The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-11-30

they would be well taken care OF anu
taught a good many things. Though, l
don't see, for my part, what should make
a Truman have q family OF naturals.
The utter absurdity Of all this woke up
the gentleman addressed to o sense OF his
position, Helaughed heartily, kissed his
aunt, whose hand he had before held clasp
ed in his own, while he gazed at her and
, about the antique room in dazed sort OF
n way, seated her in an armchair, threw
his silk hat and fur-lined ulster upon the
bright acknowledgements bed, and in q
trice had fire blazing in the huge fire.
place, which made all the young Trumans
open their eyes in establishment.
81 feel like boy" he declared, rubbing
!, his hands and looking about. Gretchen,
take off your things and see what we can
lind for supper. II don't seem more than
A day since we were here as boy and girl. "
"ih, SO your wife is with you, and Is
still Gretchen? / am glad she has not
changed the name her poor young mother
gave her" :, =,
"Grctchen? that is sweet name, said
Blanche, seating herself by the blind wo-
mans side, "but / don't know why papa
called mamma so. Mammals name is Ger.
Itrude. 1t seems as II must be asleep"
and pretty Blanche rubbed her sweet dim
pied fists in her blue eyes. i,
II think It is like story: book" cried
Harry, the Oldest boy, dashing into the
room. u have been exploring, and there
are six rooms all wide aud big like this,
with bare, white floors and high, bright
beds and great wide cayerns for tires, and
father has set Jerry TO making fire in
every ono OF them. And then, to cap oil,
through the center OF the house is a long
room, with fireplace wide enough to
roast an OK" .Nyt,
~ have seen good sized porker roast
ing there many time" said his father,
who lust then came in with lighted can
dies in shining brass candiestiCks, land
upon one festal occasion there was bar
becue over fat yearling calf, " and Mr..
Truman looked around shyly at his wife.
"Ah, yes, that was when you and Gret-
chen we're married. That was a feast in
deed.r said Aunt Hannah with sigh,
''and to think have never seen your faces
since that day, and that now can never
look upon them again"
"Whose wedding was It? Did you say
papa and mamma were married herer DO
tell us about it." clamored all the six
children in concert. But summons from
their father to the long table, standing be-
fore the wide fireplace in the long kitchen,
spread with snow.white homemade linen,
bright pewter porringcrs, brown bread and
large shining pan OF foaning milk which
Jerry had lust brought in and strained,-
made them forget for time anything but
the appeasement Of their own ravenous
apPetites. . . ,,,..,o,. ,.,,, l.,
about the house" said Aunt Hannah, and
| l guess by the short time it has taken you
to get this meal ready. you haven't forgot
ten all your old ways.
Meanwhile pot OF green tea had bcen
made and Mrs. Truman, who had not yet
removed her bonnet, was seated at the
table beside Aunt Hannah.
81 think II is lovely here" said Grace,
dancing around the table, "Any place
would be charming these frosty autumn
evenings with such glorious fires. Now.
papa, while mamma sips her tea, tell us
truly when you and she visited here be-
Visited hero before? Child, what do
YOU mean by asking such questions?
Your father was born here, and his father
and grandfather and greatgrandfather be-
fore him. ! am an old woman, as you see,
and my grandfather built this house.
Your father was born here, because
here was his ancestral home and here his
parents lived, and your mother was born
here, because"
"Iiush! hush! Aunt Hannah" gasped
Mrs. Truman, speaking for the first time
since she came under the roof, Spare my
children that" .s..
Gland o. massy, Gretchen Truman, your
children have common sense. have
heard every one Of them laugh, SO quick,
and fools never laugh. never have seen
tyour children, but ! know them now bet
ter than you do. 1t will do to toll them
the truth. As I was saying, Gretchen was
born here because her mother a poor,
weary emigrant, homeless and fricndless,
strolled away off up here and dropped
down sick and starving at our gate, My
father took her In, and she lay Ill for
weeks talking in an unknown tongue and
appealing to our hearts with her great be-
secching eyes, until God gave her a little
daughter, whom she called Gretchen!
Gretchen! Gretchen!' and then she died.
lit all happened at Thanksgiving time, and
my father said that baby Gretchen was
Thanksgiving offering, and should be kept
and cared for. HezeEiah, hero, WIS baby
then, and my brothers wife took the
strangers baby also into her arms. The
1.-TWO .sIopt In the same cradle and were
brought up together. like twins. Thoy
loved each other and cared nothing for
any one else. Gretchen had always proud
WAYS and grand ideas unlike the Trumans
She was jealous lest some one should look
down upon her on account OF hpr uR'
known parentage. She dwelt upon this
and talked Of it TO Hezekiah until he, too,
BECAME possessed with the same feeling.
Whom they were twonty,one the two were
married, and It was understood that thoy
were 10 live hore at homo and havo the
farm. They went TO tho city on o wedding
trip, and the farm never saw them again
until this day.
"Oh how delightful" cried Blanche.
'rWhy have you never told US this before,
papa5 To think that this is where you
and mamma were born and lived whom
You we're children! You have robbed US
Of our birthright in keeping it to your
selvesW
"And to think that dear, little baby
Gfctcnen WIS our OWL ulAllinla' ctleu
Mabel.
~ didn't know she ever was a baby, did
you, Blaneho?" exclaimed Paul, the five
ycars-old,-"she never told US that"
81 would rather you had told US tales OF
this old home than to have had oil the
story books and pictures that money could
buy" said Grace, eagerly.
"0h, how mistaken IhaVe been" sighed
Mrs. Truman. at was 1pursuaded Heze.
kiah to stay inthe.clty; and as We proposed
we agreed never to mention our former
lives, eyen to each other. We have robb.
ed ourselves and our children, Hezekiah!"
ave have made blunder on all hands;
I see It plainly now" said Col. Truman,
II have been prctcnder in more ways
than ono, for my business has been for a
long time kept up on credit, Although
We have lived In a stylish way, have had
IN strain the last neryo constantly to keep