The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-07-18


of the Mont Crystal estatei denouuce her as
having conspired against the liberty of that child
in having procured her TO be sold as a slave And
| appeal to Heaven to confute or corroborate my
testimony ~ and the avenger raised her hand rev.
ereutIv @BEHoLpl LOOK TO
Mas ARMsrRosei She is falling"
Mrs Armstrong had suddenly dropped to the
floor, her throat swollen, her face purple, her
whole frame convulsedl She was lifted and borne
from the room, and the company broke up in con-
fusion. n+--.---------...--.
GA word with you, Gertrude the Destroyer
commanded the Earl of Clonmachnois, beckOning
the anna ron to the recess Of bay window. Ger
trude still vibrating with the thundern she had
--A 49, L. - 49, @ > ~
! errioiv SsnoGncer3 what have you done
Have you any proofs of what you charge this
woman with7n
@Proofsi Every proof that win satisfy my
own mind None, perhaps, that would convict
her in a court Of justice!n
SExplainln
"That little girl Zoe the schoolmsster's adopt
ed child, who was attached at the Lair as the
| property Of Miss Somervile - that same Zoe
was the eldest daughter of DR. Hector Armstrong
and Genevieve Somerville, his first wife by Sc
cret marriage. This marriage was concealed to
avert the anger Of his father and the disinherit-
ance Of the son. Genevieve had no proofs of her
marriage in her own possession and the birth Of
her child was concealed by Harriet, her foster
mother, TO save the poor motherless girl from the
terrible wrath of her father This conceament
was effected under circumstances inducing the
suspicion that Zoe was the child Of Anna and
Harriet By the Vaccinations of Mrs A rmstrong,
these circumstances were long afterwards used to
procure the attachment of Zoe as slave, in order
az oh mich ha rot mt NJ he 10 how
ever, in advance Of my story. Soon after the
birth Of her child. Genevieve Somervile died
suddenly, and under suspicion Of poison Soon
~s.-7~ ~ - Miss Blackstone narrfeu Or.
Armstrong. He promised Harriet, who was in
his confidence, to acknowledge and take home his
ds7s@hsec' 4 yromisc that he deferred 60 perform
from time to in fact he stood in awe of his
wife. Finally he died without having performed
his promise Just before he was taken to his
bed, he saw Harriet, and told her that he had
made a will acknowledging his marriage with
Miss Genevieve Somerville, acknowledging her
daughter Zoe and constituting her heiress to half
his estates He said that he was resolved to re-
veal the whole matter to his wife. We believe
that he did. But he died. and no mention was
ever made of will, and no step was taken by his
widow to restore his eldest daughter to her rights
If there was will as we fully believe there was,
Mrs. Armstrong probably destroyed it, with all
that could have proved the parentage of Zoe"
"But the servant, then-Harriet! Why did
she not disclose the secret2o
Because it would have done every sort Of
harm, and no good. 1t would have covered an
honest family with shame and confusion, without
restoring Zoe to her rights
81 do not see thsto
"Do you not know, then, that, however honest
and good they may be, the oath Of slave or other
colored person will not pass in slave State
against white person. The disclosure would
have nearly killed the proud old Major Somer.
Vile, because he could not prove the marriage
Therefore Harriet determined TO keep the secret
at least until the death of Major Somerville
You know the events that followed that death
Harriet and George were taken for debt Zoe
| was attached. 1t was two months before Harriet
and George were redeemed from prison. When
they came out, the first thing they heard, with
astonishment, was, that Zoe had been attached.
but WAS now at liberty. The first thing they did
then was TO divulge to Miss Somerville and to
Mrs. Stuart Gordsn and myssf the secret Of
Zos's birth. Then General Stuart-Gord was
admitted to the confidence, and he busted himself
In investigating the affair. Being unable to find
the clew to any other proofs but those of George
and Harriet, it was deemed prudent to take no
] rash step in the matter, bat to watch the course
Of circumstances, and in the mean time to be as
kind as possible to Zoe. And | suppose with
their rascally prudence, they would have watch.
ed the course of circumstance to this day il
had not taken the matter up, and trusted in God
| for the result %
Gertrude the Avengerl But this other mat
! ter Of Mrs. Louis Stuart-G ordon explain thatp
"Mrs. Armstrong, through her omnipotent in
faence over her daughter, separated her from her
husband for no other reason than because General
Stuart Gordon married second timel After
wards she effected divorce, and would have
broken her heart, and Louis's heart, and drawn
you into the marriage with woman whom you
know very well you only pitied, and did not love,
Jamie, If il had not been for mel
"Gertrude the Preserveri Gertrude, I never
loved or admired you so much in ell my life as
this evening Gertrude, lay my coronet at your
feet will 1t please you to pick il upp
"Your mha,?" exclaimed the simple amazon,
looking curiously around her buskins.
Gertrude, will you marry mel"
Why, certamIy-ef eourse-whst makes you
ask such simple questions; and what do you sup
pose ] came to Washington and took all this
trouble fort"
Frobsher lifted her hand to his lips, but Ger
trude clssped her strong arms about him, and
gave him great hug, freely and heartily as IL he
had been Zoe or Louise.
In the mean time scene Of death was trans
piring above stairs. In thickly curtained room,
upon stately bed, lay the wreck Of the naughty
and majestic Hortense Blackstone Armstrong,
still in her robes of state-s magnificent ruin
The Bishop, still in his canonicals, and another
clergyman of the Episcopal faith, stood on one
side of the bed physician and surgeon on the
other; Louis Stuart-Gordon stood supporting
Louise at the foot Of the bed. The Bishop, sum
moned TO the house 10 perform marriage cere- |
mony, was now reading the solemn service Of the |
dying.
Mrs. Armstrong had never spoken or given the
slightest sign Of intelligence from the moment Of
her fall. Her attack was apoplexy--a disease TO
which her full habit of body rendered her pecu- |
liarly liable Terrible was the Struggle between |
Death and the strong physical organization be |
had to conquer! All night long that swollen and
purple face was contorted-all night long that
strong body was oonvulsed. II was the dawn Of
day before that naughty face was composed--be.
fore that proud form still in the rigidity Of
death--before that imperious spirit had migrated
to the great secretp
Peace be with her We do not know whether
or not she were guilty Of the worst crimes laid
to her charge since nothing but strong circum-
stantisl evidence rested against her. We heard
her sccusation-we heard not her defence. She
was struck speeches. and powerless Let us
Judge her lenisntly, or leave her with her God
Immediately after the fopersj, Louis and Louise
Stuart Gordon returned to the Isle Of Rays
Though the papers Of Mrs Armstrong were Diff
gently searched, no vestige Of will or Of mar
rage certificate, or Of any other paper identifying
Zoe, as the Legitimate daughter Of Dr. Armstrong,
could be found Her fate rested upon the gene
rosity Of Mr.. and Mrs Louis Stuart Gordon, who
at once acknowledged her as a sister tand settled
one-haif Of the Mont Crystal property upon her. |
Among the papers Of the deceased however,
were found some letters, dated near Richmond,
Virginia, and touching the health and well-being
Of certain little child, Margaret, there at nurse
simultaneously struck with wild hope, Louis
and Louise FASTENED to the village, and found