Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1855-03-22
EATON, PREBLECOUNTY, 0. MARCH %, 1855

| did as he requested, and the instant /
placed the liquor frame before him he seized
the brandy cGrafs and drank with fierce
e9gernesS. "For goodness sake p ! exclaiIn-
ed, "conSideT what you are about, Mr. Ar
buthnot; you will make yourself ill.,"
"No, no." he answered, after Flushing his
draught. 1t seems scarcely stronger than
water. But IL am better now. II was
sudden Spasm Of the heart-that is all. The
letter, he added sfter long and painful pause,
during which be eyed me, thought with q
kind Of suspicion-"'the letter you saw me
open just now comes from relative, an aunt,
who is i'll very i'll, and wishes to see me in-
stantly. You nnderst, nd ~
did understand, or at least feared that
did too well. ! however bowed acquieScenoe
and he presently rose from his char and strobe
about he apartment in great egitation, until
his wile'S bedroom bell rang. He then stop
ped Suddenly short, shook himself, and looked
anxiously at the reflection Of his flushed and
varying countenance, in the magnificent chin
ney glass.
al DO not look, tbink-or at least shall
not, in dorkened room-odder, more out Of
he way-that is more agitated-than one
tmust appear after hearing Of the dangerous
illness of--of-an--an aunt"
"You look better. sir, than you did while
since"
ayes, yes; much better, much better. |
am glad you say so. That was my wife IS
bell. She is anx ious no doubt 10 see me-"
He left the apartment, was gone perhaps ten
m nuteS; when he returned, was thought
less nervous than before. rose 10 60. "Give
my respects" lie sa id, ITO the coed rector,
and as an especial favor" he added, with
strong emphasis, "let me ask Of you not to
mention 10 living soul that you saw me so
unnamed as | wos just now, that ! swallow
ed brandy. 1t would appear so weak, so RI
diculous."
promised 10 do so, and almost Immediately
left the house, very painfully affected. His
son was, | concluded either dead or dying,and
he was thus bewildeIed by casting about for
means of keeping the terrible perhaps fatal
tidingS from his wife. | afterwards learned
that he left Elm Park in q post chaise, about
two hours after came away, unattended by a
single servant.
He was gone three clear days only, at the
end OF which he returned with Mrs. Dandy
and-his Son--n tlord health, too, and one
of the finest babies Of its age--about nine
weeks only-l have ever seen. Thus vanish
ed the air drawn Doubling Castle and Giant
Despair which had so hastily conjuled up.
The cause assigned by Mr.. Arbuthnot for the
agitation had witnessed was doubtless the
true one: and yet (and the thought haunted
me for months, years alterwards,) he opened
only one letter that morning and had sent a
message TO his wife that his child was well.
Mrs. Dandy remained at the Park till the
| little Robert Was veaned, and was then dis
missed, very munifcenty rewarded. Year
after year rolled away without bringing Mr..
and Mrs. Arbuthnot any additional llllle ones,
and no one therefore, could feel surprised at
the enthusiastic love Of the delighted mother
for her handsome, nobly promising boy. But
that which did astonlSh me, though no one
else, for ii seemed that alone noticed it wa.
a strange defect of character which began TO
d;yelope itself in Mr.. Arbuthnot. He was
positively Jealous of his wife'S affection for
their own child. Many and many time have
remarked when he thought himself unob-
served, on expression OF intense pain fash
from his fine expressive eyes, at any more than
usually feNent manifestations Of the young
mothers gushing love for her first and only
born. | as much as possible forebore TO dwell
upon the subject.
Nine years passed away without bringing
any material change to the parties involved in
tbs narrative, except those which Time brings
ordinarily in his train. RobeuArbulhnot was
a healthy,tall, fine looking lad OF his age; and
his great gTandpa, the rector, though not su f.
fering under any actual physical or mental in
trinity. had reached lime of life when the
announcement that the golden bowl is broken
or the silver chord is loosened, may be indeed
quick and sudden, but scarcely unexpect.
I'd. Things had gone well, too, with the
nurse, Mrs. Dandy, and her husband, we'll al
least after her fashion. The speculative mil.
ler must have made good use Of the gift &c
his wife for her care Of little ArburIhnot, fol
he had built genteel house near the mill, al
ways rodea valuable horse, kept it is said .
capital table, and all this, as it seemed, by his
clever SpeculatIonS in corn and -four for the
ordinary business Of the mill was almost en-.
tirely neglected. He had no children OF bis
own, but he had apparently taken TO his steT
son, a fine lad now about eighteen years o
} age. This greatly grleved the boys mother
who dreaded above all things, that her son
should contract the evil dissOlute habits o
|, his iathersin-law. Latterly, she had become
, extremely Sol;citous to procure the lad per
Inanent situation abroad, and this Mr.. Arbuth
not ha'! promised should be affected al the
earliest opportunity.
Thus Stood affairs on the 10th OF October
1876, Mr.. Arbuthnot was temporarily absent
in Ireland, where he possessed property, ant
was making personal inquiries ss TO the ex
tent OF the po iaioe rot not long before an
nounced. The mornings post brought let
=, ter TO his wife, with the intelligence that ht
should reach home that very evening, and al
the rector was OH the direct road to Elm Parl
and her husband would be sure 10 pull W
there, Mrs. Arbulhnot came with her son L
pass the afte rnOon there, and, in some sigh
l degree 10. anticipate her husbands arrival.
! About three o'clock, Oh ief clerk in one o
the Taunton banks rode up 10 gig 10 the rec.
tory, and asked 10 see the Rev. Mr.. Townle,
on pressing and important business. He wa,
1 uShered into the library, where the rector anj
| were at that moment rather buSily engaged
/ The clerk said he had been to Elm Park, but
not finding Mr.. Arbulhnot or his lady there,
he had thought that perhaps the Rev. Mr.
| Townley might be aDle to pronouce upon the
genuiheneSS of q check OF G300, purporting tc
be drawn upon the Taunton bank, by Mr.. Ar.
buthnot, which Dandy had obta ined cash fol
at Bath. He further added that the bank mad
refused payment and detained the check, be.
lievmg it 10 be forgery. ..a ... .....
"a forgery " exclaimed the rector, aftel
merely glancingat the document. "No ques.
ton that it is, and very elumsily executed
one, too. Besides, Mr.. Arbuthnot has not vel
returned from Ireland" ..e