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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 1889)
H2 WKST SIIOIIK. od hlalory ; which u, In ubtance, that he was found by om Aihermen mllrm off the coant from Monterey, California, lathed to r tml kept eliove watr by a mm with i life ireaenrer. The latter wa almot exhatiRtcd and lived but few hour. Ila tu (peechlee, but when they inkrd hiui if the child tu hit lit ihook hit head In the negative, and did the turn when axked If lie knew who it wan. On the little girl's clothing were the Initial " (I. 0." Khe seemed to be about two year old, and wa tuken rare of by a fUhermen' family until li ; then adopUtd or at leant Uken-by a childlen couple named Irving, who came to AuaUall aoine three year tince. Tltey are nut wealthy Irving 1 a good fellow but co financier. Imogene-a the Irving named her I tall, ha a good figure -favor yourwlf In thlt I think-and I a decided blonde, with real or Imaginary, resemblance to the picture you on. showed me of your wife. Hhe wa reerued the tame year that the Sturm Rtrd went down. Now I know no more ; but am atrongly Itnpmwed with the fact that Imogene Irving and Uia loet baby, (irate Gettwood, are Identical. I pray heaven that It may lie to at leant. Come and bm for yourtelf I my advice. Your Friend, . . John IIkatii. No wonder tli limn, who for fifteen year had mourned a on having no hope in thin worM, caught at the ray held out ti him in thin li tter iih h ilnm ning man eatche at a straw. He had had husinc in Jainn ami taken hi wife ami baby girl with him. Hefore hi hueim wn comlete. there, wont nunc to them of the ickuc ami threatened death of Mm. (lettwood fnthiriu iK-nver, Colorado. The lady VM. larked on the flrtt hnmewHr.l IhhiikI vessel, which rhnncisl to he the Storm ,. the sn one on which Tom Vmler w a expe. ted-in the company of two lady missionaries, coming home for rent. A we know the vessel went down with it living freight. lcfre the ,,rm Hint hn.l Wn out a week, Prof. (i tlw.Mi. wa taken violently ill. At the time, he wa on hi way U-warJ the interior in search of botanical , eeimens the search for whi. h had Wn (he miun ,J(, f voyage and among strangers, rhielly nntivc. .N-veral month iU.i Mfore he rench.-d San Francisco. Kh.m there he t.cgrnph.d to Ib-nv.-r, wildly hoping that the new of the St,,nn .'in'i U might 'lie fw.; IkiI in vain. Th. y had never had one word in response to the me..,. t to Japan ; and did not know that the young wife had undertaken the h eward voyage. All the information that he could glean wa that the vr, had (tone down with all on Wrd Itroken hearted he n-amed aiml.ly ut for vear U fore he cvt.ld again take up the thread of life, and resume the lull of In. ,r,,f,,,i. ivrh,,,, i , thil( tilU). ,m friend had wrmcd itr d.-ar to him than hi old rol ler, hum, John Heath. Twin he had cnt a ,,,, with him and hi charming family in MelUurnc ; and m attractive had Urn the (Wa of the iMlld to the botanical .rvf.-s..r,thet he had pn.inic another visit in the m-ar future. Hut the rvc ipt of Jhn Heath' letter had determined him to resign his position in an eaHtern university and go at once. Imogene. Irving turned from her mirror with a smile of satisfaction. "I hope this new father of mine will be pleased with tne," ulie said aloud. "Oh dear, I hope he really in my father, and rich aH Croesus. I am tired of thiH pinched way of living, every look and act of one's life a pretence, junt for the sake of keeping up appearances. How different my life and Alma Heath's. She don't know what it in to turn and scrimp, and has never en dured the agony of wearing cotton lace and slippers, and don't have to make two silk dresses do for ten. I don't lielieve that I was born poor, my tastes are so expensive, and I like nice things so well. Yes, I am tired of jMiverty and hope this unexpected luck is good luck. The Heaths say that he is wealthy and travels a good ileal, and that would just suit me. To be sure I shall rather hate parting with Father and Mother Irving ; but one can not have all the good things of life at once." Some one called her from the hall Mow. " I'll bet that's him," she exclaimed inelegantly, turning to once more survey herself in the glass. Complacently she patted the butterlly bow at her throat and de scended. Prof. George (iettwood, standing by a window of the small. flashily furnished Irving parlor, pressed his hand to his heart in the vain hope of stilling its wild throbbing. A movement outside and he started nervously. What would the opening of that door re veal? Would it confirm his hopes or dash them to the earth forever ? Imogene, with her hand on the knob, felt a sudden choking in her own throat. Would she, a moment later, lie standing face to face with one of her own tlesh and blood? it was a supreme moment in both their lives. Softly the door swung back, and they stood revealed to each other's anxious gaze. There was a brief silence, and the I'rofcssor reeled and groped for a chair. " Mother ! " Imogene cried. "There, I am letter now, thanks I only a slight liin.na," he Kaid as mother and .laughter hurried t hi nide. With evident reluctance Mr. Irving repeated b the story hi friend had already given him, but ' ! ,M l,ttI" t 't- Vainly he question.nl the girl. 1'iit her recollections were confin.Hl to a faint meinorv "t 'k pretty woman in the midst of a terrible Jtorm, aying and calling for someUidy to save her W'jr. iWmg hi head on his hands the proud man Tl bitter, m aiding tear.