Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-06-02

"shc has never seen Master Bobby,
whom your brother speaks of as being
about the same age as Ter owng"
Never"
"I have i'll" l exclaimed Introduce
Master Clyde as Master Bobby, and see if
any particular effect will be made upon
her Let your brother come as expected,
and bring the boy with him. Is there a
girl anywhereW
"Yes, the eldest, Mary; naned after
herself.n
The long and the short of it is this,
that | advised the bringing up his little
girl, Mary, and his supposed nephew,
Clyde, whose real name, If indeed he was
his nephew, was Edward; and let the
mother and child be brought together as
events would naturally occur. "And let
me know" / concluded, as soon as you
can, if anything comes of our little STRAIT
agem."
l must now put another letter before my
feadef for what followed will be better
understood from Miss Dennis narrative
than from words of mine.
DEAR DoUToR--As | have now really
something to relate TO you, l will write
you my promised letter. ! must Just tell
you that, for some days before Frank re.
turned, Mary had seemed very uneasy in
her mind; restless and fitful complained
of bad nights and strange dreams; but on
the day that Frank was expected and
came, she was much calmer and herself
again. She flew to meet him, and the
servants taking forcible possession of the
children at previous hint of mine, we
had some minutes in the drawing room
before they were brought in.
- ia fbntr arrtv-al EraV,lr ,o,1
little namesake, Mary, and Master Bob.
by"
y" As her eyes fell on the boy l saw her
start. My heart beat fearfully.
$50 this is Bobby, is IL" she said, and
just laid her hand on his head. He is
like--not you,' and she looked fxedly at
Frank; nor your wife'-here she paused,
and turning away passed her hand across
her brow. Frank signed TO me to take
the children out of the room, which did !;
left them with the nurse and returned.
Mary had walked to the window, and for
few seconds we took no notice of her,
but Conversed on different subjects. Then
| turned to her and said, IN leave you
two together, Mary, there's lots OF bust
ness to talk over, and I'll go and look af-
ter the chicks.
" She turned round, and one would have
thought she had aged ten years in those
few moments. She had a panied and
wearied look, and her thoughts seemed
far away as she answered, DO, Ellen
and keep them qulet-and get Bobby
Bobbyp she repeated, who is he likeY-
| don't think l can be well, l feel so
strange And she turned back again to
the window and looked out.
81 confess ! thought of sending at once
for you, she had such a wild, oppressed
look on her face. She was close to us,
and yet one felt that she was very far
away. l feared that we had done wrong
in testing her in this manner, and might
kill her reason if we ventured further.
wished at the moment that the boy had
never been found, and went out of the
room quite savagely. Remembered what
you said about letting things come natur-
ally, so we did not have the children in
again, or even mention them, until a
bright young laugh rang in our ears from
the floor above, where a temporary nur-
sery had been arranged.
They seem making themselves quite
at home, Miss Polly, at any rate, said my
brother 'rll go and see the fun Mary
had been unusually quiet. The business
matters that had to be discussed seemed
for the time to have lost their importance.
She would break off in the middle of a
sentence, the strange look come over her
again, and her hand would be passed
across her forehead and eyes. When
Frank had gone she remarked, family
Bobby was not laughing-it was the girfs
laugh
"How did she knowY She then left
the room, and went to dress tor dinner.
Frank tells me that on going up stairs he
found Polly in astate of glee. Nurse was
demonstrating as she wiped saucer and
Master Edward, sitting utterly discOnso-
late in very big arm chair, with two big
tears coursing quietly down his checks
AT her papa's entrance, Polly rushed to
him. oh, papa, isn't he funny boy =?
He's crying because nurse won't let him
go and see Aunty Mary again. He says
he wants to go to the lady, and stole away
outside-nearly all the way down, and
nurse had to.carry him back, and then he
cried again Isn't he funny boy, papa ?
" Frank quieted Polly with look, and
comtorted Edward by saying that he
would soon see the lady again if he was a
good boy. He gulped down his tears, and
Frank left him. The nurse was in the
secret, and looked to me for orders in the
matter. On the chance of Mary visiting
the room. we had lett out on the table the
| little night-shrt the baby had on when
the poor woman discovered, on her recov-
cry, that he was not her own child. II
was thrown carelessly on the table, with
a few odds and ends and toys.
"After was dressed l ran upstairs to
have another look at the young ones, and
met Mary just outside the door on the
point of entering. She blushed red when
she saw me. Come along, Mary, said,
entering first and taking her hand. Wen
have a romp before dinner-it will give
us an Appetite
edward was standing at the window.
| Polly was nursing a doll and finishing
what had once been large slice of cake.
Strange to say Mary spoke to Polly and
not to Bobby though it was evident it
was Bobby she had come to see, for her
| eyes wandered to him, and rested with a
! puzzled look upon his face. She stood
! by the little table, and soon | saw her
| fingers take up the shirt. She turned and
| twisted it about for some time before she
| looked at it, then said, You have plenty
to do now, suppose nurse; another lit
tie one to care forY 'Oh, yes, ma'am--
| the more the merrier bless their hearts
She talked deal more of nurse talk, but
Mary's eyes were now on the shirt, and
l saw her give sort of shiver. / signed
to nurse to go away with Polly. She did
so, and still Mary only fingered the little
shirt in nervous sort of way. ] stole TO
her side, and as she turned her look
frightened me. Take that child away,
Milly; take him away instantly-I can't
breathe the air near him it STILES mep'
"Hush Mary' l said You are not
we'll, that is all. We will go away, not
poor Bobby got her down stairs and
prevailed ON her to lie down. There
seemed a struggle, great struggle going
on within her, and so strong was the
mastery she had to keep over herself that
l saw she could hardly help thrusting me
away from her in her efforts to throw of
something that seemed forcing itself on
her. Was it the memory returning, |
thought-and prayed silently to God to aid
ii. She did not refer again to the boy,
but her mental agony continued, and it
was quite two hours before i could leave
her. When, after at length prevailing on
her to take little food, she sank asleep,
] stole thankfully away.
Nurse was awaiting me. u can't keep
the child quiet, miss. He keeps saving