The weekly North-Carolina standard., 1869-05-05
responsibilities He was happy, and MIR.

haywood ccntlnuea on IN the accePtaoio
performances of & his duties, and Mr.. c.
quietly awaited another opportunity to carry
IISut his long cherished plan in reference to
his daughters prospects while the beautl-.
| full Miss ,C7-,lo lost no fitting occasion to
second her parents views and wishes, when
ever chance brought her in contact with the
youth, to whom, IN spite of his taciturn and
reserved demeanor, she became at length
strongly attached. -.
Time flies with silent wings A twelve
month passes swiftly Another year elapsed
without making any peculiar change in the
relations of the parties about whom we have
written. The city where our narration dates
was located upon the river, and upon Its
front street were situated the stores occu-
pied by Mr.. c.. Nearly three years had
passed since haywood had been installed
| there, when a steamer came laundering
down from Wheeling, on its way to New
Orleans. iai -7aei . ..lla ~ -
! A river boat was in sight, close behind,
and it was the custom for these crafts to
halt en- route at the landing in front of MIR.
C-'s warehouses to take or leave passen-
gers. As the foremost boat rounded up the
levee, her engineer neglected to blow OIL
her surplusage of steam, desiring to retain
it for dash with his competitor when he
left his hauling place, where he was de-
tanned but a few moments The result OF
this neglect was the sudden explosion OF
one OF the cylinders, by which accident
dozen persons were fearfully scalded.
| I'd The sound of the crash Immediately drew
together crowd upon the levee, and short
ly afterwards the shrieking sufferers were
brought on Shore and laid out upon the
mattresses for the moment, until the arrival
of the surgeons who had been summoned.
Mr.. O. and his clerk haywood were
among the first who reached the rivers edge
together, after the explosion. Body after
body-maimed and scathed and backened
were borne from the boat, and haywood
and his employer were actively busy in their
offices of kindness to the unfortunate, when
the figure of plainly dressed man was
brought out, writhing, evidently in his last
agonies, and fcarfully mutilated across the
throat and chest. Mr.. c. approached
him as he came forward in the hands of the
crew who were removing him, and haywood
followed closely upon the steps of his en-
ployer The fatally injured and dying man
opened his eyes as the clerk came up, gazed
fearfully at him, and shrieking the broken
syllable, 'May-r expired
haywood started back, horror struck.
Could it be so? For an instant he was par
alyzed, That face and voice-that last ia
tai glance! The clerk was bewildered and
motionless as statue, and the body was
taken to the levee.
Maywood uttered stifled exclamation
which no one comprehended, and in the
midst of the confusion fled, none knew
whittier Subsequent search for him pro-
we'd futile He disappeared instanter, and
all efforts to find him, or to learn of his
whereabouts or his fate were in vain. AT
ter two weeks of unavaillng inquiry, the be-
lief of his employer settled into no very
satisfactory channel, (though he feared that
haywood had either fallen from the boat,
or that he might have committed suicide)
and his place was filled in the counting
room, while the business of the establish
ment went on as before; albeit the valued
and valuable services of haywood were
sorely missed by his late employer and
friend.
What disposal the book keeper had made
of his earnings from time to time, if he had
any, or whether he had saved any portion of
his liberal pay, was unknown to his late
employer Inquiries were instituted, and all
the means at hand likely to afford any light
upon the singular disappearance of one in
whom the merchant, his daughter, and his
friends had taken SO deep an interest, were
availed of, but to no purpose haywood
was gone No clue could be made to his
pecuniary condition, nothing was heard
from him, and days, months and years pass
ed away, leaving Mr.. c. and his family
without the slightest knowledge or suspicion
of what could have become of their sudden
ly lost friend ~
Six years, with their round of joys and
sorrows, pains and pleasures, changes and
fortunes, had passed away. after the acci-
dent related, when one evening there halt
ed before the door of M. c. a carriage,
from which there alighted lady and gen.
tleman who inquired if the merchant was
at home. They were shown into the draw
ing room, and the cards of Mr.. and Mrs.
Ervine' were sent up. The name was not
familiar, either to Mr. c. or his
daughter. 5.T-#
"Ervine," said the father, "Ervinel 1
don't recognize the name, daughter" ol
s'Nor T. was the reply. -sr
Mr. c. soon after entered the apart
ment, followed by his daughter, and the
strangers rose to pay their respects.
"Mr. Ervine," said the merchant, am
happy to meet you, but really l do not re-
collect" 2 r -l....sB
ia"No." said the stranger, Il never had the
pleasure of meeting you before. This is my
wife, however" he added, presenting the
modestly attired lady who accompanied
him. "She says you will probably recollect
herr
The lady advanced, offered her hands ia
miliarly to Mr.. c. and his daughter, and
said, surely, Mr.. c. you have not for
gotten me p s
'MaywOOd ? exclaimed father and daugh-
ter; it is the samep
You are right said the lady calmly.
But how is this 2 asked the merchant.
sWhy, and when did this change occur
What does it mean2 A woman!'
Sit down, my dear sir, said the lady
calmly, and will unravel what must have
seemed a most mysterious proceeding, in
your estimation; but which. under the cir
cumstances, could not be otherwise.
Nearly twenty years ago, married q
man of whom l knew too little, and who
proved himself utterly unworthy of the col-
fidence and love of her whom he grossly de-
ceived, before and after our union. His
habits were dissolute; he soon became q
confirmed inebriate; cur prospectively
happy home became a scene of continuous
riotous dissipation; his little property with
my own, was squandered, and, before five
| years had passed, we were houseless, penni-
less, triendless. =
|
When could no longer bear up under
| the cruel treatment to which / was habitu-
ally subjected, in consequence of his reck-
less conduct, made final appeal to him