Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-09-15

of Miss Brinsmade, / felt 20 abashed and
penitent that could have gone down on
my knees on the spot and begged pardon
for my blunder. Not knowing, however,
whether John had said q word to her on
the subject, feared to breach it, and not
withdrawing the efforts of both to remove
my restraint, very soon sneaked of and
found my way home. On Johns ar
rival was as profuse in apologies IS he
was cold TO receive them. He repeated
the assertion that he had only taken the
trouble of setting me right for the young
lady's sake, not his own There was a
subsequent GOODNESS between us for some
weeks, but it wore of in time.
The fourth incident have 10 tell il one
of more importance. It occurred about
six months after Lydis's disappearance.
One morning, coming out from breakfast
and passing through the hall, picked up
q pocket-bOok. l did not recognize it,
and as was going to my room, took it
with me, supposing that l should be able
TO identify it by the contents. The first
thing that met my eye was small sum OF
money. This afforded no indication, and
l drew out the first paper my fingers
touched. Judge my surprise when l saw
the forged cheque, which had thought
safely stored in Mr. Ephraim's safe! OF
course took the book to be his, and
| imagined that for some reason he had
| transferred the document to it. I was
about to close il with the purpose of re.
turning 1t to him, when some feeling
which cannot define impelled me to
draw out the next paper. This, to my
dumb surprise, was certificate of mar.
| rage. dated almost year back, testifying
that John Barrett and Lydia Pennypacker
had, upon day stated, been Joined TO-
gether in the bonds of holy matrimony.
A turnult of thought rushed over me at
this discovery. Now could understand
the apparent uneasiness on his part at my
searches for the lost girl Now l under
stood his frequent absences from the house,
and his remark in reference to Miss Brins.
made, that chad he met her few months
sooner there was no knowing what might
have happened" revolved all this, and
many smaller things bearing upon the
matter, in my mind. The discovery re-.
lieved me of heavy anxiety in regard to
the welfare Of Lydia, while 1t made me
think better Of John to find that he had
taken the homeless girl and made her
his wife, l felt that he must have done
90 unsel6shly as far as any hope OF any
pecuniary benefit from the marriage was
concerned, since il was certain that in
Mr. Ephraim's will she would not stand
for dollar, not only from the old mans
positive hatred toward her, but from the
fact that he had over and over again ex-
pressed his intention Of devoting every
cent of his money to the founding OF Q
certain charity, the plan of which had
been long since drawn up in all its de-
tails.
But the cheque What was the cheque
doing in Johns possession? This trou-
bled me, but l determined not to act 80
hastily az / had done once before.
closed the book, and as by returning ii
personally to Barrett I should only be
letting him know that was in possession
of his secret, l concluded to lay It upon
his dressing table and await events. did
SO, and went quickly to my desk. John
was already at his, and in leas than an
hour-for was watching him as cat
does mouse-he started, turned pale,
searched all his pockets rapidly, exam
ined the floor and then started out. In
two or three minutes he was back, and
by the flush of his face and the bright
ness of his eye l perceived that he had
found the missing object
The fifth incident in my story occurred
exactly one week from the date Of the last,
and was announced by fearful shrek,
which rang through the house one morn.
ing Just as we had finished dressing.
say sce, though John had been up and
dressed good hour or two before day
light, and was apparently writing at his
table by candle light. We all ran, and in
an instant found the scream to proceed
from the servant-Or house keeper as she
was called-who stood in the hall and
cried, "Come here!' in q sharp, shrill
voice. We flew to where she pointed, Mr.
| Ephraim's room, and there saw the old
man lying stark and stiff in his bed. Nc
one touched him the fact of his death
was too apparent for question and
though doctor was Immediately sent for
no one doubted that the event had
occurred some hours before. There was
no coroner, the doctor gave certificate
"disease of the heart" and the third day
after the earth received all there was o.
Ephraim Pennypacker. During THU
time watched and expected every houl
to see Lydia make her appearance, anC
marked every movement of Barretti
countenance, waiting impatiently for hin
to surrender his secret But to my uttel
surprise she did not come. She must
then, be far away from the city. and
had no right to intrude myself on Bar
rett's or her privacy and ask questions.
felt sure that Lydia would not have car
ried her resentment 80 far as not to bt
present at the old mans funeral, II i
were possible. There were no near rela
tons, and failing Lydia's appearance thu
public administrator stepped in and tool
possession. And then came a revelation
that astounded everybody Ephrain
Pennypacker had died without will. and
without anything to bequeath, his effects
being barely sufficient TO meet the claims
upon him, and leaving, when everything
was settled, the old clearinghouse as
Lydia's property, She did not put in ar
appearance for this, and so il stood closed
and awaiting her claim. 1t was not worth
enough TO worry the lawyers much, and
was therefore unmolested. There was
something very strange in this scmi.bank'
ruptcy Of Ephraim Pennypacker, as by
the evidence Of a most respectable firm OF
lawyers they had drawn his will only
three years before his death, and he had
then bequeathed to found the before
mentioned charity nearly quarter of 8
million in bonds, money and securities Of
various kinds. This will had gone into