The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-16

| never drink another glass Oh brandy ant
| water"
Sampson chuckled, and patted the reprobate
on the back, while his snaky eyes glittereC
brighter than ever.
"There must be no violence. I'll not sane
ton that" interposed Mrs Armstrong I'm
sure Bessie will be very good to u.s."
I'VE don't want charity" snarled her hus.
band. "What should you care for herr How
many years Is 1t since you heard from her be-
fore week ago? Did she ever take the trou-
BILE to inquire whether you were living or
dead, we'll or bad of, though she had always
plenty and to spare2 And now you talk OF
her being very good to us. I'm ashamed OF
your
tage took strange dislike to your
Il know 1t, and his daughter shall know ii y
cried Sampson, venom0usly.
what do you think she's worth" chimed In
Jabez, who was sitting astride a chair, whis-
| thing, with an evil grin on his mouth at the
paternal dispute.
"O!d Armytage left his widow G2O,eoo and
| all his personal effects, to devote at her death
| to his only child. Nelly. l went to Doctors
Commons and looked at the will"
Twenty thousand pounasr echoed Jabez,
smacking his lips. That's prize and no
mistaken
"And she's got diamond rings. and brooches
and knickknacks up stairs that must be worth
a pretty penny beside" said Sampson.
HAS she, thought exclaimed Jabez with q
covetous look.
Eyes; while we are obliged to sit here on a
cold night without fire, and with barely food
to eat, again snarled Sampson.
Rebecca Armstrong kept her seat long after
the two men had retired to rest. She had
laid down her work, and, with her elbows
resting upon the table and her face supported
in the palms OF her hands, stared blankly in
to the dark shadows that surrounded her.
Il wish she had never entered this ILL
omened house." she muttered presently
I'm afraid something evil will come of It,
Shall / warn herr / dare not. Sampson
would kill me. Why should l trouble my
head about herr She was always selfish;
never had thought or a care for any one
except herself: But the poor girl, she seems
gentle and affectionate. Yet perhaps Jabt q
may reform, and make toerable husband
after all. And II he shouldn't-well, | can't
help it now"
She was right In describing her sister as
weak minded and foolish, this disposition
being much intensified by years of bad health
Mr.. Armytage had been solicitor q man
much older than herself, Of a misantbrOpc
and morose temper. No friend or relative
ever crossed the threshold OF his door, and
when he died he left all he possessed 10 his
widow. The relatives of the deceased came
to the reading OF the will, but came no more
Several people endeavored to insinuate
themselves upon Mrs Armytage's attention,
but, used SO long TO LONELY life she shrank
from all society, and refused to see all corners
One day she was astonished to receive
visit from Sampson and Rebecca Arm Strong,
whom she had not seen or heard from since
her marriage, twenty years before. The sight
OF her sister once more opened her heart to
the ties Of blood. And when she was told the
world had not gone well with her, her con-
science reproached her for long years OF
neglect, and she received them as cordially
as 1t was in her nature to do.
ut must be dreadful thing for you to re-
main In this house, said Sampson, wiping
bis eyes,, where every object you look upon
calls back the memory of the dear defunct
It's enough okill you. You should try change
OF scene"
There had never been much love upon Mrs
Armytages part for ''the dear defunct:" but
it is often necessary to assume virtue, IL one
has 1t not; and the widow, gently dabbing her
eyes with her pocket handkerchief, muir
INJURED that 1t was very dreadful" and that
she found the place very dull.
A duller spot could not have been found
within the bills OF mortality. 1t was an old
fashioned, OneStOried house, masked in by q
high brick wall that left little more than the
root visible from the street without, situated
on the side OF a steep hill, up which no chance
traffic ever passed, In the gloomy, foggy
neighborhood of Pentonville.
Il don't wonder at you being In delicate
health" observed Mrs. Armstrong "Such an
atmosphere as this would kill me In week.
You ought to live little way out Of town.
''Mr. Armytage would never hear OF it."
''But you are your own mistress now"
the fatigue OF moving"
III dear sister Bessie would accept the hum
BILE shelter Of our roof for few weeks, now,
am sure 1t would do her world OF good"
suggested Sampson, "and 1t would bring the
roses into the cheeks OF my sweet niece here
| am sure roses will never grow in such soil
as this"
Mrs Armytage was quite dsmayed at first
by the idea OF such journey. But beneath
the persuasive influence of the brother-in-law
Dra6naIIU a tn q will 10
sire for change, and before he left she had
promised to pay him visit.
Nelly was very far from being prepossessed
by her newly-fOund relatives; and, although
she had been signing ever since she returned
from boarding-school for change from the
dull monotony Of Pentonville, she shrank
with instructive repugnance for that now Of
fered. But brought up in the strictest obedi-
ence. never allowed by her stern father to
have any voice, she never dreamed of oppos-
ing the arrangement.
And SO. within a month from the Arm
strongs' visit, they took the journey into
Norfolk.
Fendale was large, rambling house,
standing In Its own grounds, and situated In
low-lying, marshy district. 1t had been
purchased by Sampson Armstrong; father, a
rich, retired tradesman, who, however, lost
nearly all his money In bad speculations be-
fore he died, leaving to his son little more
than this pretentious residence. Sampson
had been brought up to the law, and prac-
ticed in a neghboring town; but few years
before the opening OF this narrative he had
been mixed up In a disgraceful fraud that
nearly put him into the prisoners box, and
for which he was struck off the rolls.
From that time blight fell upon him. He
had to mortgage all he possessed while his
son, q dissolute scamp, stunned and detested
by all the neighborhood round, did all he
could to complete his ruin.
1t was damp, misty September evening
when the train deposited Mrs. Armytage aid
her daughter at the small country station
which Was the nearest point to which the
railroad could convey them
Sampson was there in fy to meet them
Will the most ELUSIVE welcome.
i ! nhree miles OF fiat, boggy country still
lay between them and their destination.
Although the day had been warm, a chill
struck to Nelly, and deep depression fell
upon !. her as they passed through the broken
~ sate enat hung upon one hinge and entered
o one carnage drive, grass-grown ana half COW
e eae oy struggling brambles and the early
iallen leaves. and she saw the dingy, decav
,ng house by the blurred red light or the set
The fable was laid For