Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-07-07


heels. Mr.. Arbuthnot, unfortunately, is
not al home, and am come, therefore. to
seek shelter with you ..... ......
Shelter with me, sir! exclaimed the
indignant Rector, moving as he spoke,
towards the bell. Out of my house,
you shall 20 this instant
The fellow placed his hand upon the
reverend genileman's arm. and looked
with his biood-shos eyes keenly 10 his
face
Don't! said Dandy; 'don't. for the
sake of yourself and yours! Don't |
warn you, or, if you like the phrase bet
ter, doE',, for the sake Of me and mine.
Yours, fellow! Your wife, whom
you have SO long held ih cruz ell bondage
through her fears for her son, has a. las,
shaken off that chain. James Harper
sailed two days ago from Portsmouth
for Bombay. | sent her the news two
hours ago.
'Ha! Is that indeed so!' cried Dandy
with an irrepressible start of alarm
Why then. But no matter; here.
luckily, comes Mrs. Arbuthnot and her
son. Ais right! She will, know,
stand bail for me, and if need be, &C
knowledge the genuineness of her hus.
bands cheque.
The fellows insolence was becoming
unbearable, and | was about to seize and
thrust him forcibly from the apartment
when the sound of wheels was heard
outside. Hold! one moment he cried
with ierce vehemence. .Tha, 10 prob
ably the officers; | mus, be brief then,
and TO the purpose Pray, madam. do
no. leave the room for your own sake !;
as for you. young sir, command you
to remsinr
'What! what does he mean! exclaim-
ed Mrs. Arbushnos bewilderdly. and a.
the same time clasping her son--who
gazed on Dandy with kinded eyes. and
angry boyish defiance-,ighily to her
side. Did The mans strange word. give
form and significance to some dark. in-
distinct and shadowy doub. that had
previously haunted her a, times?
Judged so. The rector seemed to be sim
ilarly confused and shaken, and had sunk
nerveless and terrified upon a sofa.
You guess dimly, | see, a; whs, |
have to say resumed Dandy, with a
mali gnant sneer. We'll, hear it. then,
once tor all. and then if you will. give
me up to the officers. Some, years.
he continued. cold and sieadily-'some
years ago, a woman, q nurse, was placed
i'll charge Of two infant children, both
boys; one Of these was her own: the
other was the son OF rich, proud parents.
The woman's husband was . gay, jolly
fellow. who much preferred spending
money to earning it, and just then i.
happened tina, he WAS more than usual
ly hard up. One afternoon, on visiting
his wife, who had removed to dis
tance, he found that the rich mans child
had sickened with the small pox, aud
,ha. there was no chance of its recovery.
A letter containing the sad news, was on
the table. which he, the husband, took
:he liberty to open and read. After some
reflection, suggested by wha. he had
heard Of The lady-nother's state of
mind. he re-copied the letter, for the sake
of embodying in il a certain suggestion.
That letter was duly posted, and the next
day brought the rich man almos, in a
state of distractions; bu. his chief and
mastering terror was lest the mother of
the already dead infan, should hear, in
her then precarious state. of what had
happened. The ,idings. he was sure.
would kill her. Seeing this, the Gun.
ming husband of the nurse suggested
that, for the present, his-ihe cunning
one's--child might be taken to the lady
for her own. and that the truth could be
revealed when she was strong enough to
bear it. The rich man fell into the trap,
and shat which the husband of the nurse
had speeula.ed upon came to pass e7en
beyond his hopes. The lady grew to
idolixe her fancied child-she has. for
tuna,ely, had no o,her-and now, think
i. would really kill her TO part with him.
The rich man could not find it in his
hear, to undeceive his wife-eyery year
it became moro and more difficult, more
impossible to DO 90; and very generous
ly, mus, say. has he paid in purse for
the forbcaranee oi the nurses husband.
Well. now, then. sum up; the nurse was
Mrs. Dandy; the rich, weak husband,
Mr.. Arbu,hno,; the substituted child, tha,
handsome boy--my SON.
wild scream from Mrs. Arbu,hnoi
broke the dread silence which had ac-
companied this frightful revelation, ech-
oed by an agonizsd cry, half tenderness,
half rage, from her husband, who now
clasped her passiona,-ly in his arms
Tie carriage wheels we had heard were
his. Ii was long before | could recall
with calmness the tumult, terror and
confusion Of that scene. Mr.. Arbu:h-
no. ssrove to bear his wife from the a.
partment, but she would not he forced
away, and kept imploring with frenzied
vehemence that Robert-that her boy
should not be taken from her.
Il have no wish to do so--far from it,
said Dandy with gleeful exultation.--
Only folks must be reasonable, and not
threaten their friends with the hulks'--
Give him any thing. anyihingr broke
in The unhappy lady. 70 Robert! she
4 4. l. A