The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-02-16

sham. This Barsham was "a first-rate surgeon
and might have got to the top of his profes-
sion, if he had not been a first-rate blackguard
| As it was, he both drank and gambled; nobody
would have anything to do with him in Pen
debury; and, at the time when 1 was made
known to him in the chemists shop, the other
doctor, Mr. Dix, who was not to be compared
with him for surgical SKILL but who re-
spectacle man, had got all the practice and
Barsham and his old mother were living to-
gether in such condition of utter poverty
| that it was marvel to everybody how they kept
out of the parish workhouse."
Benjamin and Benjamin's mother!"
"Exactly, ma'am. Last Thursday morning
(thanks to your kindness, again) I went to
Pcndlebury to my friend the chemist, to ask a
few questions about Barsham and his mother
[ was told that they had both left the town
about five years since. When inquired into
the circumstances, some strange particulars
came out in the course of the chemists an
swer. You know have nodoubt, naa' am, that
poor Mrs. Kirkland was confined while her
husband at sea, in lodgings at village
called Flatfcld, and that she died and was
buried there But what you may not know is,
that Flatfeld is only three miles from Pendle-
bury; that the doctor who attended on Mrs.
Kirkland was Barsham; that the nurse who
took care of her was Barsham's mother; and
that the person who called them both i'll was
Mr. Forley. Whether his daughter wrote to
him, or whether he heard of it some other way,
| don't know; but he was with her Though he
had sworn never to see her again when she
married) q month or moro before her conhne-
ment, and was backwards and forwards a good
deal between Hatfield and Pendlebury. How
he managed matters with the Barshans cannot
at present be discovered; but it is fact that
he contrived to keep the drunken doctor sober,
to eyerybodys amazement. 1t is fact that
he and his mother came back from Flatfeld
after Mrs kirkland's death, packed up what
few things they had and left the town myste-
riously by night And, lastly, it is also
a fact that the other doctor, Mr.. Dix, was not
called in to help, till week after the birth
AID burial Of the child, when the mother was
sinking from exhaustion = exhaustion (to give
the vagabond, Barsham, his due) not produced,
in Mr.. Dix's opinion, by improper medical
treatment, but by the bodily weakness Of the
poor woman herself"
"Bmial of the child?' interrupted, trem-
bling all over. '.Trottle! you spoke that word
burial, in very strange way-you are fixing
your eyes On me now with very strange
look"
Trottle leaned over close to me, and pointed
through the window to the empty house.
s'Ihe childs death is registered, at Pendle-
der the head of Male Infant, Still-B0rn. The
child's coffin lies in the mothers grave, in Flat
field churchyard. The child himseli-as sure
ly as [ live and breathc-is living and breath
ing now, castaway and a prisoner in that
house %
l sank back in my chair.
''It's guess work, so far, but it is borne in on
my mind for all that, as truth. Rouse your
self, ma am, and think little. The last hear
of Barsham, he is attending Mr.. Forley's DISC
bedicnt daughter The next see of Barsham,
he is in Mr.. Forleys house. trusted with a Sc
cret. He and his mother leave -Pendlebury
suddenly and suspiciously five years back; and
he and his mother have got child of five
years DID, hidden away in the house. Wait;
please to watt have not done yet. The
will left by Mr.. Forley's father strengthens the
The friend took with me to Doc
tors Commons made himself master of the
contents of that will; and when he had done
so, put these two questions to him: Can Mr.
Forley leave his money, at his own discretion,
to anybody he pleases? No., my friend says
in it Suppose one of Mr. Forley's married
daughters has girl, and the other boy, how
would the money go ?'sIt would all 60, my
friend says, 'to the boy, and it would be charged
with the payment of certain annual income
to his female cousin. After her death, it
it would 90 back to the male descendant, and
to his heirs Consider that ma a'am The chill.
of the daughter whom Mr. Fcrley hates, whose
husband has been snatched away from his
vengeance by death, tulzc- his whole property
in defiance Of him. and the child of the daugh
ter whom he loves, is left a pensioner on her
low born boy cousin for life There was good
too good reason-why that child OF Mrs.
should be registered stillborn. And
if, as [ believe, the register is founded on a
false certificate, there is better, still better
son. why the existence Of the child should be
hidden, and all trace of his parentage blotted
out in the garret of that empty house"
He stopped, and pointed for the second time
to the dim, dust covered garret window oppo-
site As he did so, I was startled-a very
slight matter suficed to frighten me now-by
knock at the door of the room in which wewere
sitting.
My maid came in, with letter in her hand.
I took it from her The mourning card, which
was all the envelope enclosed, dropped from
my hands.
George Forley more. He had de-
parted this life three days since on the evening
of Friday.
<.Did our last chance of discovering the
truth" asked, crest with him Has 1t died
with his death {"
s.Couraee. ma am! think not. Our chance
rests on our power 10 make oh sii'iiti aiiN LIS
mother confess; and Mr.. Forley's death, by
leaving them helpless, seems to put that power
into our hands. With your permission, L will
not wait till dusk to-day, as at first intended
but will make sure of those two people at once
with policeman in plain clothes to watch the
house. in case they try to leave it; with this
card to vouch for the fact of Mr. forley
death; and with a bold acknowledgment on
nav part Of having got possession of their Sc
- I ! TnSf1 hnJ m
in case of need, t think there is little doubt of
bringing Barsham and his mother to terms; In
case find it impossible to get back mere oe-
fore dusk, please to sit near the window, ma am
and watch the house, little before they light
the the strest-lamps. If you see the front door
onen one and close again, will you be good enough
to p put on your bonnet, and come across to me me
Immediately? Mr.. Forley' s-death may or may
not prevent his messenger from coming as ar :
.ond5d 4 But if the person does come, it is of
4b 81 Won as relative Of Mr. For