Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1878-04-26
z gleasamt Story,
LITTLE OLIVES FATHER.

To people of an investigating turn
as most people are touching other peo-
pies affairs nothing is so aggravating
as an communicative man, one who
declines to give an account of himself,
and has to be given up like an unguess-
able conundrum.
Of that sort was Edward Northup,
who had dwelt five years in Swaylford,
and of whom the best informed inhab-
tant knew nothing but his name, that
he paid his debts promptly, and seemed
TO be well off in the world.
He was not mOrose man-far from
it. Everybody found him pleasant and
affable but you might as we'll have
tried to pump water from dry we'll as
to draw Mr.. Northup out on the subject
of himself.
For time the social interviewers re-
sented Mr.. Northup's reticence, by dark
hints that man so secretive must be
little better than he should be, but, as
few people are, the animadversion pro-
duced no very startling effect.
Anyhow, the children all liked him
There was little girls school hard by
the village, and almost any day at the
hour when the "we lassies" were al.
lowed to go, and play on the green, you
might see Mr.. Northup, as he passed
that way, stopping to pat one after
another curly head whilst discussing
with its owner the mysteries of skip-the.
rope, trundle-hoop, or the latest style Of
dolls dresses.
Little Olive Verne was his prime
favorite. Her past life was quite as
great a riddle as his own. All she could
tell of herself was that, from time al
far back as she could remember, she had
lived with a woman who was not hel
mother, and that~she had been sent tc
school when the woman died. Little
Olives school bills were paid, and al
her needs supplied, with money fur.
nished through city banking house
and that was all Miss Trainer, the prin
cipal, knew upon the subject.
No friends ever came to visit little
Olive. She was never taken home OF
the holidays. Santa Claus, it is true
didn't forget her on Christmas; but hi
and Mr.. Northup were the only two
people-if, indeed, they we're two
outside of Miss Trainers school, who
seemed to know that there was LITTLE
Olive.
Mr.. Northup, in his walks through
the green, would often stop to single GU
little Olive, and lead her to n shady
nook near by, where the two would 81
and chat together till Miss Trainers bel
rang ont its "fearful summons" wher
Mr.. Northup would give his littl'
friend kiss and go his way, leaving
her to run along with the rest.
One day Mr.. Nortbup came to my
Office and placed sealed packet in my
hand. His manner was agitated and
his voice trembled as he said
"1f should die before recalling this,
I desire you to open it. 1t contains all
the directions / wish to leave about my
worldly affairs"
had been Mr.. Nortbup's legal adj
wiser on one or two previous occasions,
and degree of intimacy had sprung up
between us. l accepted the proffered
trust without question, and without say
ing more. Mr.. Northup took his leaye.
The same evening | was taking a
moonlight stroll along a secluded path
in the neighborhood, when my attention
was aroused by cry for help from a
tbicket of bushes which ! CHANGED to be
passing.
just then a man spraDg out into the
path. / caught but a glimpse Of bis
features. the expression Of which was
wild and sinister, before he darted away
and was lost in the darkness.
My FIRST impulse was 10 pursue the
fugitive but a deep moaning, az Of
some one in distress, called my stten-
ton 10 the direction Of the tbicket. -
Entering it and proceeding a few steps.
| came upon the body Of man stretched
on the ground The face was upturned
in the moonlight at a place where it
penetrated through tho branches. A