The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-08-19

mont who had married and gone into
business. Marchmopt had several young
sisters and one afternoon Lawton was
introduced to Miss Mabel Lether, q
young lady who was their music teach
er. She was exceedingly pretty and a
lady In manner and mind, and Lawton
fell violently in love with her, and be-
fore he left the city he asked her to mar
ry him and she accepted him. They
were married the following winter and
went to Lawton's western home, where
they lived for six years, during which
time two children were born to them.
Miss Letcher told Lawton after their en-
gagement that she was an orphan, that
her parents had died when she was
child and she could not remember them
at all. She had been named by kind
hearted lady in eastern Ohio. She had
taught school and made sufficient mon
ey to enter a school in the east, where
she studied music, and after she had
graduated she got clEss of girls for
pupils, and while thus engaged she met
Lawton.
Lawton was sitting in the office one
day, when an odd-looking elderly man
came in and asked for Mr.. Lawton."
An introduction took place, and after
the usual preliminaries the stranger said
he was a lawyer from San Francisco.
He then asked Lawton if he would tell
him his fathers name and where he
had been born. Although surprised at
the questions, Lawton complied, and
the stranger then explained his errand.
"You have heard your father speak,
suppose, of brother who went to
California good many years ago, and
who did not write home of his doings.
Well, am his representative, and
was his friend up to the hour he died.
Years ago he went to - mentioning
the town where Lawton was born) and
there he heard of the manner in which
your little sister disappeared and of your
fathers departure. He tried to find him
for while, but did not succeed, and
then he went home again. He made up
his mind to find your sister, if it was
possible. He employed several skillful
detectives and spent great deal of
money in the search. A year ago he
died, and in his will he directed that you
should be bis heir unless your sister was
discovered. In that event she was to
have half of his property. L saw your
name in paper some weeks ago, and on
making inquiries / became convinced
that you were the nephew of the man
who was my friend and who entrusted
me with the cares of his affairs. And
nowhere the speaker paused an in
stant-" now l have something still
more strange to tell you. We have found
a trace of your sister. She was stolen
by a party of vagrants, for the clothes
and trinkets she wore, and was taken to
eastern Ohio. She was taken i'll, and
was left with a good-hearted lady who
adopted her as her daughter. After her
recovery she could not remember her
name or where she had lived.
When this lady died Mabel taught
school for several years and then went
east to study music. After leaving school
think she went to New York, but !
cannot say. We have no trace of her
for six years. She was named after the
lady who adopted her and was known as
Mabel Letcher.'
known as what? screamed Law.
| ton.
" Mabel Ietcher,n
"Great God, now she has been my
wife for six years ~
1t was so indeed. Further examina.
tion showed beyond question that Mabel
Letcher and Mrs. Michael Lawton were
one and the same person.
The agony of the two people can bt
imagined. In their eyes they had sin
ned beyond the hope of redemption.-
They separated.
Mrs. Lawton is still living in towr
in Massachusetts, where she has beer
for many years. The children are al
school and Michael Lawton is in hil
grave. He gave up all his business
grew frightfully dissipated, and after
spending nearly all the money he haC
reserved for himself, he wandered to thu
lovely little Maryland farm, where h
strove to bury his past and where he liv
ed life of toll. The clover blossom
are as sweet about his grave and tn
wild flowers bloom as sweetly there a
though he who sleeps in that quiet nool
was at last at rest.