The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1875-06-26
HUGH ALLAN'S, HEIR
.t ..l .Est. OR, H..f
The Bride Of South Ridge.
BY ARTHUR L. MEsERvE.
lus CHAPTER l.
THE PROFILE OF THE GRANGE.

Ig $50 The house, or grange, as it was called,
iNtSNs stood on tae summit OF gentle emf.
Afe,ElS nence, and away on either side sire ch
w lHsSI ed the brond acres appertainng to the
SsItIT the estate. Here were nicely cult-
waited fields and there long reaches OF
woodland, covered with the prmeval forest On
one side, at the foot of the eminence. lay
beautiful lake, its surface dotted with many
green islGnd' which lay like 30 MANY emerald
gems on its bosom.
A falrer domain there Was not to be found
within the broad borders of the State The
house itself was grand and imposing. a broad
veranda ran about on either side, from which at
any point most beautiful yicw was to be OBJ
tanned.
Within the rooms were high ana lofty, and
furnished with all chat wealth aud taste could
suggest r.Ts" Ht ~
The owners OF South Ridge had always been
blessed with plenty OF this w0Ild's goods. The
founder of the house had brought from the
ino5her country plenty of wealth, and this had
been husbanded frugallv by all his successors,
although there had been nothing niggardly
about them.
Each and all had striven to make South Ridge
Grange the most attractive of any place in all
that region OF country, and In this they had sue.
ceeded beyond doubt
So much for the Grange and its surroundings,
and now let US introduce to the reader its in
| mates at the time our story opens.
ats owner, Hugh Allan. was a man somewhat
past the prime OF life, yet his fOrn was still UNI
bent, and his hair hardly silvered by the hand
| OF Tine
the only change that the fleeing years SEEM
ed to have made upon him was upon his lace.
Vo,a, ,,t-In 90
care the fruits maybe, of deep emotion.
| People who knew him we'll had marked them
| there for the last ten years.
There were those who said that they had set
their seal there IN one short week of time.
great cross had come TO him then such a
cross as but few people are required to bear in
| this world.
His son, his only child, had been lost to him.
But it WAS not Death who was the robDer
He could have borne that, have submitted to
| to what was inevitable with as good grace as
thousands and thousands of others who lose near
and dear friends, but this case was different
For aught tnat he knew his son was still
alive.
Yet he was dead to him as though he had
mOuldered in his grave for the ten years past
He bad cohmitted a CRIME for which he had
been obliged to fee and hide from the face of
men to save his life. which he had forfeited by
his act
He had been accused of murder, and the proof
was 90 rreat against HIN that there was no
earthly hope that he could make his innocence
manifest.
sun he had stoutly declared that he was not
guilty.
But there were none who believed that he
spoke the truth.
The evidence against him was too strong.
Even his father believed him guilty.
1t was this terrible trial which had brought
the wrinkles upon his face, and made him look
so old beyond his time.
stern justice, he felt, would have sent his son
10 the galows but this no could not do. Ills
own flesh and b!ood must be saved, II possible,
| this disgI ace.
Therefore he had connived at his escape and
by extreme good fortune had got hun outA the
country.
Since he had been assured OF this, no living
soul had ever heard him mention his sons
name.
FrOm him one would never have known but
what he had been chidless all his life
Friends he had but few. He was not man.
in these days, who would attract people to hln.
Those old ones who sull lived near by, never
mentioned his sons name TO HIM. There was
not one who had the courage TO do 1t. Had they
done so. 1t would probably have been an end to
all further intercourse between them.
Thus 1t was that toe days OF Hugh Allan's life
came and went.
Only one other inmate was there OF tie
Grange, save the servants.
This was distant relative, Dora Adams His
wife had dIed before the great disgrace was
Brought upon the family, and thus she had been
pared the blow which with terrible torture
would nave wrurg her lie from her.
SION after her deaih, Dora Adams. then a
mere child. had come to South-Ridae TO live.
She was an orphan. the child OF cousin OF
Hugh Allan's. and sne came to MIN pennleas.
But he lad enough for himself aud her and
when his son was the same as dead to him. he
turned 10 the child for ali the consolation he
could nope for IN this world.
AS the years went on, he regarded her as his
own.
Had Le. Indeed, been her ia'her he could no'
have been kinder TO hcI