The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1877-06-23
One Farthing Damages.

In darkened chamber, dark with
the awful shadow still moIe than with
the lack of material light, four persons
were gathered AROUND bed, oh which
lay a man bearing in his face the un-
mistakable signs Of the summons which
none can refuse to answer. A weeping
girl knelt by the bedside, her face bent
over the nerveless hand " hich lay upon
the cOverlet, and which she held as
though by that cOnvulsive clasp she
could hold her father still to life. At q
table, covered with papers and writing
material, sat the dying mans solicitor,
engaged in the preparation of his, @ill,
"What names shall 1 insert as trustees?
You should have two at least" Il
The dying man paused ere he replied
with an effort
GeOffrey Howard, Major One Hun.
dred and Eleventh, now in India. l
have no other friend" -
In that case may venture to offer
my humble services, subject to the usual
provjsO. l should be delighted to be
useful to Miss Hope and IL your
friend is abroad there may be Difficult.
ties"
" True, Slythorpe. l thank you.
Make yourself trustee. then, with Maj.
Howard. Legacy--e2O0 for your
trouble"
Nay, my dear sir, quite unneces-
sary. really" r
But again the ready pen Travelled
over the paper, and a quarter of an
hour later Mr.. Slythorpe announced
that tho document was ready for exc
cnton, and in q low mechanical mono
tone read over its provisions.
I" Yes, that will do, Give me pen, t"
be said, and with a shaking hand af-
fixed his signature.
4" Thank God, that's safei" he gasped.
I" Mary, my child, you and GeOffrey-
you and Geoffrey What was saying?
God bless yOr, my darling God
bless"
These were the last words Bernard
Hope ever spoke.
A year had passed away since Ber-
pard Hopes death, aud Mary still re-
manned an inmate of the house of Mrs.
Murgatroyd, the good woman whom
we have seen in attendance at her faith
|
siOnal occupation as nurse, added the
more permanent one of letting lodgings.
Aary's sweet face and manner had
quite won the heart of the good natured
landlady, who was unceasing in hel
endeavOrs to sCothe her grief and minis.
ter TO her comforts. But she had anOth
er trOuble-nOn9 the less hard TO beal
ehat ii was one in which she could have
few con6dantes. Maj. Howard, of whom
mention has already been made, wa
not only her fathers most valueC
friend, but had insensibly grown very
= dear to herself, aud when, six month";
before Bernard aope's death, he wa
/ summoned with his regiment TO India
I. ne left Mary his promised pride, Twic
he had written, withip the FIRST few
weeks of his departure, since whicl
time there had been terrible silence
I and 10 the same week which lett Mar,
j iatherless second blow, fell upon heI
The One Hundred and Eleventh ha
4 been engaged in a,smart skirmish, tn
number Of dead apd wounded beiu
considerable. Maj. GeOfrey HOwar
was reported among the fallen, an
. Mary had to mourn at once her love
T and her father,
( The death of Mst Howard left Nj
> Slythrope sole trustee Of Mr.. Hope
$ will This TO Mary was matter Of til
most perfect indifference. Suspectln
/. evil OF no one, she was as willing tina
her little. fortune, amounting to sou
five or six thousand pounds, should re
in Mr. SlythorPe's hands as in those