The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-09-13
Select Story.
MAJOR HAMMOND'S RING.

.s MAJOR lIAMM0ND'S RING.
What's this?' cried Miss Hammond,
breaking open letter Just handed to her by
A servant. You read it, Maggie your eyes
are better than mine
Small wonder at that indeed, seeing that
Maggie is aged about 1S. and the other 65 at
the very least, pleasant looking, well pre-
served spinster, with a brown resolute face
and sausage curls over the forehead. Mag
gle, a handsome modern girl, sits down and |
reads
MADAM-The parishioners of St. Crispin,
in vestry assembled have deter
mined to rebuild their parish church, pro-
nounced unsafe by the surveyor. Contribu-
tions are earnestly requested. The altera-
tions will necessitate the removal of many
vaults and graves among others, that of the
Hammond family. 1t is the wish of the
church wardens to respect the wishes of sur
vivors and others in the disposal of the re-
mains. Any directions you may have to
give, you will be good enough to communi-
cate to the undersigned. Your most humble
and obedient servants
THOMAS TRUsCoTT,
WILLIAM BONNER,
Churchwardens
The two Misses Hammond Margaret and
Ellen) are joint proprietors of the comforta-
BILE estate of Westbury, near Ggglesham,
and of the handsome mansion thereto belong
ing Maggie. the young girl, is distant
cousin--although she calls them 'aunt'--and
lives with them. There is also 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 l740,
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
tons brdged over 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
(the uncle of the two old ladies' who had
been at the capture of Quebec when Gener
al Wolfe was killed, being the great-grand-
father 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 low marriage and was disinhert.
ed in consequence.
Tom Hammond had done his best to REM
edy his his fathers injustice as far as he
could without injuring himself and his own,
by making settlement of the estate, in fail.
ure of his own issue, upon the lawful de-
scendants of Major Hammond, 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 well 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 al
so 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 fore-fathers having
been mostly in the soldiery and official lines.
Ralph is lieutenant in the artillery and his
battery is now in India but he is at home
on sick leave and he has taken advantage
of his furlough to win the affections of his
fair cousin. AS the Westbury estate would
come to be eventually divided between them
| it was considered most fortunate thing the
young people had come to an understanding.
Ralph was to leave the service when he mar.
'ied, and take the home farm. By-and-by
he would fall naturally into his position a,
country squire and it was arranged tha
eventually he should assume the name Of
Hammond; hoping to continue the ole
line.
This preamble being necessary, let us nov
return to the comfortable, old-fashioneo
drawing-room at Westbury.
what do you think of that, Ellen p erie,
Miss Hammond, having read over once nor
the circular to herself with subdued empha
sis. Miss Ellen was sitting looking into thu
FIRE, her great wooden knitting pins an,
brightcolored woods lying idly on her lap, "a
she shook her head while talking gently t,
herself
DO you hear Ellen p cried Miss Ham
mond more sharply. what do you think o
that letter from Truscott?'
Il don't like the idea at all Margaret. No
not at all. Why can't they leave our an
cesters alone? And | am sure always look
ed forward to being buried there my
self
La don't talk about that, Ellen, and yot
five years the younger ? said Miss Ham
mond, briskly ; and as we can't prevent it
being done, we must make the best of il
Ralph had better 60 and see to it. ... ~.
Very well, sister; az you like said Ellen
Presently she resumed Sister, I've beer
thinking that this would be good chanc
to try and get back Uncle Richard Ham
mond's ring
| Uncle Hammond,s ring = repeated tn
elder sister. 4 don't understand
you must have heard our father tall
about it, The family ring that ought t.
have gone with the estates-a ruby aud sap
phire that General Hammond brought HON
from Ceylon.'
Il ought to know all about it, Ellen,
daresay but you were so much more witt
my poor father, and had more patience witt
his stories.
MY father often tried to get the ring, an
had offered to give Major Hammond larg
sum for it. But he was so vexed with faith
er for supplanting him, that he vowed h
never should have it ; and they say, sstel
that rather than it should ever fall into hi
brothers hands, he had it buried with hir
upon his finger. Our father always said tha
if he had chance he would have the coffi
open to see.'
n