Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-09-21
MY OWN NAME.


Mr.. Robert Edward Rommelaine pushed
back his morocco.lined armchair from
his comfortable breakfast table and
opened the morning newspaper.
He read the editorials, studied care
fuIlyla column of commercial quotations,
scanned the "Cleared" and ARRIVED"
of the Marine Intelligence, and, turning
back the sheet, proceeded leisurely to
investigate the miscellaneous items.
Suddenly his eyes became fixed with
an expression of astonishment; the color
flashed to his cheeks. He read quickly,
with an absorbed air, the paragraph
whose first sentence had aroused him.
The expression of astonishment gave
place to one of keen pain. He re-read
the paragraph slowly, and, signing deep
ly, folded the paper across his knees
~" My own nameP he said.
The ejaculation was made aloud, but
no ear recorded it, Simon, the anti
quated butler, had brushed away the
crumbs, and had placed upon dainty
porcelain tray before Mr.. Rommelaine
the bright red apple that invariably con.
cluded his morning repast; then disap.
peared. And there was no guest at Ia
Bile.
For two months, indeed, and more the
sociable long oval had been drawn to
round and laid for solitude. This con-
traction marked the absence of Mrs.
Rommelaine, Mrs. Rommelaines mother,
the five Misses Rommelaine, and Robert
Edward Rommelaine, Junior, the pride
of the household heart. ...l
"My own namei" Mr.. Rommelaine re-
peated, reading for the third time the
paragraph that had caused him to feel
astonishment and pain.
When, after due interval, Simon re-
turned to the dining.room, he found the
red apple untouched. He lifted it scru-
tinizingly, rubbed it on his coat sleeve to
be sure if it could have been susceptible
of one glimmer more of polish, and then
put it ruefully into his own pocket
"Wbat 'as'appened to marsters" was the
mental reflection of this philosophical
parsonage.
In the meantime Mr.. Rommelaine, with
out any of the leisurely preliminaries
that usually marked his departure, had
left his house and was Fastening down.
town" by an unfamiliar route, toward a
quarter of the city quite removed from
business streets and filled with dingy
habitations. He studied the small signs
visible at the street corners, and present
lY, alighting from the avenue car, turned
into the dingest of these dismal by-ways.
Walking slowly, and observant of every
house that he passed, he reached at last
small, old-fsshioned domicile standing
in courtyard, penned in between two
towering tenement-houses of the modern
type. There he paused.
''And here it ISL His face actually
flushed with chagrin as this conclusion
was made; flushed again when, having
passed through the rickety gate, up the
dingy little court, he asked of ragged
loiterer in the open doorway: /" Is Mrs
Robert Edward Rommelaine within?"
Second floor 'front.'" answered the
lounger, removing the pipe from his
mouth and nonchalantly putting Whit
of rank tobacco in the inquirer's face
"Walk right up. There's been. plenty
enough to see her since the night Of
Mr.. Rommelaine had walked right up
From the head of the stairs a narrow
passage led to the door of q second-fool
front. Closed as this door was it coulC
not conceal the presence of misery with
in. There came the sound of woman's
moan and heavy sighs, and child'l
voice: "Don't cry so, dear mamma! oh
don't cry SO, dear mamma"
But when Mr.. Rommelaine knocked
all became still. He waited and knocked
again No sound. Five minutes o.
silence passed, and then he turned the
door-knOb deliberately and, finding tn,
door unlocked, entered the room.
A woman knelt beside bed, with he
face hidden in her hands. A little cir
standing by her side ard clinging to her
turned with alarm toward Mr., Romme
laine. The place they occupied wal
poverty stricken in the extreme.
r %You must not hurt my mamma, saiC
the child. She added, as she fully saw
his face: " You will not hurt dear nam
ma; she is ill.,"
The woman, whose means had so sud
denly ceased, did not stir, and Mr.
Rommelaine, approaching her, took thu
little.girl's trusting hand,
. have come to help her." he said
81 have come to make her well. Rousl
yourself, Mrs. Rommelaine."
He did not for one moment hesitate Il
decide the identity of the object of hi
search. But when the young woman
with difficulty arose and staggered to
chair, and gazed helplessly with haggarC
eyes upon her guest, he had but on
thought, and that thought audibly crossed
his lips in the same tone of wonder anl
pain as in his solitude that morning.
My own namep -s. 90 .1- r-.-
The woman looked at him with
weary apathy; her lips mechanically
framed Question: What do you know
Of iti" she asked.
"IknOw everything oft" Mr. Romme
laine answered, know that he /
Charged with the.gravest crime that maj
can commit against man; know that h.
has been torn away from you and cas-
into prison. But know that he is limo
cent? He paused moment; the nam
intfuil crossed his mind Robert Edwar'
Rommelaine. Yes he continued
very earnestly, he is innocent. tits i'm
possible that IL should be otherwise. Hi
innocence must be proved"
Half an hour later carriage ordeTet
To the door received three occupants
"Tothe City Prison" was the direction
given to the driver, and thither the
drDye, in silence toward the wTetcheI
owner of valued name, who all that day
as all the night before, paced his marrow
col in the misery Of imprisonment
goaded by every passionate grief tina
can overtake man when pursuit is in
evitehle aRd flight impossible.
H.Na - - VI F3 Is
II was one OF those days that some
times occur in late January, when, will