Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-01-24

and bids Dorothy make ready to go with
him. She. poor child, is sadly coming
over a letter which Godfrey wrote her
months before, and seeking to renew
in the simple words which he has
penned impressions of the lover whom
she now thinks faithless. Dan1 feels
that, however Godfrey may have
wronged him, he is not false 10 Doro-
thy; but TO undeceive her would neces-
state explanations which he cannot
make just now. So Dorothy talks of
her shattered idol, and Dan'l makes no
sign. Enters to him Reuben Haines,
whose cunning mind has devised pro-
position which will aid his self-inter-
ests. If Dorothy will wed with him,
he tells Danl Druce, he will say moth
ing to Sir Jasper and Dan1 can keep
her for his daughter. viii Dan1 ac-
cept? The perplexed old man decides
to consent-even TO persuade Dorothy
to be this mans wife. The maiden
views this proposal with no favor, but
DanI urges it upon her as though he
were pleading for his life. He argues
that since Geoffrey has denied her, she
can have no thought of allegiance to
him to deter her from accepting; he
even begs that she will consides his re-
quest as the first one he has ever made
and grant il to save him from great sor-
row. Dorothy consents to do as she
is hidden, but she declares that her
heart will break. At this Dan'l Druce
changes his resolve, and begging her
forgiveness for wavering for moment,
orders Reuben from the house and tells
him to do his worst, and the bailiff de-
parts to tell Sir Jasper where his daugh-
ter may be found. Geoffrey comes to
Dan1, and tells him he has refused the
position which Sir Jasper would have
given him, and is going to sea. He
begs that when he is far away Dorothy
shall be told all. and how he was ever
faithful to her in thought and purpose.
DanI tells him that if it were i'm his
power the maiden should be bestowed
where she had pledged her faith, but
now it is impossible, for Sir Jasper is
coming to claim his own. And, in
sooth, as he speaks, there is a knocking
at the door, and the two men-he who
left the child fourteen years before in
the hut on the Norfolk coast, and he
who took her In glad exchange for his
gOld-stand face TO face to contest their
rights. Reuben, who has conducted
Sir Jasper to the forge, is over Jealous
in his desire to impute the blame of
concealment and the intention of flight
TO the blacksmith, but he is speedily
disposed of: for, on Sir Jasper hearing
that he has himself offered to hide his
be given to him in marriage, he
is ordered to deliver his books and
papers to Geoffrey, who is named
steward in his place, and get him hence.
Then Sir Jasper and Dan1 Bruce are
left to contest between themselves the
question which is uppermost in the
minds of both. To Sir Jasper's charge
that Dan'l stole away from the town to
" hfSh thC ShiA0 NoNtA OC liaNtu
left no clue behind him, Danr replies,
with righteous Indignation, that the
father who would desert his infant thus
could not be expected to seek her again.
He-Danl Druce-had done his duty
by her. What had the man done who
left her to perish?
Sir Jasper admits that Danl has
spoken wisely. He himself was but
step-father to the child, but her mother
had died of grief over her loss, and he
had promised the wife whom he dearly
loved to make amends fer his neglect
by searching for the babe. Why, then,
now that he has found her, should he
give her up TO any one, even to Dan'l
Druce? The poor old man has nothing
to say to this; he calls Dorothy, and
tells her that she is to be lady, for Sir
Jasper is her father. He will come and
see her sometimes, he says piteOusly,
and then he tells her that instead of
one father she will have two, and begs
her not to speak and rushes from the
place. But Dorothy cannot welcome
this new-found parent. She is not daz-
zled by thoughts of wealth; she sees
only the poor old man to whom she is |
all the world, and she begs Sir Jasper !
not TO take her away from Dan'l Druce.
He tells her she is free to do as she |
will; and, blessing him for the words,
she says that another blow would have !
ended Dan'Ps life, for his wife's deser- !
ton nearly drove him mad-his wife. !
for whom she was named Dorothy; his |
wife, Dorothy MARBLE, to save whose
good name he gave out that she was
dead. At the mention of that name /
Sir Jasper is deeply moved, and, sum
moning Dan'l Druce he bids him take |
his daughter, for she is his very own.
He conveys to him, too, that he, Sir
Jasper Combe, is the author of all his |
woes, but now, penitent, implores for
giveness. And when Dan1 Druce /
awakens to the fact that the man who |
has just gone out into the nighti is he |
who desolated his life, and stole from
him the mother of Dorothy he would |
even rush after him and wipe out his |
wrongs with blood. But Dorothy, |
angel of mercy and forgiveness, inter-
poses, and bids him spare the man who
has suffered. and will suffer, for her
mothers sake and for hers. And Danl |
Druce is content to forgive, and Geofi- !
rey is no longer the victim of miscon-
ception, but is restored to Dorothy's |
arms, as he ever has been present in
her tender thoughts.
This is the story of W. 5 Gilbert's |
noble drama, ''Dan1 Druce, Black !
smith,"
A Convict Wiser than his Judge.