Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-10-20

her bread by making artificial flowers
and working early and late to keep tn
room tidy, cook the simple food and d.
the necessary sewing, when she was no
working at her trade.
But when wealth came, suddenly ant
unexpectedly, flooding Elsie's life will
sunshine, Miss Della altered little from
her former self. True, she had leisure
time, could open her kind hands in charity
where before she had only given hel
warm, tender sympathy, but rs she had
been iu poverty quiet, gentle and ever
sad, so. in prosperity the same calm
gravity rested upon lip and brow, the
same deep sadness lurked in the soft
brown orbs.
Though but forty, her hair was some
what streakcd with gray, and premature
age was the fruit of toilful life and sor-
rowful heart. Yet she was lovely still,
and goodness ever beamed from her sad,
pitying glance.
After Elsie had left her she put aside
the jewel case and sat musing before the
fire. She had made it one of her duties
to her adopted child to accompany her,
after introduction to society, to all
scenes of gaiety. But n severe cold had
rendered exposure to the night air m
imprudence on this, the evening of Mrs.
Walton's large party, and Elsie had
Joined the family If friend.
Memory was very busy in Della
Mcrriman's s heart as she sat over the fire
during Elsie's absence-so busy that she
started as if from dream when the car
riage rolled to the door as the mantel
clock chimed two.
There were words OF parting, then
light steps on the stairs, and Elsie came
in, not as usual, full of bright animation,
but with an earnestness of purpose quite
unusual to her.
"Did you have pleasant evening,
dear?' Miss Della asked.
"Yes-no-I don't know. Are you
very tired ?"
The last words were all of the discon-
nected answer the girl seemed abl, to
give, on account of her emotion.
"No, dear Why, Elsie, love, what is
it ?"
For she was looking troubled.
81 have a message for you, auntie."
"For me p
"From a STRANGER who was at Mrs.
Walton's, Mr.. Carrington-Ralph Gar
rington."
Della Merriman rose to her feet.
She tried to speak, but the words
would not come.
"Auntie," the girl cried, terrified,
"Don't look so-don't!"
"The message ?" she whispered.
"He told me to tell you that the man
who killed Henry Garman was Charles
Ralston, tho cashier of the Hope Bank,
who has confessed his guilt. He said :
Tell Miss Merriman that tomorrow
will see her. Auntie, Elsie continued
urgently, "what does it mean? Was
not Henry Garman my father?"
eyes, child. 1t MEANS" Miss Merri-
man said solemnly, "that the cross that
for twenty years has lain upon my
lifo is lifted tonight. You shall know
all, Elsie, at once. will not send you
to sleepless bed, child, with your heart
so troubled. But give me few mo-
ments to think of your tidings, and tell
me how this message came to be intrust-
ed to YOU"
"Mrs. Walton came to me late in the
evening, and asked permission to indro-
duce Mr.. Darlington. 1 had noticed a
stranger, who looked at me very earnest
ly."
ga tall, handsome man, with curling
brown hair and pleasant features, wear
ing a full beard of waving golden
brown ?"
"No. A tall, grave man, with stern
features, smoothly shaven, and hair
almost white-quite an old man,"
"True true I had forgotten. He
must be fifty-five."
"When he was introduced to me, he
touched the locket upon my neck.
Pardon me he,' he said, if am too
curious but your name and that trinket
are connected with SO much of my life
that I venture to ask you something con-
cerning them. The locket first. Did
not somebody give it to you--a ladyT
His looks were so eager that I told him
the locket was yours. Then he led me
on, little by little, till I told him my
whole life. He said he had been here
two months seeking you. He did not
look for wealthy woman, but one poor
and solitary. Then informed him how
poor we had been ; and about your
cousin, and how you had lavished every
good thing on me. And then, auntie,
he whispered, half to himself, that I had
no claim on you. What did he mean?
Are you not my aunt?''
"No, dear, there is no tie of blood
between us. Your claim is the claim of
love, for you have been the one comfort,
The one sunshine of my lonely life.
twenty years ago, Elsie, Ralph Caring
'on gave me the locket you have upon
your neck, a gift of betrothal, for we
owed each other truly and were engaged
% be married. I was poor girl, making
artificial flowers for bread, an orphan,
,oo. He was assistant cashier of the
bank, where your father was night
and Charles Ralston was
lead cashier. Ralston was in love with
ne, and pursued me with unwelcome
attentions.
"One day, to rid myself of his i'm
told him had promise to
marry Ralph. He left me in a rage.
Only one week later the bank was enter
ID at night, your father shot through
he heart, and Ralph Darlington discov-
red in the vault trying to revive him.
1e was arrested and tried HetOld story |