Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-09-11
MAJOR HAMMOND'S RING.

''What's this p cried Miss Hammond
breaking open a letter just handed &C
her by a servant. "4ou read it, Mag
gle; your eyes are better than mine"
Small wonder at that indeed, seeing
that Maggie is aged about Is, and the
other 65 at the very least, pleasant
looking, we'll preserved spinster, with q
brown resolute face and sausage curlS
over the forehead. Maggie, a hand
some modern girl. sits down and reads
MADAM-The Pensioners of st. Girls
pin, Gigglesham, III vestry assembled,
have determined to rebuild their parish
church, pronounced unsafe by the sur
vevor. Contributions are earnestly re-
quested The alterations will necessi-
tate the removal of many vaults and
graves; among others, t.at of the Ham
mond family. 1t is the wish of the
churchwardens to respect the wishes of
survivors and others in the disposal of
the remains. Any directions you may
have to give, you will be good enough
to communicate to the undersigned.
Your most humble and obedient SER
wants, THOMAS IRUSCOTT,
WILLIAM BONNER,
Churchwardens.
The two Misses Hammond Margaret
and Elem are joint proprietors of the
comfortable estate of Westbury, near
Gigglesham, and of the handsome man
sion thereto belonging. Maggie, the
young girl, is a distant cOusin-although
she calls them "aunt"-and lives with
them. There is also a young man,
Ralph Grant. somewhere about the
place, of which more anon.
Old Tom Hammond, the father Of
the two maiden sisters, was born in the
year LAO, and might have seen the
heads over Temple Bar after the rising
of 1745. He lived till 1880. He had
married late in life and left only these
two daughters. These two generations
bridged over a space of time generally
occupied by many successive lives; as
in the case of another branch Of the
family, the founder of which, Major
Richard Hammond tine uncle Of the
two old ladies', who had been at the
capture of Quebec when General Wolfe
was killed. being the great-grandfather
of Maggie Lauderdale and Ralph Grant
Major Hammond was the elder of the
two brothers, and should have inherited
the Westbury estate but he offended
his father, General John Hammond, by
what was called a low marriage, and
was disinherited in consequence.
Tom Hammond had done his best to
remedy his fathers injustice as far as
he could without injuring himself and
his own, by making settlement Of the
estate, in failure of his own issue, upon
the lawful descendants of Major Ham
mond, his brother; providing that the
issue of his elder brother should fail the
estate should go to the issue of a
younger brother Henry, who, by the
way, had been we'll provided for by the
small estate of Eastbury. This brother
Henry was now represented through the
female line by Mr.. 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
forefathers having been mostly in the
soldiery and official lines. Ralph is a
lieutenant IN the artillery and his bat
terry is now IN India; but he is at home
on sick leave; and he has taken advan-
tage of his furlough to WIN the affections
of his fair cousin. AS the. Westbury
estate would come to be eventually di-
a most fortunate thing the young peo-
pie had come to an understanding
Ralph was to leave the service when be
married, and take the home
farm. By-and-by he would fall natu-
rally into his position as country squire;
and it was arranged that eventually be
should assume the name of Hammond
hoping to continue the old line.
This preamble being necessary, lei
us now return to the comfortable, old
fashioned drawing-room at Westbury
What do you think Of that: Ellen?'
cried Miss Hammond, having read over
once more the circular to herself with
subdued emphasis Miss Ellen was set
ting looking into the fire, her great
wooden knitting pins and bright-coloreC
woods lying idly on her lap, as she SHOOK
her head while talking gently to her
self '- -
'Do you hear, Elem" cried Miss
Hammond more sharply. "What dc
you think of that letter from Trus
colt" #5 ~ ta4r
81 don't like the idea at all, Marga
ret No, not at all. Why can't they
leave our ancestors alone? And | an
sure / always looked forward to beins
buried there myself" -. "a
La! don't talk about that, Ellen, ant
you five years the younger" said Mis-
Hammond, briskly; g and as we can
prevent it's being done, we must make
the best of it, Ralph had better go an(
see toit. = ----------
Every well, sister; as you like" sale
Ellen. Presently she resumed: "Sis
ter, I've been thinking that this would
be good chance to try and get back
Uncle Richard Hammond's ring"
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