The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-10-05
A LAWYERS STORY

A client OF the law firm, with which I wa
connected in Lincoln, Neb., had died, leay
ing o very large property, worth nearly hal
q million dollars, to be held In trust unit
the heir or heirs could be discovered.
1 was anxious to find the heirs, not onl,
Tor pecuniary motives, but because I wa,
made deeply Interested in them by the recit
al OF a story which the client, Marvin Gray
had told to me on the day of his death
HIS breath was alnos spent when I stood
BY his bedside and listened attentively t.
catch the low sound Of his voice as he whis
pered the sad tale Of an erring son whom h,
had drivenl from his home in England
de had sent him from his home one dark
night, twelve years before, because of hi
runke habits, and he had never seen hin
since. He had heard from him but once IL
all these long years; then he was an Office,
aboard n ship plying between Liverpool ant
New York. Though he had searched thu
world over he could get no traoe of his son,
and finally worn out by incessant grief and
travelling, he lay down in the far West amonp
strangers, to die without having accom-.
pushed the one great desire Of his aching
heart.
As the death dew was gathering on his
brow, he finished the story, and, with an in
describable look of agony. asked me to
~ ehc hOIk WueIe ne mad left
1t, and devote my life, if need be. to the
finding Of his son, if living. 1 should re.
ceive twenty thousand dollars when he
was found Young and romantic, my
sympnthies were fully aroused SO with my
nand clasped in the nervous grasp of the
dying man, l promised never to give up the
search until the lost one was found
Mr.. Gray had made such disposition of
his property that 1 could draw my travelling
expenses so l commenced the important
task the day after his untimely death.
l took the cars at Lincoln, and was soon
in Crete, a.small station in Central Nebraska.
Here l changed to the stage-coach bound
Tor Holders rancho, fifteen miles to the
north. AS we were travelling along at q
rate OF speed for which Western stage
coaches are renowned, 1 tried to shape some
definite course to pursue, and had almost
decided to retrace my journey to Lincoln
and start for the Eastern States, when my
thoughts were diverted from the subject
oy the sudden upsetting of the numbering
vehicle. We had been threading our way
around the edge of n gulch, when the shy
irg of one of the horses sent the coach and
in a heap to the bottom. was
of falling, and then all was
blank.
When I recovered my consciousness I was
IN a pheasant though plainly furnished room.
through the door of which / could see a pale
laced woman sewing near a table. At the
time she was sweetly humming a baby
song and rocking IN old-fashioned cradle
with her foot 1t was an interesting picture,
and made me think of my own childhood,
with my mother singing baby Nell to sleep.
! tried to think how 1 came to be there. and
wondered II ! had died and was in heaven.
As my thoughts turned to myself 1 tried
to rise, when an acute pain in my side made
me cry out in agony. Then the sweet face
Of. the woman was over my pillow, and ten
der eyes looked plying into mine as she
asked me if 1 felt much pain. Her voice SO
low and sweet, made me forget my suffer-
ing, and I asked where I was and how /
came there.
Don't you remember your falling into
the gulch with the stage-coach yesterday ?"
she asked. .rf.
"Oh, now / remember" 1 replied. az
was going to Holders rancho when we were
all tipped into that gulch and killed"
No, not killed" she said, smiling Mt my
serious tone; but badly bruised and Mar
vim brought you hear for me to nurse back
to life, for you were almost gone when he
got you out of the wreck"
I was going to ask who Marvin was, but
she said ! must not talk any more until the
fever left me.
The following week was a period of great
suffering for me, but my faithful nurse did
all that could be done to make my surround.
ings pleasant for my rational moments. ]
was conscious of the presence Of q young
man ut my bedside, and knew he was the
Marvin :" who had brought me from the
gulch.
Near the end of the second week after tn,
accident the fever left me, and l began t.
recover. Up to that time l had been unabl,
to converse except with great pain, but OF
this afternoon, when the fever was all on
Of my system, l could talk as well as usual
My recovery was slow, and for many days
wa compelled to keep to my bed, but al
last l was permitted to sit up, braced h.,
pillows, in the big arm chair.
One day, while sitting thus, watching Mrs
Warde, my nurse, at her work, / asked how
she and her husband came to settle in such
a wild country. She replied that it was .
long story, and might tire me to much but
I assured her that it would not. SO she
paused for a moment, and then said -
when 1 promised to be Marvin's wife he
was a sailor, on shore for q short vacation
He was not rich, but we loved each other
and were full of hope for the future. Mar
vim was to make one more trip to Liverpool
and then return and make me his wife. W.
parted, both vowing to remain true to on
love VOWS. But he had not been away .
week before mother was take sick, our onl,
horse was stolen, and father broke his Lex
SO he could not work. 1 toiled all day ant
far into the night, but / could not carr
bread enough for the little brothers ant
sisters, and buy the medicine that sicl
mother must have. In our hour of distress
my fathers employer, Mr.. Ennot, hearing
of our need, sent the doctor for mother ant
food for the children. Twas grateful TO
his kindness, but when he asked me t,
marry him, l fled from his presence. H,
sought me again, and said, For the SAX
of your father and sick mother, Jenny, ca
you not be my wife ?" 1 thought of Marvin
away on the sea, and my heart made m
say no. Then came the news of a terribl
storm at sea, and Mnrvin's ship was among
those that had gone down. Again Mr.. En-
not renewed his offer. My father argue,
and commanded, but I could not forge
Marvin's love. Mother did not say a word
but when she looked into my face, / knew
she wanted me to yield for the children
sake. Though my heart should break
could not refuse her mute appeal, SO / CAV
over and promised to be his wife but m,
heart was On the sea.
ITO be COntinued.)