Western Reserve chronicle and weekly transcript of the times. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1854-1855, 1855-01-10
TRUMBULL COUNTY, OHIO, WEDNESDAY,

"Woman," said he, laying his hand on
it with quivering and convulsive grasp,
81 do give thee all-all ye have come here
10 ask for-thou hast shut my gate against
my first-born, and driven him from my
hearth-so thy own children's children
shall have neither gate nor hearth, kim
dred nor guardians, except among wild
kites and ravens. Thou hast been an ad-
der in my house, and the wolf will come
into thine"
Maud trembled, and drew back and
Arthur, pointing 10 the meagre attorney,
whom he probably mistook, in the disor-
der of his darkening ideas, for his pre-
sumptive heir, added:
"David Gwynne, thou hast come into
my land TO make my child poor-see that
thy oun be not wanderers, and cast out.
Take my land and feed the worms in it."
The last contortion of death mingled
with the grim smile of vindictive scorn as
he spoke, and his eyes stiffened before
the sudden fash of ire had faded in them.
He expired, and Lillian's mother after
few hysleric screams, vented her imPotent
grief and rage on the man of law, who
skulked away from the storm, satisfied
that his client might now possess the
wealth he coveted without the penalty of
marriage He left the house muttering
"David Gwinne will be well quit of
both these shrews. A man must live in
fire who keeps a she tiger"
Maud understood this inuendo, and it
reused her ready spirit of invention and
enterprise to save her daughter and defeat
her enemy. The deed engrossed by
Penmawl lay still on old Arthur Morris's
bed clenched in his hand, which had
grasped in the last pang of existence.
Why should not his name be added, since
that alone was wanting 10 give Lillian
possession of her fathers estate, and to
punish her mercenary lover2 1t was
precious and irrecoverable crisis, which
her mother determined not to lose.
Suddenly she remembered the vagrant
harper who had begged nights lodging
among the straw in her clubhouse and
calling him from his slumber, she asked
if he could write his name as witness to
trifing paper. But this man, whose
eyes had something awful and preternat-
ural in them, replied sternly,
"Thy daughter gave me milk in her
prosperity, and will give her bread in
her affliction. When the morning star
shines, dig under this straw, and that
which is sought shall be found"
He departed as he spoke, and Maud, no
less supsrstiiious than corrupt, was care
full to obey him. She searched secretly,
and discovered small leathern bag con-
tanning paper, on which was distinctly
written, 81 give all to Lillian ap Norris"
1t had no witnesses, but the signature re-
sembled old Arthur's, and she determined
10 assert that it was his handwriting, as
its date was the present day. His death
was not announced till late hour of the
following day, when the presumPtive heir
came, as our female Machiavel expected,
to claim his inheritance, and was taunt-
ingly shown the paper which consigned 1t
wholly to Lillian.
But the fartherest calculations of kna-
very ares oon baffied, as the most cunning
animals are short-sighted. Instead of
proffering marriage again to his deserted
bride, David Gwinne established a protest
against the validity of her father'e last
deed. Maud and Idwal were arrested on
suspicion; but Lillian absconded with
such speed and secresy as to battle the
strict search made for her while court of
Justice examined the deed, to which her
mother had given all the semblance OF
forgery by asserting more than the truth.
II was one of the thousand cases that per-
plex and dishonor human judgment. Da-
vid Gwinne's attorney was, as | have
said, the most prosperous QUE IN Llanbd-
dar, perhaps because one of the most
crafty, yet he could not disprove Maud's
assertion that Arthur Morris had survived
the moment which he thought his last,
and the signature resembled his crooked
and confused handwriting. But though
Idwal bore his examination with stubborn,
and sometimes shrewd zeal in Lillian's
favor, his imperfect intellect betrayed
him into hints which discovered the harp
er's share in the transaction. That i'm.
perfect intellect saved him from the fatal
consequences of the forgery, when it
seemed undeniably proved. Pardon, in
consideration of her age, and other cir
cumstanceS, was granted 10 Maud, whose
sins and struggles for the advancement of
her daughter ended in utter ruin. She
survived onlya few days, and Lillian was
seen no more.
But the total disappearance ofthe harp
er, who had acted so remarkable part
in this transaction, could not be explain
ed. All the bridal crowd at Llanbadan
had noticed his lean unearthly aspect.
and none knew, or could conjecture, how
he came, except the driver Of the hearse
have once mentioned, who remembered
that sPectre-harPer in such attire had