The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-03-05

- she paused as though ashamed
to acknowledge the state of affairs.
Don't hesitate to tell me, Mary"
"Well, then, we are In great trou-
BILE. as YOU may Judge and then she
told him all we know about John
Welder's losses and the pressure he
was under for money.
Well, but your father p said
Rossiter.
All he has been dead some years.
Joseph, replied Mary, sadly.
We always thought he was a rich
man." Said Rossiter, and that you,
as his only child, would
(" Be rich, too, some day. inter
rupted Mary. Have you rot heard
wha, happened to us-years ago p
p . No; Mr.. Sharpe was a thriving
man when / left Craysford, replied
Rossiter
1t is.a strange story, Joseph
strange, sad story for me-bUt here
comes John, poor boy!-he1l tell you
all about it if you ask him. It will
take hin. of his own troubles for
while, mayhap."
The actor and the blacksmith had
been friendsa playfellOws together,
at time, too, when lazy Joe Ross was
thought to be a credit to no one. He
had been sent down to Craysford as a
nurse child, and was cared for as such
unhappy creatures usually are by
their mercenaTy guardians. joey was
about fifteen when a stTolllng com
pany. of players visited Craysford.
The glimpse joey obtained of the
stage and its professors aroused
slumbering ambition of which he had
not been cognizant hitherto, and
when Thespis packed up her cart
and departed from Craysford, joey
got up behind on the tailboard.
/ He had talent and industry; and by
slow degrees at first and then by rapid
strides, he advanced from the barn to
the theatre. as many of his most dis
tinguished brethren had done before
him. The two old friends were soon
at home with each other, despite
! Joey's bright satin waistcOat, emerald
| brooch, and superfne cutaway coat,
| to say nothing of his kerseymere
trousers and Wellington boots-mat
tiers rarely seen at out-of- the-world
| Craysford.
John Welder had a proper appre-
citation of his own brewage, and
/ therefore he did not refuse his old
friends invitation to give up work
| for che day and keep him company by
| the side of the bright fire blazing Ia
the best. parlor Mary was invited,
too, but she modestly declined, as
there would be other customers to be
attended to by-and-by besides the
smart gentleman from London. As
] r I, =
] had been aroused by what Mary had
said about her father; and ohm hav-
ing been asked for information, laid
down his pipe and narrated, nearly as
follows what his friend desired to
know of Thomas Sharpe.
After. the mysterious disappearance
from Craysford, of the farmer and his
bailiff Phillip, the talk of most peo-
pie was concerning Mary Sharpe. Her
father had left but a small sum in the
hands of Becky Welder, and when
that was gone what would become of
the child2 Becky knew, she said, as
long as she had strength to work, and
old John Welder said he knew,
too, as long as he'd a shilling. The
guineas old John Welder had had
from the bureau were now proved to
:. be put out good interest, as the
honest blacksmith could use them to
nurture the child of his benefactor,
who had disappeared so strangely.
Two years or more had passed before
a word of news of Sharpe came to
Craysford, and then it was very brief.
1t was a letter to Mary, enclosed to
Becky Welder, and evidently refer
ring to. a previous communication
which had not come to land. 1t was
as follows:
[" OF Copenhagen, H. NJ. S. Super b.
MY DEAREST LOVE: WY have
you not written to me? | have only
time to sen1 you the enclosed lock OF
hair and my earnest prayers to God
for your happiness. We shall be en-
gagged In less than an hour; | am
compelled to close my letter. May |
be preserved to You my darling child
" YOUR FATHER.
Of course the rector was consulted
as to the probable meaning of this
, letter, aud he decided that Mr. Sharpe
was evidently at sea with Nelson and
off Copenhagen.
t The news Of the victory which fol
lowed travelled slowly to Craysford
and it was not until the close of the
war that Philip Pullen returned tC
tell that -ThOmos Sharpe was dead
He and his master had visited Cardiff
as We have heard; seamen were il
7, great request, and the press gang.
spared none that seemed likely C
: make good sailors Philip and hi:
master fell into the hands of a party
aud were instantly carried on boarc
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