The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-10-11
IAWYER's sToRY.

was connected III llDCOln, 1NeUfdShd udO
died. leaving avery large property, worth
nearly $500, 600, to be held in trust until
The heir or heirs could be discovered.
| was anxious to find the heirs, not only
for pecuniaiy motives, but because | was
made deeply interested in them by the re-
cital of the story which the client, Marvls
Cray, had told to me on the day OF his
death. His breath was almost spent when
stood by his bedside and listened atten-
lively to catch the low sound of his voice,
as he whispered the sad tale of an erring
son whom he had driven from his home iE
England He had sent him from his home
one dark night, twelve years before, be-
cause of his drunken habits, and he had
never seen him since. He haG heard from
him but ONCE in all these long years then
he was an officer aboard a ship plying be-
tween Liverpool and New York. Though
he bad searched the world over he could
get no trace of his son, and finally worn out
by incessans grief and travelling, he lay
down in the far West among strangers, 90
die without having accomplished the one
q eat desire of bis aching heart
As the death dew was gathering on his
brow, he finished his story, and, with an in
descnbable look of agony, asked me to
swear to take up the work where he had
left it, aud devote my life, if need be, to
She finding of his son, if living. L should
Young aud romantic, my sympathies were
fully aroused so with my hand clasp in
the nervous grasp of the dying man,
promised never 20 give up the search until
the lost one was found.
Mr. Gray had made such disposition Of
his property that | could draw my travel
ing expenses; So | commenced the mport-
ant task the day after his untimely death.
/ took the cars at Lincoln and was soou
in Crete, small station in Nebraska. =
Here changed to the stage coach bound
for Hobler's Ianche, fifteen miles to the
north. As we were travelling along at
rate of speed for which Western stage
coaches are renowned, l tried to shape
some definite course to pursue, and had al
most decided to retrace my journey to Lin
coin and start for the Eastern States, when
my thoughts were diverted from the sub
.ject by the sudden upsetting of the lumber
ing vehicle. We had been treadiug our
way around the edge of a gulch, when the
shyiug or one of the horses sent the coach
aud contents in a heap to the bottom.
was conscious of falling, aud then all was
blank.
When l recovered my CONSCIOUSNESS, [
was in pleasant though plainly furnished
room, through the door of which | could
see pale-faced woman sewing near a ia
5le. At the same time she was sweetiy
humming baby song and rocking an old =
fashioned cradle with her foot. 1t was an
Interesting picture, and made me think of
my own childhood, with my moIher sing
lug baby Nell to sleep. l tried 10 think
how | came to be there. and wondered if |
bad died aud was in heaven,
AS my thoughts turned to myself 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 pill
low, and tender eyes looked pltying into
mine as she asked me if | felt much pain
Her voice so low and sweet, made me for
get my suffering, and l asked where l was
and how | came there.
"Don't you remem5er your falling into
the gulch with the stage coach yesterday ?"
she asked.
..Oh, now 1 remember 1 replied. ''I
was going 20 Hoblers rancho when we
we're all tipped into that eulth and killed. :"
ssNo not Killed, she said, smiling at my
serious tone ''but badly bruised; aud
Marvin brought you here for me to nurse
back to life, for you were almost gone
when he got you out of the wreck"
/ was going to ask who Marvin was, but
she said | must not talk any more until
the fever had left me.
The following week was a period OF
great suffering to me, but my faithful
nurse did all that could be done to make
my surroundings pleasant for my rational
moments. | was conscious of the presence
of young man at my bedside, and knew
he was the Marvin who had brought me
from the gulch.
Near the end of the second week after
the accident the fever left me, and began
to recover. Up 80 that time | had been
unable to converse except with great pain,
but on this afternoon, when the fever was
all out of my system, | could talk as well
as usual My recovery was slow, and for
many days | was compelled to keep to my
, bed but at last / was permitted to sit up,
braeed by pillows, in the big arm chair.
One day, while sitting thus, watching
Mrs. Warde, my nurse, at her work, ask
ed how she and her husband came to settle
in such a wild country. She replied that
it was long story and might tire me too
much but | assured her that it would not,
/. so she paused for moment and then said
when | promised to be Ma~vin's wife
he was a sailor, on shore for a short vaca-
| ton. He was not rich, but we loved each
other, and were full of hope for the future.
Marvin was to make one more trip to Liv-
erpool, and then return and make me his
wife. We parted, both vowing to remain
I true. to our love vows. But he had not
! been away a week before mother was "a
ken sick, our only horse was stolen, and
father broke his leg, SO he could not work.
| toiled all day aud far into the night, but
could not earn bread enough Tor the lit
tie brothers and sisters and buy the medi-
! cine that sick mother must have. In our
.hoar of distress, my fathers employer,
/ Mr. Eunot, hearing of our need, sent the
/ doctor for mother, and food for the children.
! was grateful for his kindness, but wh en-
he asked me to marry him, fed from his
| presence. He sought me again, aud said,
For the sake of your father aud sick moth
er, Jenny, can you not be my wife? p ]
thought of Marvin away on the sea, and
my heart made me say no. Then came the
news Of a terrible storm at sea, and Mar
| yin's ship was among those that had gone
/ down. Again MIR. Ennot renewed his Of
! fer. My father argued and commanded,
buf | could not forget Marvin's love-
| Mother did not say word, but when she
looked into my face, | knew she wanted
me to yield for the chiIdren's sake. Tho
my heart should break I could not refuse
her mute appeal, SO gave over and prom.
ised to be his wife; but my heart was on
the sea.
The day appointed for the wedding
came, aud everything was ready guests
had been hidden, tables spread, musicians.
engaged. and floors prepared for active