Connecticut western news., 1877-06-01
A Crack in the Wall.

1,m afrald, SIT, we cannot mdke satisfactory piece of work, unless we tear down the whole mantel piece. You see it has been loose for years. There is wide crack at the back that must have been there for long time"
 Herbert Payne looked ruefully at his table of papers, his large book case, his pictures, busts and gimcracks that made his handsome library the one room in the large house that seemed truly like home to him.
 'sIt will make dreadful mess, won't it?' he inquired, rather dolefully. 'sWell," the workman said, scratch ing his head, 'syou can't help the dust, sir, and the falling bricks and mortar, g but we'll be as careful as we can."
 And as quick?"
 "Yes, sir .t.
 'sVery well !! Only be sure you put it up this time, so that there will be no further annoyance" ........- Then Herbert Payne fled from the confusion to come, and took trip of two weeks, absolutely without end or aim, excepting the escape from his dis ordered library, Mrs. Beach, his house keeper, took care that none of his treas ures were injured, and when he re- turned there was no trace of the in yvaders, save that the falling mantel- piece was carefully and firmly reset.
 But upon his table lay sealed enve- lope, yellow with age, and directed in pretty, lady-like hand to "MR. HER BERT PAYNE, 17 Montgomery st."
 Every shade of color left the face of the middle-aged bachelor, as he saw this epistle. His hand, stretched out to grasp it, trembled so violently he drew it back. Mrs. Beach was within call, and he controlled his emotion to ask :
 "How came this letter here?" "The men found it behind the man. tel-piece, sir. It must have slipped down the big crack.'
 He shut the door then, and bolted it.. No careless, curious eyes should watch him when he read the letter, the letter that must have been hidden there thir- teen years behind the mantel-piece. Before he touched it, he unlocked a writing desk evidently seldom used and took from it a miniature picture picture of lovely girl of eighteen or nineteen, with large brown eyes and waving golden hair. A face full of sweetness looked out from the cold ivory, and the eyes of the strong man grew dim with tears as he gaZed upon
 For he had loved her. Not with the wild unstable love of youth, but when he was a man past thirty, who had faced trouble and temptation, and con- quered both. He had met her first in Florida, where she was the comfort of an invalid father, spending winter there, and he had been won first to love her by watching her sweet patience with the irritable old man, who kept her constantly busy in his service.
 Later, when they were friends, Her. bert learned that MT. Morrison, the fretful sufferer, was very wealthy man, and that Leda was the only child. Herbert Payne needed but little the fact that Leda was probably an heiress, but he found his whole heart going out to her as they grew better friends.
 Accomplished, beautiful, and well read, she was yet as modest as wood violet, not shy, but graceful and sweet and purely Woman1y. Every day he loved her better, till he was assured ot her love in return, when he sought hel fathers consent to his taking her to his heart and home, his loved, honoreC wife.
 And MT. Morrison's plea was this '1 cannot spare her yet. When tell you her story you may not care t( marry her, but if you still love her spare her to me few months longer. may not, cannot live over another spring, even in this soft climate, bu when die Leda will inherit all my for tune, though she is not my child. told you she had history. When my wife had been married but two years our first child was born and died in al hour. Leda-my wife, Leda-was de 1irious, calling constantly for her babe and the doctor said it was life or deatl with her to have a child. So we tool the babe who has grown to be the com fort of my life, from a foundling asy 1um. have no idea who she is O what was her parentage; but from tn hour she lay in my wife's arms, and tn pressure of her tiny fingers calmed tn wild excitement of the brain, she wa to us our child. We never were blessed with one of our own again, and all tn love that was in our hearts for childrel was lavished upon Leda. She was tel years old when her adopted mothe died, but she knew nothing then, an' her birth. Only two other persons be sides myself know of it, my brother ant my nephew, who will be my heir if leave no will. But I promise you t make will before I die, and leav Leda independent. You-you do no look as if this story had shaken you love.'
 ''Nor has 1t! Leda will ever 5e t me the one woman love, and I car nothing for her obscure origin, noth ing for her fortune. Rich or poor, sh will ever be the same to me-"
 "But you will not urge her to leav me yet? Not until spring? Iris but few monhts, but it is all my life.'' as q will not ask her to leave VOL