Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-10-05
CHAPTER II.
THE TRAGEDY OF ROBERT CATHERwooD.

| CHAPTER II.
| THE TRAGEDY OF ROBERT CATHERwooD.
| "Ethelda is a name which go appears, here and
| there in family" said Mr.. Catherwood, reflect
lively, allowing his flee to cool in its transucen
cup. "We are of English descent, you know, MIR
| Grey. Our Ethel's grandmother was named
| Ethelda-poor ladyl Hers was sad, terrible
| fate"
'sOh, tell all about her!" almost gasped Oliver
| "It was always believed that she taken cap
| tive by pirates.''
"Ah!" murmured Oliver, his black eyes enlarg
| ing.
| eyes. Did you ever hear of anything more
pitful9"
| 2eNever." was his earnest response, and he was
| so pale that Camilla would have laughed at him
| only she could never hear the story of her grea
aunt's fate without tears coming to her own eyes
"She was SO young and beautiful, and SO happy y
murmured the narrator, with much sympathy as il
he had been personally TAINTED with her sit
about in this wise: There were two Catherwoods
brothers, one of WHOM, conducted tho merca tile
house in London, the other in Bombay. Some re
verses overtaking the Londou Branch, and som 20
litca occurring at the time, induced the
elder brother in England, to sell out aud emgrate tC
America where he establ she'd prosperous basness,
and wrote to his brother in India to dispose of his in
terests there, if possible and Join him In the New
World. The Indian climate did not agree with Rob
ert Catherwood, who had intended returning to his
native land until h received this letter. when he
changed his mind, and concluded to g. to America,
where appeared prosabe that he could still further
enlarge mis- handsome fortune By trading with Bonn
bay. AT this time was about thirty years OF age
and had been married only couple of years, to fam
English girl young, lovely, and good, who, to Judge
from his letters, had made him the happiest of men
| She was somewhat homesick in India and quite Viii
| ing to exchange Bombay for New York
s'Hs brother tthe pres snt speakers grandfather
wrote % Robert to put as large OF ready money
| as he could command into gems which could be pro
cured to advantage in India, and would be easily re
convertible into funds bis arrival in this country
where taste for luxury growing as the wealth O
the cities increased, which had created large de
| mand for fine jewels.
| "The voyages of those days wel tedious, and 30
without ext faneous pers added to those OF naylga
ton Pirates not unknown especially IN the In
dian seas; but this was only another inducement fo
Robert get his wealth into the smallest possible
| compass Indeed, it still told in the family thai
James, the older brother advised him to conceal the
gems about his person by stitching them into his
clothing. that in of accident, should they es
cape with tneir lives it from shipwrecked YES
sell or what not, their fortune would be rescued also
at was never certain whether Robert thus converted
his funds; but it taken for granted that he did
He wrote cheefful letter. announcing that he had
engaged passage certain merchant vessel TO sail
at such date, long with his wife and babygirl
"These were the last Immediate tidings they ever
| received from him. My grandfather-i have often
heard him tell" continued MIR Catherwood-"w waited
and watched or the expected ship until he grew sick
with waiting and watching.
Full two years after the loss OF the vessel, wild
and stormy winter night the oId brass kno cker on the
door OF my fathers city house-the still
cupy, Mr.. Grey although we have bell to the door
now-thundered forth succession of imperious raps,
which aroused all its inmates. 1t was midnight, and
family and had long retired except the
ter dwelling, who chanced to be still sitting up
| in his library. looking over his private papers
Startled by the sudden knocking. and with pre-
presentiment thrilling him that some revelation OF i'm
pertance awaited him. he hurried to the door 1t took
him two to draw back the iron bar place. be-
fore the door at night and to withdraw the bolts dur
that time he heard light foot run down the steps
and away the On first looking out he saw
| nothing; great rush of wind and rain swept past
him. and he made movement 20 close the door be-
fore he perceived little creature in the doorway
wrapped in warm cloak, from the bod of which the
bright little anxious face peeped out, as she helo Up
| letter in one of her chubby hanos
els there no one with your
"sBobo has gone sway lispe the child He too
Etha mus give 90 letter.
sSurprised beyond words he drew the child in from
the rain and carried her in his into the library
for she could have been three years of age
where held her his knee while he tors the
| missve she BORE and read:
| "The child who gives you this paper is Ethelda
daughter of Robert and Ethelda Catherwood who were
taken captive by pirates, something over two years
ago. Her father killed by US, after holding hi N
captive for month, for not acknowledging the
truth about his money He did not have nearly much
| as we expected Her mother died of broken heart
| 1 suppose-six months alter compelled her to MARI,
the captain of the pirate vessel was very onc
| of her, and might have become a better man if shs
had lived However. tn ats neither here there.
to X pirates oath to her her dying bed that
would bring this child to its uncle, James Gather
wood in New York city, and leave it with him. will
the request of its mother that he would adopt it, ant
care for his I've put myself out good dea
| to keep my promise but pirates oath Is sacred t
him; and she said she would ask God to forgive
1 would. hope you'll be kind to the Little Tot a
Bobo-t:at's me-has been It's cruel hard for me t
give her up. She's great pet with all the ship bu
here goes Good bye, little Etha-you will never Sc
Bobo again!'
THE little girl grew up a great pet i'll my grand
fathers house. Quite fortune tc her from Bon
bay but the man whom she married contrived to los
it for her in unfortunate speculations. Our Ethel
her daughter. Both her parents now dead, as o
know"
Oliver pus shed back his chair. and made his escap
into the twilight out of doors mighty struggle wa
going on in his mind.
When he returned to the drawing room Ethel wa
alone at the piano. while Camilla the centre of
, flattering group As he encountered the soft, sa
eyes of the orphan he felt like thiJ. Abruptly
turned from them, but he could not Danish conviction
There was vision over before his eyes, floating i
the air, resting the carpet, ring between hii
and the woman he loUed Eyerywhere he turned he sa
bound chest. and in 1.-THE yellow corpse OF
ble-looking man. with cruel wound on the high fore
head, and black ringles creeping down about tn
throat and while he gazed, fascinated touched, an