The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-02-28


With difficulty the Oldest son got neal
enough TO the body without stepping
into the gore to raise the head, whicl
was dropping on the chest. He grasped
the hair and raised the head so that the
light might fall upon the face. AS he
did cry of horror escaped them all. =
! "Great God it is our brother
George"
"What did you say? said Mrs. Now
tbray, in voice horribly calm, from
the doorway, whittier she had followed
unperceived. George! What do you
mean?"
The oldest son dropped the head to
prevent, if possible, his mother seeing it,
and all of them. endeavored to explain
their exclamation and get their mother
away from the spot. 1t was in vain.
Boys" she said, in her old, we'll
known tone of authority, "stand aside
and let me see the face of the villain 1
have slain"
With that she put her sons aside as
though they were mere lads, and walked
through the slippery gore that lay upon
the floor up to the body. She took the
candle from the unresisting grasp of her
first-born, and, with hand that trembled
not, lifted the head of the dead man so
that the light shone full upon it. She
gazed at it steadily for half a minute,
then said, gently lowering it until it
rested upon the breast again, Its my
boy George"
Mrs. Mowbray was the only one in the
household who remained calm and mo-
tionless. The family was in the widest
state of sorrow. The three brothers
with difficulty extricated the body from
the window. The authorities were noti-
fed, and everything kept as quiet rs
possible. The inquest was duly held.
Mrs Mowbray was fully exonerated, and
the body was tenderly prepared for
burial. The real story was known to
few outside the family and authorities
1t wac believed by them that George,
instead of going to Devonshire, had re-
manned lurking in the neighborhood,
and had planned the robbery, and if
need be the murder of his mother. He
knew that she had large sum of money
and valuable jewels IN her room. The
old nurse who had held George Ill her
arms when he first saw the light, took
care of the body and prepared it for the
tomb.
She dwelt tcnderly on the familiar
marks upon the limbs and face which
she knew SO well, each of which had
story of youthful daring or folly con
necte3 with it. In due time the funeral
took place. The corpse was laid in the
family vault Only the family and one
or two relatives attended-Mrs. Now
bray spent the best part of every day by
the side of her dead son. She showed
externally no signs of emotion. Before
the lid was closed she kissed the forehead
and cut off lock Of his hair.
The day after the burial she gave
directions to her eldest son to pay all the
dead mans debts, which was done at
once so far as known. Gloom settled
over the hall The wing of the building
in which the tragedy occurred was closed
up, and Mrs. Mowbray removed to bed
room up stairs.
On the fifth day after the funeral
post-chaise drove up to the door of Har-
wich Hall, and from it stepped George
Mowbray, looking better than he had
looked for many a long day before he
left home The servant who opened the
hall door started back, and almost drop
pedwith fright. Hisexclamations caught
the ears of Mrs. Mowbrsy and her SONS,
who seemed to be dumb-founded.
George was as much astOnished as any
of them, and gazed from one to the other,
perfectly lost in bewildered surprise.
There was no doubt about it. George
Mowbray, whom everybody believed dead
and in his grave, was living and before
them.
Mother" said George, advancing
toward her, "what is the matter? My
return is easily accounted for. On reach
ing Tawvale, 1 found that my uncle's
family had been unexpectedly summoned
to London, as my eldest cousin, Sir John
Gray's wife, was thought to be dying.
I took nights repose, and then started
home again, and here an"
Mrs. Mowbray walked up to him, and
then. without word, folded him IN
passionate embrace. Each of his broth
ers prasped his hand and kissed him, as
they were wont to do when he was boy
and the pet of the family. The old
nurse. aroused from her MONDAY slum-
Der, embraced and wept over him, and
the servants gathered around with wet
eyes and congratulatory expressions
All this time George knew nothing OF
the true reason for this singular recep-
ton. Soon, however, the mystery was
explained TO him. The effect upon Mm
cannot be described.
Measures we're Immediately taken to
have the body of the man who had been
buried as George Mowbray disinterred.
This was done, and as the living George
stood beside the body of the dead man,
the resemblance was seen to be the most