The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-04-30

nave been up TO my ears IN busl-
ness, my child"
"And yet my consistent father found
time to attend the theatre last highland
TO come here this evening, it seems, even
on the invitation of stranger"
"Stranger then you did not write
that billet after all2 But who is that
stranger, Mary, whose house you appear
to be so much at home in ?"
A new acquaintance.
"Ay-but who ?"
"That is a secret" archly replied the
girl "but all in good ime,---anothcr
scene of the plot, as you call it, remains
to be developed. Excuse me moment
now, if you please, sir, and you shall
soon know the whole" she added, skip
ping out of the room, and leaving the
captain with a bosom huttering With ex-
cited expectation to await her return.
In few moments the door was thrown
open. and she re-appoared arm in arm
with lady, with the bloom of sixteen
added to the ripcnod countenance of
thirty, the rare beauty of which was now
charmingly heightened by the ombarass-
nent she was trying to conceal.
Father" said the happy girl in a
voice trcmulous with grateful emotion,
"this is Mrs. Graysoi, and my own
mother"
Captain Lotion advanced and warmly
graspiug the proffercd hand of the fair
lady. led her to a seat.
"A more grateful srrprise,' said the
captain. after their composure-"a more
gratefu, surprise, Mrs. Grayson, could
hardly have been devised for me, even in
fancy"
MANY thanks" replied the lady with
feeling, "many thanks to you, Captain
Lotion, for this kind assurance in the
present, and still more for your noble
conduct in affairs of the past. of which
| havo much to say, but with your leave
will defer it to a less agitated moment"
The ice Of restraint having now been
broken, a pleasant conversation ensued,
which soon turned so far on the subject
of the present meeting as to unfold to
the captain the circumstances which had
brought i; about. 1t appeared that Mrs.
Grayson, though she had been several
weeks in the city, had never been able
to learn anything of her daughter till the
night before She has identified Cap
tain Lotion ms soon as be entered the the
atre, and his name being mentioned by a
lady. stranger to her. who happened to
be in the same box joined in the con-
vcrsation, aud named the circumstances
which she had heard of an American sea
captain of that name having adopted, as
daughter, Child who was picked up
by him in the street. who was then iv-
ing, she believed, with family in her
part Of the city. This led to such fur
ther inquiries and answers as made Mrs
Grayson acquainted. without revealing
her own interest in the subject, with the
exact situation Of the place where the
girl, whom she doubted not to be her
own child, could be found. aud ended in
promise Of an Introduction to the fam
lily. And so promptly did she avail her
self Of these advantages the next morn
ing. that, before noon, the reunion of
mother and daughter was so happily ef-
fcctcd, and with such confidence in each
other, that the latter went home with the
former, where the present surprise and
meeting were planned and executed 10
the manner we have described
Supper was now announced, and Mrs
Grayson led the way to the table. which
was loaded with the rarest of delcacies
After the ropast was over, they re-
turned to the parlor; when the daughter,
after exchanging a look of intelligence
with the mother, left the room
Now Captain Loton," said Mrs G.,
" | will ask your indulgence for few
moments, while | revert to that dark
spot in my checkered life when poor.
broken hearted creature, | met you in
the streets Of this city; and though ex-
rcct not to Justify my conductyet I hope
to offer circumstances which you will
consider some exteHuation of an act
which YOU must have looked upon as
both base and unnatural"
mo, lady," iutcrporsed the captain.
not sol believed you driven to the
course you took my misfortune, that
should awaken sympathy rather than
cersure."
You judged generously, if not truly,
sir, and | shall, with more confidence
give you my little history"
She then proceeded to relate her story
as Lotion had already heard it, with the
addition that as soon as it was discover.
ed by her landlord that her husband had
died without leaving any means for her
future support, or even for paying the
small debt already contracted. be harsh
ly ordered her to leave the house aud
seek new quarters and by way of jusli-
fying himself in his cruel course, he as
sailed her character, giving out that,
though mother, she had never been a
wife. This, she soon found, was easier
TO deny than to make the contrary ap.
pear by any evidence that would com.
mand belief The clergyman by whom
she was privately married was not per.
manent resident, aud had left the Island
for parts unknown to her, aud the only
witness Of the marriage had died of yell
low fever few months after that event;
aud her own assertion ginning no credit
against the studiously circulated insinu.
atohs Of her slanderer she was now turn
ed into the street in perfec. desttuton,