Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-04-08
MELTON CAVES.
A TRUE sTORY.
BY JoHN II. wEATHERBY.
HAP pr Y Il /.
TIE FORGERY.

Thomas Winston, a distinguished
member of the Baltimore bar, having
achieved n large fortune hy his profess
ion, retired from active life to pass the
remainder Of his days in that dignified
leisure which can only be secured by
one who poss $50 q calm and well con-
trolled disposition, a healthy body,
cultivated mind and a large fortune.
All of these accessories 70 happiness he
owned except that the practice of law
had made him perhaps somewhat too
conspicuous and little too determined
IN clinging to prcconccivcd impress
ions.
He was blessed also with another
possession, which he priced above all
the rcst-a young, beautiful, highly in
tellectual and affectionatc daughter.
She was the youngest and only surviv-
idg ono of seven children, all the rest
3f Nh6ni had, with their mother, been
| swept off by an epidemic which had
scourged the city when Agatha the
heroine OF this story, was in her eighth
year.
Agatha Winston was just sixteen
| when her father retired from his pro-
fcssion. TO please his darling daugh-
| ter, whose poetical mind reveled amid
| the scenes of nature, the old lawyer
had a few years before purchased q fine
country residence, with several hundred
acres attached to 1t, n few miles from
| the city. Tho house, which was built
| in the Italian-villa style, stood, with
| its numerous out-buildings, in the
midst of gardens and orchards which
were kept well trimmed and in bcauti-
full condition.
A gently slpping hill, whose summit
| was CROWNED With growth OF forest
| trees, arose to the northward of the
building, and n few hundred yards
south of 1t was fine and never-failipg
trout stream, that fi0teed Westward I'LL
to forest which shut out the horizon
i'm that direction. To the eastward OF
the mansion, at the distance of FUR
long, the stream swept around the base
~ a huge limestone rock, in the lower
part of which were many deep cavities.
1t was from these recesses in the lime
stone, which formed n striking feature
i'm the landscape, that the country resi-
dencc of Mr.. Winston took its name,
Melton Caves, or-as IL was generally
abbreviated-The Caves.
After this estate had been purchased
the lawyer and his daughter always
spent there the hot months of sum
mer; but the first breath of the ,colde
autumn wind always drove thelp Il
their elegant city mansion in Noun
Vernon Place. ~ !
Mr.. Winston and his daughter lad
besides each other, hut two near fela
tions in the world. These were Harr,
Winston and Robert Golding; the on
was the only child OF the lawyers onl,
brother, the other the only child of hi
sister. Each of these young men ha'
: lost both his parents. Each of then
Was also between nineteen and twent.
years OF age, Harry being u few month
!. older than Robert.
Young Winston was n student 9
law; young Golding a student of medi
| cine.
Both Of these young mon stood wei
; in their uncle's regard but Harry wa
more of favorite, partly because n
: bore the family name, partly because II
J. was intended to be a lawyer, but uIainl
L becuse Agatha was very fond OF hiI
and seemed always to have an antips
e thy towards her other cousin. The oil
I; gentleman, moreover, had set his heal
on marriage between Harry Winsto
I. and his daughter.
! Thus did young Winston stand hig
, I'm his uncle's good graces, when an IL
cident occurred which entirely reverse
y matters.
> Although Mr.. Winston had given u
the practice Of his profession, he sti
> retained tits inv office In the cit,
/ which was left In charge of Harr,
u who pursued his studies there unde
ls the guidance of his uncle, and III ti
l. latter's absence from the city, attehdC
e to such extra-professloial business f
y him as casually presented itself
y In this position Of things Mr.. Wi
II ston, In examining his bank accoul
y one day, discovered that check Il
II five hundred dollars had been paid
E. his name which he was very certai
v had not been drawn by him. In II
:, vcstigatlng the matter there were -four
" in Harry's private drawer at the oific
- several slips OF paper on which we
Is evident efforts to initiate his uncle
signature.
Is The mind of the old gcntleman--us
y ally so calm and so correct In its CO.
= clusions--was at once convinced of h
- nephew's guilt. It seemed as II h
70 who was rnther slow and unwilling
,s admitting the guilt Of any ore, els
y was rendered incapable of doing Il
Z, Justice of making "A thorough invest
~ cation I'm this case before he formed
1 opinion, by the InadHehing thougl
:, that crime so grave, 80 mean, hi
~ been committed by one of his own X
ie of his own name. In vain the youI
man protested his Innocence, and be
ged the delay necessary 10 learn Il
g true facts in the Ease. ...,f q.
lie my uncle,n he urged, had l be-
G. guilty, should 1 not have been mo
on my guard than 10 haue left such ey
~ aenee against myself in the very pla
Y, where they would naturally be fir
n searched fof2" t.., 80.
" 1.-THE mental confusion created
the sense Of having committed a sin
cs retorted the uncle, always causes q
" delinquent 10 leave along the line