The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-01-11
One Farthing Damages.

In dRTkeDed cham ber, dark with
the awful shadow still more than
with the lack OF material light, foul
persons were gathered around = bed
on which lay 8 man bearing in his
face ths unmistAksble signs of the
summons which none can refuss tC
answer. A weeping girl knelt Oy the
bedside, her face bent over the nerve
less hand which lay upon the cover
let, and which she held as though by
that cOnvulsive clasp she could hold
her father still to lie. At a table,
covered with papers aud writing
materials, sat the dying mans solicit
tor, engaged in the preparation OF his
will. "WhRt names shall / insert as
trustees +? You should have two al
least"
The dying man paused ere he re.
piled with an effort:
"Geoffrey Howard, Major One
Hundred and Eleventh, now in India.
I have no other friends.n
"In that case may I venture tC
offer my humble services, subject tC
the usual prOvisO. / should be de.
lighted 70 be useful to Miss Hope
and If your friend is abroad, there
may be difficulties"
"True, SlythOrpe, I thank you
Make yourself trustee, then, with
Maj. Howard. LegHcy-S2O0 for your
trouble"
"Nsy, my dear sir, quite unneces.
sary. I really -"
But again the ready pen Travelled
over the paper, and q quarter of an
hour later Mr.. Slythorpe announced
that the document was ready for exc
cution, and in q low mechanical
monotone read over its provisions.
"Yes, that will do. Give me the
pen" he said, and with q shaking
hand affixed his signature. "TbanE
God, that's safe !" he gasped. MARY
my child, you and GeOfirey-yOu and
Godfrey What was saying God
bless you, my darling! God bless
These were the last words Bernard
Hope ever spoke.
A year had passed away since Bsr.
nard Hopes death, and Mary still re-
ueined an inmate of the house OF
Mrs. Murgatroyd, the good woman
whom we have seen in attendance al
her fathers last illness, and who, 10
her occasional occupation as nurse,
added the more permanent one Of let
ting lodgings. MRry's sweet face and
| gentle manner had quite won the
heart Of her good-nstured landlady,
who was unceasing 10 her endeavOrs
to soothe her grief and minister TO
her comforts. But she had another
trouble-none the less hard to beal
| that it was one in which she could
/ AA-aA,nko 81 -
Of whom mention has already beer
made, was not only her fathers most
valued friend, but bad insensibly
grown very dear to herself, and when
six months before BeI1ard Hope'i
death, be was summoned with hi
regiment to India, be left Mary hi:
promised bride. Twice be had writ
ten Within the first few weeks of his
departure, since which time there had
been q terrible silence, and in the
same week which left Mary father
less, q second blow fell upon her. Tn
One Hundred and Eleventh had beeI
engaged in q smart skirmish, the
number Of dead and wounded beinI
considerable. Major Godfrey How
ard was reported among the fallen
| anu - - s4aNurn at onaa he
lover and her father.
The death OF Major Howard left Mr.
Slythorpe sole trustee Of Mr.. Hope
will This to Mary Tss 8 matter O
the most perfect indifference. Sus
pectiDg evil of no one, she was q
willing that her little fortune
amounting to some five or six thou
sand pounds, should rest in Mr.
SlythoTpsis hands as in those Of sn,
other person. But of late the attOr
pey bad begun TO persecute her wit
attentions which, under existing cir
cumstsnces, world have heen dis
tasteful from any other, but wer
doubly so from q person whom sh
could not help regarding with an IN
stinctive dislike. And in truth MI
Slythorpe was not precisely the pei
son to win 8 young lady's fancy. Un
dersized, high-shouidergd, with blink
ing, Iashless eyes, and q general angu
Isrity, Rot to say k1obbiness, Of feat
ure, he might have been expected t
rise superior 60 any weakness as
personal appearance, but such was b
no means the case. Mr. SlythorI
one morning knocked st Mrs. Murgl
J. troyd's door. That good lady was
the moment engaged in dusting Mi:
: Hopes room, and catching sight
his approach, exclaimed
There's that nasty wOrriting laa
yer-again, I do declare. SlythOTp
indeed I'd SlythOrpe him ~
It would be hopeless to endeavOr
express on paper the intensity
. meaning Mrs. Murgatroyd threw in
. her neRly-coined verb. Mary smil'
. At the good lRdy's Eehemence.
\ aMy dear Mrs. Murgstroyd, "
{ really shouldn't be so severe. N
= SIythOFpe is 8 little peculiar, but
have no doubt be means kindly, Al
- Won know be is tue Trustee of po
- papa's will"
Il know be Is, my dear, and 1 wi
he wasn't 1 know he shouldn't
Trustee to 3 tomcAt Of mine, dI
him IN -.-.-a
AT this point the conversation "
n |. interrupted by the entrance OF I
= gentleman IN question, and N
MarRatroyd, passing hin with III
n sniff OF abhorreBee, quilted the apa
10 ments =,
Mr. siythorpe, for once in bis Il
pt snDeared i'll at ease. He Was got
-, AZ, .aoourfnmed care and