The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-01-26
ONE FARTHING DAMAGES.
CHAPTER I.

In darkened chamber, dark with the
awful shadow still more than with the
lack of material light, four persons were
gathered round bed, on which lay q
man bearing in his face the unmistakable
signs of the summons which mono 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 as though by
that convulsive 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 inev-
table end. A shaded lamp cast a ring
of bright white light amid the surround.
ing gloom, and within its cleaning cir
Gle, at q table covered with papers and
writing materials, sat the dying man g
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 a
harsh, unpleasant voice
"What names shall insert as trls-
teess You should have two at least"
The dying man paused ere he replied
with an effort:
Geoffrey Howard, Major 111th, now
in India. 1 have no other friend"
In that case may / venture to offer
my humble services, subject to the usual
proviso. 1 should be delighted to be
useful to Miss Hope, and if your friend
is abroad there may be difficulties"
"True, Slythorpe, 1 thank you.
Make yourself trustee, then, with Maj.
Howard: Legacy-2OO pounds for your
trouble"
"Nay, my dear sir, quite unnecessary
/ reolly@"
But again the ready pen travelled over
the paper, and quarter of an hour later
Mr.. Slythorpe announced that the docu
ment was ready for execution, and in 9
low mechanical monotone read over its
provisions. The sick man seemed more
than once to lose consciousness during
the reading, but at the close he ap
peared to nerve himself for O supreme
effort.
eyes, that will do. Give me the
pen," he said, and, with shaking hand
affixed his signature, and, with eager
eyes, watched the doctor and nurse az
they added their own as witnesses, after
which he sank back exhausted on hlt
pillow. "Thank God, that's safe I" he
gasped. "Mary, my child, you anc
Geoffrey--you and Godfrey What
was sayings God bless you, my dar
ling God bless"
These were the last words Bernard
Hope ever spoke. For little while he
lay with half-closed eyes, still breathing
but past all consciousness of earthly
things. The doctor stepped noiselessly
to the bedside, and laid finer on the
futtering pulse, now beating with un
natural quickness, now failing alto
gether. Another quarter of an houl
passed. quarter of an hour which
seemed an age to the anxious watcher
and then the doctor laid down tn,
thin, white hand, and, tenderly touching
the head of the orphaned girl, said
"My dear, the Lord gave, and tn,
Lord has taken away. Your father ha.
passed to better world"
CHAPTER IL.
A year had passed away since Bernard
Hopes death, and Mary still remained
an inmate of the house of Mrs. Murga
troyd, the good woman whom we hav,
seen i'm attendance at her fathers las
illness, and who, to her occasional occu
patton as nurse, added the more perma
nent one of letting lodgings. Mary
sweet face and gentle manner had quit