Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-01-11
ONE FARTHING DAMAGES.
CHAPTER l.

awful shadow still more than with the
lack OF material light, four persons were
gathered round bed, on which Law a
man bearing in his face the unmistakable
slgns OF the summons which none can
refuse to answer. A weeping girl knelt
by the bedside, her face bent over the
neverless hand which lay upon the COW
erlet, and which she held rs though by
that conyulsive clasp she could hold her
father still to life. The doctor and
nurse stood quietly aside, as having
done their part and waiting for the iney-
liable end. A shaded lamp cast ring
of bright white light amid the surround.
ing gloom, and within its cleaning cir
Gle, at a table covered with papers and
writing Materials, sat the dying mans
solicitor engaged in the preparation of
his will. The instructions were short
and simple. Bernard Hope had but one
near relative, his daughter Mary, now
kneeling by his bedside, and to her, as
was natural, he desired to leave his few
possessions.
After an interval of silence, broken
only by the suppressed sobs of the
weeping girl and the monotonous
scratching of the attorneys pen upon
the paper, he paused, and inquired in
harsh. unpleasant voice:
"What names shall insert as trus-
tees' You should have two at least"
The dying man paused ere he replied
with an effort:
Geoffrey Howard, Majer 111th, now
IN India. / bave no other friend"
In that case may / venture to offer
my humble services, subject to the usual
proviso. / saould be delighted to be
useful to Miss Hope, and If your friend
Is abroad there may be dificnlties."
True, Slythorpe, I thank you.
Make yourself trustee, then, with Mai.
Howard: Legacy-200 pounds for your
trouble"
May. my dear sir, quite unnecessary.
/ really
But again the ready pen travelled over
the paper, and q quarter of an hour later
. MP. Slythorpe announced that the docu-
ment was ready for execution, and in a
Ilov mechanical monotone read over its
rovisions. The sick man seemed more
m once to lose consciousness during
- reading, but at the close he an.
peared to nerve himself for a supreme
effort.
"Yes, that will de. Give me the
pen,' he said, and, with shaking hand.
afhxed his signature, and, with eager
eyes, watched the doctor and nurse as
tney added their own as Witnesses, after
which he sank back exhausted on his
pillow. Thank God, that's safe 70 he
gasped- Mary, my child, you and
teonrey-you and Geoffreyl What
was l sayingi God bless you, nv dar.
ingi God bless.
These were the last words Bernard
Hope ever spoke. For little while he
lay with hah-closed eyes, still breathing,
but past all consciousness OF earthly
things. The doctor stepped noiselessly
TO the bedside, and laid q finer ON the
hutterlng pulse, now beating with un
natural quickness, now failing alto
gether. Another quarter of an hour
passed-a quarter of an hour which
seemed an age to the anxious watchers
and then the doctor laid down the
thin, white hand, and, tenderly touching
the head OF the orphaned girl, said
"My dear, the Lord gave. and the
LORD has taken away. Your father has
passed to better. world"
CHAPTER H.
A year had passed away since Bernard
Hopes death, and Mary still remained
an inmate OF the house of Mrs. MurQa-
troyd, the good woman whom we have
seen In attendance at her fathers last
illness, and who, to her occasional occu-
patton as nurse, added the more perma-
nent one OF Lifting lodgings. Mary's
sweet face and gentle manner had quite
won the heart on the good-natured land
lady, who was unceasing in her endeay-
ors to soothe her grief and minister TO
her comfort. Mary still showed in face
and figure the tokens of the fiery trial
through which she had passed. Her
slight form looked shghter still in her
soft black drapery, and the shadow OF
an unforgotten sorrow still rested on
her delicate feature. Mary Hope had
been her fathers constant COMPANION.
and she sorely missed the happy hours
IN which his powerful intellect and
varied experience had been unfo,ded
for her benefit But she bad, too. an
other trouble none the less hard to
bear that it was one In which she could
have few oonfdants. Mai. Howard, of
whom msniion hes already been made,
was not only her fathers most valued
friend, but had insensibly grown very
dear to herself and when, six months
before Bernard Hepe's death, he was
summoned with his regiment to India,
he left Mary his promised bride. Twice
he bad written within the first few
weeks Of his departure, sincs which
time there had been q terrible silence !:
and, inythe same week which left Marv
fatherless, socond blow fell upon her.
The 111th had been engaged In smart
skirmish, the number Of dead aud
wounded being considerable. Maj.
Geofrev Howard was reported among
tie fallen and Mary had to mourn at
once har lover and her father.
The death of Maj. Howard left Mr..
Slythorpe sole trustee of Fir. Hope,
viii. This to Mary was matter of the
most perfect Indifference. Suspecting
evil Of 10 one, she was as willing that her
little fortune. amounting 10 some 20, ,00n
or 900. IN ml rest in Mr.. Sly
fborpe's hands as in those of any cthef
Pors"n. But of late the attornsy had
peS'n To psrScc1te her WITH attention.