The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-11-09

she calls them ..~aunt--and lives with
yfpm.- -rmrcfsafso yUfngff1n fSSfrh'
Grant, somewhere about the place, Of
whom u00Ucepon.
old To9 Hammond. the father Of the
two man EN- n sters, was horn in the
year lf1o. >od might havJ seq the
heads over fcmple Bar after tAefising
of i.45sHe tf&ed ill 1880. Het4d mar
rie1 lat65n nfo, and had left oty those
tvS6 dauahters, Thus two geI ratiohs
NbridgedS r1fA space OF time generally
occupied ~ many successive lives, as IN
the case Of another branch Of the fami-
tly, fhr-fvundcr Of " hich, Majurf<ichMd'
Hammond (the uncle 81 the two old
iadips) ,who bad been Atthe captute n
QuSbcc when General Wolfe waskhlcd,
being the great-grandfather Of Maggie
fnuderdaie and Ralph Grant. Major
Hammond was the cider of the two
brothers, and should have Inherited the
Xestbury estate; but he offended his fa-
Their, General John Hammond, by what
was called a low marriage. and was dis
inherited in consequence. ~ "A
Tom Hammond had done his best to
remedy his fathers injustice, rs far As
he could without injuring himself and
his own, BY making a settlement of the
estate, in failure Of his own issue. upon
the lawful descendants Of Major Ham
mond, hisbrother; providing that if the
issue Of his elder brother should fati, the
estate should 70 to the issue of a young
er brother Henry, who, BY the way, had
bech well provided for,hy the small es-
tate Of Eastbury, This brother Henry
was now represented through the female
tline hy i MI. Boobies, Of Doodle Court,
who now also held the Eastbury estate.
The descendants Of Major Hammond
are now confined TO these two young
people, Maggie and Ralph. They are
both orphans and without means, their
forebears having been mostly IN the sob
diering and official lines. Ralph Is a
lieutenant in the artillery, and his bat
terry Is now in India: but he i home on
sick -leave. ard he has taken advantage
of his furlouch to win the affections VI
his fair cousin. As the westbury estate
would become to be eventually divided
between them, II was considered q
mosti Fortunate thing thar the young
people had come 10 an understanding
Ralph was 10. leave the service when b.
was married. and take the home farm
Bv-and-bv he would fall naturally int
his position as country squire; and il
was arranged that eventually no shoul,
assume the name Of Hammond; hoping
TO continue the old line.
! This preamble being necessary, let u
return to tine comfortable old-fashione,
drawing-room at Westburv.
What do you think II that. Ellen2'
cried Miss Hammond, having read oyel
. once more the circular ~ herself will
subdued emphasis. Miss Ellen was sit
ting looking into the fire Her grea
wooden knitting pins and bright-colores
woods lying on her lap, as she shook hel
head while talking gently to herself.
"Do you hear. Ellen p" cried Mis-
Hammond more sharply. "What d.
You think of that letter from Truscottg'
(" | don't like the idea at all. Marga
ret. No, not al all. Why cant the,
/ leaye. our ancestors alpncs And | an
sure | always locked forward to being
buried there myself.
ola, don't talk abont that, Ellen
and you FIVE years the y0unger'' sai'
/, Miss Hammond briskly: land a. W
!. can't prevent its being done. we mus
make the best Of il. Ralph had bette
\ 20 and see to IT,"
Y "Nery wen, sister; a. you like SAT-
Ellen, Presently she resumed Sister
! I've been thinking that this would be
good chance N try q get back Uncl
2 Richard Hammond-s ring
"Uuclc Hammbnd's ring?" rep ate'
the elder sister. ~ don't understand
"You must have heard our lathe
talk about il. The family ring that ough
! 10 have gone with the estates--a rub
+, and sapphire that General Hammou
brought home from Ceylon-"
y 81 ought 20 know all about 1t. Eller
| dare tay. but Won were 30 much NOR
with my poor father, and had more pa
tience With his stories.''
saia NV father often tried rs ret the ring
= and had offered 20 give Major Han
\ mond n large sum forit. Bnt he was !
(. vexed with father for supplanting hin
I that he vowed that no nevefshould hay
il; and they saw, sister, that rather tina
y 1t should ever fail into his brother
a hands. he habit buried with him. npo
his finger Our father always said thu
= il he had "a chance he would have til
J coffin opened 70 See"
Maggie, who retreated to a sofa, an
buried her head i'm A novel. reused upa
this, and joined in ~ hope you vii
auntie. | do hope youth have il locke
/. for" 4r ~n
!, ~ don't know, my dear" said Mi
9 Hammond. ~ don't approve Of VII
\ lating the sanctity ~ shsltomb.'
With the elder Miss Hammond
& phrase waS every thing; she delighte
= to bring a thing within the compass /
n a.wall rDurded phrase, upon which n
4 would then make 4 stand -invinctbl'
I 50 Maggie threw ZIP her head IA 4 kin