Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1855-03-22

aud haggard face Of Dandy shot by the win
dow stwhich The rector and myself were stand
ing. The gale bell was wTung almost imme.
diately, afterward, and but a brief interval
passed before Mr.. Dandy was announced 10
be in waiting. The servant had hardly gain
ed the passage with leave 10 show him in,
when the impatient visiier rushed rudely into
the room in a state Of great, and, it seemed
angry excitement.
! "What, sir, is the meaning OF this illman-
nered iniIusioni" demanded the rector sternly,
"You have pronounced the check paid
away at Bath TO be forgery; and the officers
are, am told, already at my heels. Mr.
Arbutbnot, unfortunately, is not at home, a nd
Il am come, there fore 10 seek shelter with
you"
"Shelter with me, sir ~ exclaimed the in.
dgnant rector, moving, as he spoke toward
the bell. "Out Of my house you shall 60
this instant 70
The fellow placed his hand upon the rev.
erend gentleman sand looked with his blood
sho. eyes keenly in his face.
Don't" said Danby, "don't, for the sal e
I of yourself and yours Don't ] warn you
or, if you like the phrase better, don't for the
J sake OF NE and nine"
"Yours, fellow! Your wife, whom you
have so long held in cruel bondage through
her fears Tor her son, has al lenghth shaken
off that chain. James Harper sailed two
days ago from Portsmouth for Bombay; Sent
her the news two hours since"
"Ha is that indeed SO?" cried Dandy,
with an irrepressible start OF alarm. "Who,
then-- but no matter; here luckily comes
Mrs. Arbuthnot and her son. ALPS right
She will, know, stand bail for me, and, il
need be, acknowledge the genuineSs Of heI
husbands check"
The fellows insolence was becoming un-
bearable, and | was about 10 put him forci.
bly, from the apartment, when the sound oil
wheels were heard outside.
"Hold one, moment" he cried, with We
hemence. "Thal is probably the officers
! must be brief, and TO the purpose. Pray,
madame, do not leave the room for your own
sake ; as for you, sir, command you to re-
/ main p
"What-what does he mean :" exclaimed
Mrs. Arburthnot, bewilderngy, and at the
. same time ciasping her sou who gazed
on Dandy with kindled eyes and angry boyish
defance-tightly TO her siGe. Did the mans
strange worls give form and significance tC
some dark, shadowy, inds,inct doubt that had
I previously haunted her at times judged
so. The rector appeared similarly confused
and shaken, and had sunk neryously and ter
rifed upon sofa.
"You guess dimly, see at what have to
say" resumed Dandy, with a malignant
sneer. "WeIl, hear it then, once for al !; and
then, if you will give Inc up to the officers.
Some years ago, he continued, cold and
steadily, "some years ago woman, nurse,
was placed in charge Of two infant children,
both boys, ont Of these was her own, the 9th.
er was the son Of rich, proud parents, The
, ~oman's husband was gay, jolly fellow who
preferred spending money 10 earning it, and
just then II happened that he was more than
usually hard up. One afternoon, on visiting
his wife, who had removed to distance, he
found that The rich mans child had sickened
OF the smallpox, land that there was no chance
for its recovery. letter conta lining the sad
news was on table, which he, the husband,
took the liberty 10 open and read. After
some reflection suggested by what he had
heard of the lady mothers state of mind, he
recopied the letter for the sake of embodyng
in il a certain suggestion. That letter was
, duly posted, and the next day brought the
rich man, almost in a Stale Of distraction; bu
his chief and Mastering terror was lest the
mother of the already dead infant should heal
!, !, in her then precatouS state, of what had hap
, pensd. The tidings he was sure, would Kill
? ? her. Seeing this the cunning. husband OF the
: nurse suggested that for the present his--tht
cunning one's--child might be taken 10 the
lady as her own, and that the truth could be
revealed when she was strong enough 10 beal
y il. The rich man fell into the ariful uap,and
u that which the husband the nurse had spec.
ulated upon came to p IS even beyond his
!. hopes. The lady grew 10 idolize ler fancied
: child, she has fortunately had no other, and
now think it would really kill her 10 parl
with. him. The rich man could not find il in
his heart 10 undeceive his wife-eveIy year il
became more difficult, more impossible TO do
SO; and very generously, | must say, had he
? paid his nurse for the !orbearance of the
nurses husband. Well,now then, to sum up;
the nurse was Mrs. Dandy; the rich, weak
> husband, Mr. Arbuthnot, the substituted child,
= that handsome boy-my son!'
y A wild scream from Mrs. Arbuthnot broke
; the deep silence which had accompanied this
= + frghtful revelation, echoed by an agonized
cry, ha If tenderness, half rage, from her hus-
band, who had entered the room unobServed,
and now clasped her poSSionatey in his arms.
: The carriage wheels we had heard were his.
1t was long before could recall with calm
ness the tumult, the terror and confusion oil
!, that scene. Mr.. Arbuthnot strove 10 bear his
. wife from The apartment, but she would not
be forced away and kept imploring, with
: frenzied vehemence, that Robert-that her
: boy should not be taken from her.
: al have no wish TO do So-far from IT," said
e Dandy with gleeful exutation. "only folks
: !, must be reasonable, and not threaten their
friends with the hulkS-"
P "Give him anything, anything p broke in
the unhappy lady. 30, Robert! Robert p
u she added with a renewed burst of histeri-
cal grief, show could you deceive me so 2"
u al have been punished, Agnes" he an
: swered in husky, broken voice, "for my
y we'll intended but criminal weakness; cruelty
S pun Shed by the ever present consciousness
j that this discovery must one day or Other
. surely be made. What 10 you want?" he
t added, recovering his hrmness, addressing
!, Dandy,
!. "The acknowledgment of that little BIT ol
: paper in dispute, of course; and say a genu-
0 Inc one to the same AMOUNT"
"Yes, yes" exclaimed Mrs. Arbuthnot, still
II wildly sobbing, and holding the terrified boy
d strained in her embrace, as if she feared he
: might be wrenched from her by force. "Any.
thing-pay him anything"
Z AT this moment, CHANGING to look toward
the door of the apartment, saw that it was
! partially opened, and that Danby's wife was
/ listening there. But what might that mean
But what OF helpful meaning in such case