Litchfield enquirer., 1870-01-06
CHARLES MARHAM.s LEGACY
BY s. ANNIE FROST.

ln worse quarters together before this
 little old-fashioned in furnishing, but sub
 stantial and comfortable so far; tomorrow we will investigate further. Tn the near 1 times where is the letter I was to find ogf] the drawing-room mantle piece on my ar rival? An! here it is, duly sealed and di
 rooted Charles Markham, Esq Nov fol
 The speaker drew up capacious arm
 char before aruddy grate fire, aid stretch
 cd himself lazily before breaking the sea or the large white envelope he held in hi. hand. Sancho, an immense Newfound
 land dog, rose and put his head on his masters knee. looking most afectionately
 into his face. The room in which they
 sat was large drawing-room, whose pro pofsion wonid havaa made four at least o
 the modern parlors, boudoirs. or other CO
 sey sitting-rooms now in vogue. The car.
 pets were of rich Brussels, we'll preserved
 heavy crimson curtains draped the large windows, and the furniture was all of solid
 walnut, covered with crimson velvet. There were no knfck- -knacks scattered about, none of the trifes that fill up the modern etaoe res and centre-tables. Heavy, costly bron
 zes were upon the mantel- pieces, and on the walls were hung few paintings of al most priceless value. Had the other rooms of the large house been examined, the same tokens of wealth, the same absence of fashionable display or frippery of any sort would have been marked throughout
 But, save in that large drawing-room, the whole building was wrapped in darkness, locked and secured, dreary with the cell.
 like gloom and chill that gathers after 8 few weeks of vacancy a7Tao &a' sa 1l9l !, The young owner of this property, toi which he had been the inmate but about one hour, as he sat in the great armchair before the fire, looked most unlike his sur rcoundlngs. His actual age was twenty. nve, but no one would have guessed 1t, looklng into his fair round face, with its well opened. large blue eyes, masses of yellow curling hair, beardIess chin. ana sweet, almost child-li mouth. He was dressed fashionably and expensively, vet without foppery. True, his studs were diamonds, his watch chain of finest gold. his boots of patent leather, and ali his travelling array piled in one corner was oi the best quality and newest device, but he looked like one accustomed to the use of wealth, and bore gracefully its tokens. His was Q sunny face. bearing no marks of sor- row or care. He was an orphan, but be- reaved SO long that it's was a child's grief long past, and the fact that he was alone Tn the great world with only few distant relatives, was no new phase of his exis- tence. ,H His father had left him an estate, which, by the careful management of trust him the benefit of course of study, as. lawyer, and left him an income sufficient to keep single man in comfort, with even margin for luxuries, but one that would require to be used frugally, should a fami- ly ever look to it for support. ~ y.r.
 One month before the evening when Charles Markham sat in the blaze Of the great hre, with Sancho beside him, he had been established in 3. distant city as 8 law society, sunny faced, light hearted young man. singularly unspoiled by a life Of ease. 1t was before his first brief was presented that he received a letter informing him that great uncle, of whom he had heard so little that he was scarcely aware of his existence, had died a bachelor, and left him sole heir to half a million dollars and the house, to which he was to proceed at once, and read a letter he would find awaiting him. a la < 2.4344.. s- ..
 ~" Here's the letter, Sancho, and here am l. Now, let's see, old fellow, what one has 6OS " soy UO ou0 OUu0E. AS u0 Spok0, 00 broke the seal, ,and opened the broad white sheet. Abruptly without date or address, the epistle opened:7r., s;,.,r.. .5-r :.
 4" I hated your grandfather, I hated your father, I hate you for their sake.
 Your father told me once that my money would bring curse, because it was made by usury, grinding the face of the poor
 expressing the widow and the orphan"
 Charles Markham read the document twice in the most absolute amazement be- fore he spoke again. 1T Then he looked around the room, and shuddered as if with cold. That's pleasant legacy, upon my word. Ugh! I feel as if the place was haunted. The old heathen! never did him any harm, alWho aver heard of such way to spite 9 mans grandfather? Christ mas Eve, tool won't have his money. eeyy | lwon't stay here, I- Why, Sancho, nay head is fairly spinning. Let's go take a walk, old fellow, and get the cobwebs out of my brain. Seven o'clock, he added. consulting his watch, a and we have had no supper. Oome!njpgoa $ ei LaBo4esro
 The dog shook himself eagerly as if we'll pleased, as his master drew on overcoat and gloves, and pulled his travelling collar up over his ears. for he had already expe- r16nGHd fhogF EsacxcfHiss ~>s~l~a-v1 VI iGzGOx evening. Closing the front door, and pocketing the key, the young heir to the
 uncomfortable legacy was soon in the midst of busy throng of Christmas gift seekers, who were crowding the streets, pushing, jostling, hurrying, laughing, or scolding, as the humor dictated. It was
 splendid night; the moonlight. pouring down on the gaily-dressed crowd, and eye- ry store lighted to its full capacity, and decorated with all it's Christmas attrac- tions. Lalta7 sH95atisd alss baA aiesuEom $
 A lonely, homesick feeling oppressed the fair haired youth, as he mingled in. the bu- sy throng, remembering that there was no
 one to whom he might bring a, Christnas offering, no table where plato would be set for him, nc, hand or, voice, to give him greeting on the universal holiday. He ate his lonely supper at restaurant, treated ESancho generously at provision 11ealer's, and then again resumed his walk in the streets, where the stores seemed most at tractiye, half.inclined to take.a night train for his old home. and throw his great sun- cle's legacy to thewinds. i'-.a
 It was perhaps with some vague idea l0l ridding himself ofesoma of the iWeighkyen his heart, that he distributed bountifuily all the smaller notes in his possession amongst the poor children gazing wistfu1l ly in the windows, and even went in him self and purchased two resplendent sWaz dolls, admired by 2 pair of ragged little girls, sending them home in state of ec. static delight to announce that Santa Claus xu;AI, l>;rs Io~, v,on& %Ln,,, &I,<