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

Do you mean to say that John Barrett
was not your husband ?"
II never saw John Barrett from the
day before / left my fathers house. Nv
husband was Alexander Graham. W.
were married in this city the day left
home, and went with him to Rio ia.
metro, and from there into the back coun.
try, where he became engineer on Large
sugar estate, and where we lived until hia
death one year ago."
Good Heavens! what revelation! I
could not speak. could do nothing but
tuck the little woman's arm under nv
own, and march her off to my Office, that
l might gather my breath and know all
about it.
Il have come back to Philadelphia"
she said, latter fifteen years, q stranger,
having during that time scarcely met an
American, let alone native Of this city,
and rarely caught sight Of Q newspaper.
came back to see once more the spot
was born in, and to forgive those who
drove me out into the cold world, and
find that an lmposter has personated me,
and received my birthrightl Thank
Heaven! I shall not suffer for the want Of
it; am independent"
"But Barrett-wherei is Barrett ?"
"Ny attorneys can find no trace of him.
He turned all the estate and securities into
money, and went abroad"
"And the woman he called his wife
who was she?"
"Some one that he married in this city
Immediately after my departure, and who
assumed my name. Thus far the detect
ives have reached, but who she was they
cannot discover. We have the evidence
- H. ha~ oA Vel
raise, and he describes her as blonde q
am the opposte) with cold, blue eye
and hard, inexpensive face"
This was the'woman of the forged cheque,
and John Barrett's wife As rapidly as
could l went through the story to Mrs.
Graham.
"Why," she said, "you are valuable
evidence in working up our case. But
what is the use nowf The rogue, as well
as the property, is gone"
True enough, the story was all out, but
too late. John Barrett had been the
forger of that cheque, the woman
only the presenter. The woman l saw
upon the road that night was she-the
one the next evening only. changeling
wearing the same clothes. John Barrett
had known of Ephraim Pennypacker's
habits of boarding, and doubtless knew
that somewhere he had the money he had
withdrawn from the bank, but after the
old mans death had been unable to find
it. He knew of Lydia's flight out of the
country, and where she was, and 80 de-
termined on the plot he, had so success
fully worked. But there was another
point which until this moment had never
crossed my mind. Might lie not have
murdered the old man the more quickly
to cnnsummate his work? The thought
made me shiver, but the fact was possible,
nay probable. He had committed almost
every crime but murder: why not muir
der too?
All this Lydia and I canyassed, but,
alas too late.
And now come to the mention of a
strange psychological fact-something Tor
which | cannot account. That evening,
with brain so full Of this revived memory
that could not even find room in it for
Katie Earnshaw, / spent at her house.
The parlor was brilliantly lighted the
bell rang, there was q step in the entry
that made me start, the door opened and
| John Barrett stepped into tie room. L
started to my feet, horror stricken. There
he stood before me, as plainly as on the
day we had last met nothing changed but
| by the years that had been added and the
browner tint of the skin.
John Barrett, and yet Waring de Lille
| Before this moment l had not seen one
trace of the first about him now could
see nothing of the last. l stood there
transfixed, even after all others were
seated, wondering whether / retained my
senses, or whether they had left me under
the excitement of the day. For an hour
/ remained gazing at the man and won.
derlne; and then, commencing myself
for the presence of mind that had with
held me from denouncing him on the
spot, withdrew.
That night I could not sleep until
had seen Lydia, and early the next
| morning we met at her lawyers. 1t did
not take long to find two able detectives
to make up party Of five, including Mrs.
Graham and her attorney, TO cali upon
| Mr.. Waring de Lille at his hotel. AS we
followed the waiter into his room l won
| dered, now that saw him again by day
light, how could ever have thought that
he was anybody but John Barrett, though
| Lydia declared to me aiterward that her
heart fell as she entered his room, for
she saw not the first point OF resem-
| blance.
III WIS SuDIb WDIh. uPoii
promptly and boldly, accused him of theft,
| forgery and murder, asserted that the
proof was all prepared, produced Lydia,
and extorted the confession that his wife
was still alive In less than two hours l
was on my way to New York to receive
an assignment Of property sufficient to
cover Mrs. Graham's entire demand, with
! interest to date.
| don't think that left Mr.. John Barrett
| much with which to join his charming
wife.
Lydia insisted upon showing her graft
tude by becoming special partner in my
business, which was the first cause OF my
making money.
And that's the way came to marry
Katie Earnshaw -Ltppincott Magazine.
A FIRM in New York recently sent to
the United States Treasurer $50 Cont
mental bank note, asking if it is redeem
able. In reply, the Treasurer states that
| the Gnntinarfn1 vrnneu uao ravoY re-