The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-04-15

tently for the answer. t
''If you believe such sentiments as you
uttered in your lecture, pity you, and
that is all have to say about it,. You shall
stay in this house no longer than tonight,
and
"Well and what?'' asked the other.
"Finish the sentence do, by all means"
Mr.. Lawton trembled violently and SEEM
ed inclined to spring upon his guest, but
the latter quietly laughed at him, and con
tinued
"Come, Lawton, it is of no use for you
to pretend you don't know me. You do
you know you do if you don't can make
you soon enough; own up now-come,
quick ~
"Well, I" stammered the other; l haveA
suspected that" 3.
"Oh, nonsense = interrupted Stuart,T
You don't suspect, you knorj like man.
But stop you couldn't do that there is no
part of a mans character about you?"
"Well, then suppose know who you
are. But why do you come to torment me
now?" pleaded the timid man. .u t.l
"Ah sure enough, why do (? You
have no suspicion, probably?" Knocked the
tormenter ate a
But now I'll give you something more
than a suspicion. Listen to me: You
gambled with me, before you was married !;
you have been in this town twenty years.
When you came here you were not worth
anything to speak of. For the past fifteen
years you have not done days work. and
yet you are now living in style which
could not be maintained with less income
than ten thousand dollars year. You
think its big story, do you? Well, I'll
make it bigger before / am through, and
give you chance to deny it if you can
| Now, I'll tell you how you got rich it will
be like sweet music in your ears, won't it?
ha, ha Your wife died soon after you
came here. Previous to her death, her
bachelor brother who had always idolized
her, died in a foreign land, leaving her a
Large fortune of which she never knew, as
she died before the news came. In the
event of her death this fortune was to go to
her children, and you were appointed to
see the will executed. These children are to-
day utterly ignorant Of all this, and do not
dream of all they rghtfully possess. You
have appropriated the whole to yourself.
am not going TO moralize upon what the
heart of a father must be, who can act thus
by his children-but will go on to delight
you with more solid truth"
Mr.. Lawton would have spoken, but
Stuart kept on.
"Your wife's father disowned his Other
daughter because her marriage displeased
him. After the death of your wife this
daughter made an attempt at reconcilia
ton, but without success. Sick and starv
ing, and divorced from her husband, who
ill-treated her, she came to you for aid
With great kindness of heart you put hel
in the almshouse, where she has been many
years. At that time, too, grief at the almos
simultaneous loss of his children hasteneC
that he had forgiven his daughter, and lef
her a fortune, if she could be found
which, at her death, was to be equally di
vided between all his grandchildren bu
if not found after a certain time, it was t,
be the property Of your wife's children
You were also appointed executor in thi
case. How we'll you have filled the trust
You have secured the property to you
children, while the rightful possessor is a
this very moment an inmate Of the poor
house, represented by you as unsound il
mind. OF course your word for it is sui
/ ficient for you are of irreproachable char
acter in this town. Suppose you were t
, make just restitution in those cases, wher
would you be? Not only without a cent il
the world, but in debt for nearly as muc
as you have now, judging from the rate yo
have lived And as to your good characte
Q oh, dear, what shall say about that
l The less the better Now, sir you haven
seen me since your wedding day, and prot
ably thought me dead, as you had almos
!. certain proof of it. But you see am moi
r and l have few little matters to attend
4 before die AS to our former acquain
n ance, and that gambling debt you owe mt
g and what else occurred between us befoI
your marriage is not the point now you
memory is as good as mine no doubt.
!, am no saint myself, and had bad recor
I once, but propose to right some matter
if can Now, my dear friend, you hay
chance to deny and explain if yoa wis
and can. So speak out"