New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-07-15

The husbands good behavior did not long o.
dure; ere two months Of welded life were past
he had fallen again into his cid habits and the
wife, bitterly repentant Of her folly was fain to
confess that nothing but drekd Of her fathers
vengeance saved her from positive ill usage It
was altosether wretched, unfortunate affair,
and the intelligence. sad in itself, which reached
me about tweIvenionth after the marriage,
that the mother had died in childbirth of her
first born, girl, appeared TO me rather q INST
ter Of rejoicing than Of sorrow Or regret. The
shock to poor Dutton was, I understood, ovsr-
whefming for time, and fears were entertained
for his fntellects. He recovered, however, and
took charge of his grandehild, the father very
willingly resigning the onerous burden. I'D
My brother-in-1aw left James Duttonss sneigh
bofhood foE q distant part Of the eountry shout
This period, and saw nething Of the bereassd
father for about five years, save only st two
business interviews The business upon which
] had seen him was the alteration of his will, by
which all be might die possessed Of was b.
qusathed to hin darling Annie His health,sI
was glad to find, was quite restored and IL
though now fifty years Of age, the bright light,
Of his young days sparklsd once m0Fsin hif
keen glance. His youth was, be said, rsnewA
in little Annie. He could even bear to spe4k,
though still with remarseful emotion, Of his gen'
lost child. -,
"No fear, Sharp" he said, So thatI mskf fthat
terrible mistake aasin huf1ie will faIl 81 i've,
please God, with no uHiettersd, sou1Iessg BOBBY
Her mind shall be elevated, besnssful and pure
as her person. You must come aud ss4S Sher.s'sI
promised to do 80 and he vent Ais vay Al
one Of these interviews-the first IL mIsx have
'been--I made chance inquiry for his soh in
Law, HambIin. As the nasae passed my lips, l.
look Of hate and rage flashed vus Of his burning
eyes. did not utter another word, nor did he.
and we separated in silence.
Il was evening, and was returning in gig
from rather long journey into the country,
whenI called, in redemption Of my promise,
upon Jarnss Duttnzs Annie was really, found,
an engaging, pretty, blue eyed, golden-haired
child; and was noDBo much .snrprised IN her
grandfather's doting foudness-a fondnss en-s
trely reciprocated, it seemed, by the little girl
1t struck me, albeit that it was a peril0us
thing for man 81 Dutfon's vehement, fiery
nature to stake again, - he evidently had done,
his all Of life and dhAppiness upon one faii ex-
istence. An fllustration Of my thought or fear
occurred just after We had finished teas a knock
was heard at the outer dpcr, and presently !
mans voice, IN quafreIlfnE, drunken femon-
strance, with the servant Who opened it. The
same deadly scowlI had seen sweep over Dut-
toms countenancetpon the mention Of HaInb
Inns name. again CLEANED darkly there: and
would not be denied, the master of the house
gently removed Annie from his knee and strode
out OF the room.
aFo1low grandpapa.,' whispered Mra Rivers,
highly respectable widow of about forty years
of age, whom Mr. Duttton had enga2ed, at a
high salary, to superintend Annie1s education.
The child went out, and Mrs. Rivers, addrt ssing
me, said in low voice, 6 Her presence will pre-
vent violence; but it ID a sad affair
She then informed me that Hamblin, to whom
Mr. Dutton allowed a hundred year, having be
nf fho fofhnr,c ArIvris
fsystematically worked that knowledge for his
own sordid ends, and preluded every fresh attack
upon Mr.. buttons purse by threat to reclaim
| the child. sit is not the money remarked
Mrs Rivers, in conclusion, g that Mr.. Dutton
cares 80 much for, but the thought thst he holds
Annie by the suferance Of that wretched man
goads him at times almost to insanity
Would not the>fellow waive his claim for
settled increase Of his annuity .''
| ssNo that has been offered to the extent Of
three hundred year; !; but Hamblin refuses,
partly from the pleasure Of keeping such a man
as Mr.. Dutton in his power, partly because he
knows that the last shilling would be parted with
rather than the child It is very unfortunate
business, and often fear will terminate badly 2
The loud, but ,indistinct wrangling without
ceased after awhile, and heard a key turn stiff
K ly in the lock.
The usual conclusion Of these scenes said
MRS. Riverss sss Another draft upon his ssroag
] box will purchase Mr.. Dutton q respite IL long
, as the money lasts. ~ #
I could hardly look at James Dutton when he
re- entered the room. There was that in his
countenance which do not like to read in the
faces of MY friends He was silent for several
minutes; at hast he said, quickly. sternly
g Is there no instrument, Mr.. Sharp, in all
the enginery of law, that can defeat a worthless
villains legal claim to his child p
sc None; except, perhaps, commission of lu7
macy, Or - 5r,5'
/! ssTush tush p interrupted Dutton the fel
low has no wits to lose. That being so-but
E let US talk of something else" We did so, but
on his part very incoherently, and I soon bade
him good night. =
VI This was in December, and it was in February
the following year, that Dutton again called at
our place Of business. There was strange,
stern, iron meaning in his face
SCI am in a great hurry" he said, ssand ]
have only called to say, that shall be glad if
you will run over to the farm tomorrow, on a
matter of business You have seen, perhaps, in
the paper, that my dwelling. house took fire the
night before last. Have you not ! Well, it is
upon that | would consult YOU. Will you
come ?'s r &
Iagreed to do so, and he withdrew. The fire
had not ! found, done much injury. Ithad
commenced in kind of miscellaneous store
i room; but the origin of the fire appeared to me-
moned, perfectly unaccountable.
s'Had it not been discovered in time, and ex-
4 tinguished," observed to Mrs Rivers, 20 YOU
would all have been burned in your BEDS
"Why, no." replied that lady, with some
strangeness Of manner. son the night of the
fire, Annie and slept at Mr.. Elsworthy's,'' d
have omitted to notice, that my brother in Law
and family had returned to their old residence,
sand Mr.. Dutton remained in London whittier
he had gone to see the play"
T "But the servants might have persisted p
!, tsNo. A whim, apparently, has lately seizee
Mr.. Dutton. that no servant or laborer shal
!. sleep under the same roof with himself; anG
. those new outhouses, where their bedrooms ar
u placed, are, you see, completely detached, am
are indeed, as regards this dwelling, made fre
proof" ~
At this moment Mr.. Dutton appeared, and in
fterrupted our conversation. He took me aside
A SWELL" he said, es to whae concfnsion hav
you Gomez The work Of an ineendiary, is i
, not Somebody, too, that knoEs I am not in
sured"- NJ
ii "Not insured !''
"No; not for this dwelling house. Isasa no
renew the policy some months ago"
l "Then," jesting y remarked, 6 you, at al
, events, are safe from any accusation of hav;ns
/ set fire to your premises with the intent to de
= fraud the insurers"
ssTo be sure / am he reoined with quiel
t earnestness, as if taking. my remark seriously
Is'That is quite certain Some one, i am prett
sure it must be- he presently added, astha