Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-09-11
MAJOR HAMMOND'S RING.

,osking open letter just handed to
or by 4 servant. "You read it, Mag
10, your eyes are better than mine"
small wonder at that indeed, seeing
hat Maggie is aged about Is, and the
ther 65 at the very least, a pleasant
poking, well preserved spinster, with a
rovn = resolute face and sausage curls
ker the forehead. Maggie, a hand
|me modern girl. sits down and reads:
Pensioners of st. Girls
h, Gigglesham, in vestry assembled,
kye determined to rebuild their parish
Eurch, pronounced unsafe by the sur
kvor Contributions are earnestly re-
Eested. The alterations will necessi-
lie the removal of many vaults and
|aves; among others, t.at of the Ham
|ond family. 1t is the wish of the
kurchwardens to respect the wishes Of
(yivors and others in the disposal Of
e remains. Any directions you may
We to give, you will be good enough
communicate to the undersigned.
bur most humble and Obedlent SER
| nts THOMAS TRUsCoTr,
WILLIAM BONNER,
Churchwardens.
The two Misses Hammond Margaret
d Elem are joint proprietors of the
mfortable estate Of Westbury, near
kglesham, and Of the handsome man.
n thereto belonging. Maggie, the
ung girl, is distant cousin-although
calls them "aunt"-and lives with
IN. There is also a young man,
lph Grant, somewhere about the
zee, of which more anon.
nd Tom Hammond, the father of
two maiden sisters, was born in the
pr l74O, and might have seen the
BIDS over Temple Bar after the rising
1745. He lived till 1880. He had
arred late in life and left only these
daughters These two generations
|dged over space Of time generally
fupled by many successive lives; as
the case of another branch Of the
MY, the founder of which, Major
fnard Hammond tine uncle of the
old ladies', who had been at the
Pture of Quebec when General Wolfe
Killed, being the great-grandfather
Maggie Lauderdale and Ralph Grant.
lor Hammond was the elder of the
brothers, and should have inherited
Westbury estate; but he offended
la'her, General John Hammond, by
was called a low marriage, and
dlsnherited in consequence.
ON Hammond had done his best to
leoy his fathers injustice as far as
could without injuring himself and
own by making settlement of the
'e' IN failure of his own issue, upon
awful descendants of Major Ham
ms brother; providing that the
Fu MS elder brother should fail the
should go to the issue of a
ser brother Henry. who, by the
mad been we'll provided for by the
estate of Eastbury. This brother
y was now represented through the
ae me by Mr.. Boobies, Of Doodle
VINO now also held the Eastbury
le descendants of Major Hammond
IoW confined to these two young
Ie Maggie and Ralph. They are
ophanS and without means, their
aIners having been mostly in the
e,! ana official lines. Ralph is a
ynan' IN the artillery and his bat
Il ! now IN India; but he is at home
o "a tleeaye; and he has taken advan-
y ms n, Through to WIN the affections
lalr cousin. AS the Westburv
Nould come to be eventually d.
OslNeen them, it was considered
h.. iHftunate thing the young peo-
Sau come to an understanding.
ia WAS 70 leave the service when he
" and take the home
by.and-by he would fall natu-
!, ,I W. his position as country squire;
IA va" o arranged that eventually he
~ ~ assume the name of Hammond:
10 continue the old line.
pr l preamole being necessary, let
ona aJ'I al TO the comfortable, old
ba h. ! urawlng-room at Westbury,
w. W you think of that. Ellen?"
mos < hammond, having read over
lrI . os tne circular to herself with
oal s;,nphasls. Miss Ellen was set
e g'iA ,l into the fire, her great
Vino 'i;' Iig pins and bright-colored
lasJ 81 Uiy on her lap, as she shook
" while talking gently to her.
n: .op hear, ELEM" cried Miss
;1 ila more sharply. what do
N u that letter from's'rrus
~" Ike the idea at all, Marga.