Nebraska advertiser., 1877-11-01
4 Crack in the Wall.

You see IL has been loose 1or years.
There is a wide crack at the back that
must have been there long time"
Herbert Paynelooked ruefully at his
table of papers, his large bookcases,
his pictures. busts, and art objects,
that made his handsome library the
one room in the large house that SEEM
ed truly like home 10. him.
alt will make dreadful mess won't
. it?" he inquired rather dolefuily.
"Well," the workman said, scratch
ing his head, ,"you can't help the dust,
sir, and the falling bricks and mortar,
but we'll be as careful as we can"
land IS quick ?"
"Yes, sir."
VERY well! Only be sure you put
it up, this time, so that there will be
no further annoyance"
Then Herbert Payne fed from the
confusion to come, and took trip of
two weeks, absolutely without end or
aim, excepting the escape from his
disordered library. Mrs. Beach, the
housekeeper, took care that none of
his treasures were injured, and when
he returned there was no trace of the
invaders, save that the falling mantel-
piece was carefully and firmly reset.
But upon bis table lay sealed envel-
ope, yellow with age, and directed in
a pretty, lady-like hand to "Mr Her
bert Payne, II Montgomery Street,
Every shade of color left the middle
aged bachelor, as be 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 >"
1.-The men found it behind the man.
telpiece, sir. 1t 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
thirteen years behind the mantel-
piece.
Before he touched it, he unlocked a
writing desk evidently seldom used,
o and took from it a miniature picture
a picture of lovely girl of Is or 10,
with large brown eyes and waving
golden hair A fana flll IF s1r,4-at N rl,a
looked out from the cold ivory, and
the eyes of the strong man grew dim
with tears as he gased upon it. For
he had loved her. Not with the wild
unstable love of youth, but when he
was a man past thirty, who faced
trouble and temp tation, and conquer
ed both.
He had met her first in the country
where she was the comfort of an inva-
lid father, spending a winter there,
and he had been won frst to love her
sweet patience with the irritable old
man, who kept her constantly busy
inihis service. Later, when they were
friends, Herbert learned that Mr..
Morrison, the fretful sufferer, was
very wealth man, and that Leds was
his only child. Being himselfa a man
of large fortune, Herbert Payne heed
ed but little the fact that Leda was
probably an heiress, but he found bis
whole heart going out to her as they
grew better friends. Accomplished,
beautiful and well read, she was as yet
ss modest as a wood violet, not shy
but graceful and sweet. and purely
womanly. Every day he loved her
better, till be was assured of her love
in return, when he sought her fathers
consent to his taking her to his heart
and home, his loved, honored wife.
And Mr.. Morrison's plea was this:
II can not spare her yet. When
tell you her story you may not care to
marry her, but if you still love her,
spare her to me few months longer.
/ may not, can not live over another
spring, even in this soft climate, but
. when die Leda will inherit all my
fortune, though she is nc: my child.
told you she had history.
when my wife had been married
but two years, our first child was born
and died in an hour. Leda-my wife
Leda-was delirious, calling constant
ly for her babe, and the doctor said it
was life or death with her to have a
child. So We took the babe, who has
grown to be the comfort of my life,
from foundling asylum. 1 have no
idea who she is or what was her par
entage; but from the hour she lay in
my wife's arms, and the pressure of
her tiny fingers calmed the wild ex-
element of the brain, she was to us
our child. We never were blessed
with one of our own again, and all
the love that was in our hearts for
children was lavished upon Leda.
She was 10 years old when her adopt-
ed mother died but she knew nothing
then, and knows nothing now, of the |
secret of her birth. Only two other
persons besides myself know of il,
my brother and my nephew, who will |
be my heir if leave no will. But |
promis you to make a will before die
and leave Leda Independent. You
you do not look as if this story had
shaken your love-"
"Nor has it! Leda will ever be to me
the one woman 1 love, and 1 care
nothing for her fortune. Rich or poor,
she will ever be the same to me-"
"Rut you will not urge her to leave
me yet? Not until spring? 'Tis but
few months, but it is all my life,"
"I will not ask her to leave you,"
Herbert said, deeply moved by the
pathos of those last words; "but let
me speak to her. win her consent to