . h6 had ncccptcd Leston'a hospitality overnight. But on tho following morning morn-ing ho found himself unablo to rise It was nothing serious, tho doctor i 'said, but weeks of anxiety had broken down Stanlcy'u strength. And, com' I Ing back to tho old town, with Its boy-1 boy-1 hood memories, ho had yiolded-to tho weakening and softening influence llo was llko a runnor who drops exhausted ex-hausted at tho ond of a race. For I flvo days ho did not stir from his room; ho wn3 too exhausted to leave his bed, evert, during tho greater part j of them. I Loston had scrupulously respected j his secret, ami, aB Stanloy had given j out thaho intended to spend n wook in tho mountains no nnxloty or sur-I sur-I prise was caused by his disappear-I disappear-I anco. I On tho sixth day ho camo to tho j conclusion that tho old llfo, always hateful, was now impossible. But tho Idea of running awny had somehow bo-conio bo-conio equally impossible. Liro seemed I construablo only In terms of tho lit- H tlo town and Miriam. ( In tho girl ho Baw his old lovo, I fairer, and with tho Bamo winning charm nnd Bw&clnoss. And with tbo f now llfo to begin, It Boomed unbollov- j ablo that ho should not havo Miriam I to sharo 1L That nlEht ho had a frank talk t with Mr.' Loston. Ho had already r showed him much of hlmsolf, but now t ho bared his llfo from tho beginning. Ho told him his hopes and fears; how j ho had planhed to run away, how tho ( otruige meeting had affected him. "It may sound strange to you, sir, ' In a man of forty-live," he aaid, "but 1 1 j fuel like' a young follow coming to j you to ask for your daughter's hand l If Miriam does not consider tho dif-1 1 feronce in our ages nn irreparable disqualification, may I havo your per-mlnslnn per-mlnslnn to ask her to become my wifo?" Loston clapped him on tho shoulder, shoul-der, "lliero is noreason why you shouldn't, Ilobert," he said. "I don't think- age changes our real natures very much. It would glvo me much happiness. And 1 believe you aro J the only American man 1 know who has gone tp the fathebufore going to tho daughter." Stanley found Miriam In tho garden. gar-den. "I have coino to say good-by, ' ho said, taking hor hands In his. "I am-going am-going hack u, faco the music. And when 1 roturn l don't know when I filial! ask you to he ray wifo." Tho girl's oyoa filled .with tours. "I have lovod you nil my llfo boforo 1 ovor nw you," sho said. "And mother moth-er used to nay sho wished 1 could marry a man llko you. You boo, wo all think bo highly of you In Binning ham," (Copyright, 1915, by W. O, Chapmun.) |