White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1857-08-20

; yes, they must be sweet children long to
} see them, and you also, You have a long story
} to tell me-
Not very Tong, Twill tell it you tomorrow.
: Tell me yours, poEf'
, First about Mary, then. wish yop TO take
Der home to your house. l did intend you
should place her at some good house to board,
But things are ehangednow. She has seen some
trouble, poor child, and fear "a my anxiety for
, her, I have neglected her somewhat and APP
peared cold and stern TO her-Ged knows how
J much love her though! You must 60 over to
} our poor littlehut, and underneath Fat, square
J stone in the middle of the hearth. you will find
a box of papers, and with them purse of gold.
) They are verg important papers 70 Mary, though
she does not know it. Take them, and keep
them very carefully. Perhaps after all, had
better tell you my whole story, briefly, as it is
, not very late. You can spare me an hour or two,
can't your =.
Certainly, my dear brother
J well then, you remember left here fifteen
years ago to return to England, where hadleft
} nv wife and daughter. Youwere then lovely
girl of fifteen, with your friends, the Hoffmans,
very pleasantly situated. The voyage was ac-
complished in safety, and found my dear wife
and child well. Shortly after my return, that is
to say in three years, my fatherin-law died, and
left me his estate on condition of my taking his
name. He would have left it to my infant son,
but the poor little fellow only lived few months.
1 took the name Of. Crary, in compliance with
) both the wishes of my wife and her father, and
we lived prosperous and happy for time, till my
Louisa was grown into handsome young girl.
Then lost my dear wife, and hardly had she
} been laid in the grave, when the property was
} claimed by another branch of the family, who
had been very angry at my having been named
heir. They contrived by surreptitious means to
obtain possession of it, and l was obliged to
leave place where had passed many happy
years, and descend to comparative poverty. Ny
poor Louisa was young, beautiful and ambitious,
and the change was CALLING to her. In fine, she
made ali imprudent marriage-imprudent, be-
cause shamarried clandestinely young man of
diSsipated habits, though handsome, of good fam
lily, Of some property, and much greater expec-
tations. We lived then handsomely for three
years, but my poor girl was not happy. Her
proud relations would scarcely notice her, her
spation, and her chief happiness lay in her little
Mary, named for our mother. At length son
was born, and this event reused all a fathers
pride in Charles Harland's breast, and for time
there was joy at Harland House. But the young
heir dropped and died like fragile flower, and
his mother did not long survive him. Mary, the
sweet child, was not favorite with her father,
and when Louisa died, / removed to a small
house near by, which was occupied by a worthy
family, with whom boarded. At length, when
Mary was about seven years old, her father
having one night gambled away all his property,
shot himself dead in a fit of desperation. His
family would take no notice of Mary, and even
denied that Charles Harland was ever married
Judge Of my Indignation at this baseness.
sought the proofs Of their marriage whereby to
confound and put the slanderers to shame. But
with deep-laid villainy the marriage certificate
had been destroyed, and the very page of the
records where the marriage undoubtedly had
beeninserted, was carefully cut out, no one could
tell by whom. was completely foiled. Sick
at heart, ftOOk my poor grandchiId, and selling
what little possessed, came over to my ma
tive country
But why did you never write me7'
Il did, but probably the letters were lost.
never received any from you.'
'And yet wrote you, but it was in your own
name, as did not know you had changed.it.'
when IArrived here, went directly to B.,
where left you. After much enquiry, learned
you had married and removed hundred mites
from there to town in Maryland. There
sought you, and all could learn was that you
had lost your husband suddenly, and was gone
to reside with some friends in Virginia. could
trace you no farther, and finding must be pru-
dent Of my money, about year since, took
the little house I now live in, and devoted my
self to labor and my grandchild.'
'Ah, my poor brother, how hard to have been
near each other so long, and not know it,
I yes, for had we but known it, this terrible
evil had not occurred
Helen uttered deep igh, she had almost
forgotten where she was in her interest in the
narrative.
i But my BROTHER said she lspringing up light
ly, surely you can prove an abb, if as you say
you were not at home that fatal night"
A dark shade cfne over Edward Crary's face.
Il will tell you why that is impossible. said he,
I went away some miles from home to meet in
a retired place, man who is a fugitive from
Justice. promised sOlemnly not to betray him.
He was formerly a servant in the Hariand fami-
lly, and the next heir to Charles Harland having
this man in his power, on account Of some for
mer crime, promised 70 be silent, If. he would
procure the marriage certificate, and destroy
that and the record, or rather 70 bring them to
} him to destroy. As often happens, he dealt with
a more cunning rogue than himself, for the man
being an excellent writer, merely gave his mas
ter forged copies and retained the true papers,
to use for his own benefit at some future day. In
consequence Of another forgery he fed to this
country, and accidentally meeting me, he con-
eeived the idea Of selling me his secret, on con-
dition Of certain sum Of money now, and q
large sum if obtain the possession Of MarT's
rightful property, which by the words Of her great
uncIe's viii, is left to Charles Harland's heirs,