Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-08-11
TWO WRECKS.
STORY OF RUINED HOPES.
A Romance that Reads Like a Dream
A Man UncOnsciousIy Maries His
Sister-His Recent Death
in Maryland.

farmer, who for the purposes OF this
present sketch will be called Michael
Lawton, died in Garret county, Mary
land. Garrett county is the western
most county Of the State and is wild
mountainous region, in which there are
a number of exceedingly fertile valleys,
called "glades." which are famous for
the natural grass which grows on them
and makes them superb pasture fields
for cattle. The glades when broken up
by the plough make exceedingly fertile
farms and they are rapidly being cult
waited by people who do not wish TO set
tie in the far West. Well, as has al
ready been said, one of the residents OF
this county passed away and was laid at
rest undrra huge oak tree, on a little
nOl on his farm. He had selected
his own burial ground, and in com
! pliance, with his wishes, the small
white marble slab at the head, merely
bears his initials, and the two dates
those of his birth and death. His
neighbOrs knew hut little oil the manner
of his life or his position in society be-
fore he came among them. lie bought
a small farm and came to live on it one
Fall some ten or twelve years ago, and
on it he died, lie seemed to have
enough ready money to satisfy his needs
and 10 paw for his land and occasionally
| in conversation, he would say something
! which showed that he had been unu-
! sually well educated and had travelled
extensively, both in this country and in
| foreign lands. He never spoke of friends
! or relatives and after some abCrtive at
| tempts to discover his past history,
| the neighbOrS gave it up In disgust,
| and accepted him for what he was.
| When he died, distant relative came
! into possession of the little farm and
| few household articles he left behind
! and then all trace OF the career and al
| most all recollection OF the existence OF
| Michael LawtOn passed away. The
| writer knew the man well, and once
| when on fishing expedition with him,
he related the pathetic and remarkable
| story of his life, part of which was pub
/ lished some years ago and attracted
great deal of attention at the time. The
! outline of the story is vouched for, but
the names of PAGES and persons are
chang Tor evident reasons.
Years ago a family, consisting of
father, mother, and two children,
| lived in small town in Western
Ohio. The head of the family, Mr..
LawtOn, was lawyer and Spectator,
and had been Il merchant. lie had
| grown rich, very rich for those days, and
was noted for his keen business sagacity
and his honesty and his kindly heart.
His wife had been delicate, pretty girl
when he married her, and after her sec
| ond child was born her health broke
down and she became a confirmed in
valid The couple had two children,
boy named MiChail who was at the time
referred TO to about eight years old, and
Mabel who was the baby" and about
five years old.
Mabel was pretty child and herpar-
ents pettcd her and dressed herin style
that made her the envyOf all the mothers
III the HeighbOrhoOd.
One day Mabel went into her moth
er's room and told her she wanted TO 20
and play with some other little girls
who lived on the next street. Mrs.
lawton gave her consent, but told her
10 be sure 10 come home to dinner
Mabel promised, kissed her mother
gaily and ran out of the rOOm-and out
of the world, as lar as the poor mother
was concerned, for she never saw her
again. Mabel did not come home u
dinner, and at suppear time Michael was
sent after her. lie soon returned, with
a pale frightened face, and told his father
that his sister had started for home at
noon, and no one knew where she was
Search was made for her in every direc-
ton, but without avail. No trace of
the lost one could be discovered.
4 month aiterward, the moth
or died hcartbrokcn, and the father sold
all his property and became homeless
wanderpr, with but one object in lie
the finding uf his lost one. Taking
his son with him he travelled from State
to State, visiting public institutions
where children were cared for, and 90
ing through cities making inquiries
which he thought might lead 10 the de-
sired result. From the United States
the search was extended 10 Europe, and
finally III a Spanish city Mr.. LawtOn
caught a local fever aud died in a few
DAYS, leaving his son, then boy OF nine
teen, all of his fortune. Mr.. LawtOn
told his boy that he had mr. near relative
except brother, who had gone 10
! California i'm the first flush of the gold
| fever and had never been heard OF alter
ward.
Michael Iawton came back this coun-
try, entered college in the East and
graduated with honor He studied law
/ i'm the office of a famous New Gur< law
yer. and after being admitted to the bar
/ he went west and made his home in a
newly settled State where he soon built
! up a good practice. One winter Law
| ton went to New York 10 visit col
| lege chum Marchmont who had married
| and gone into business. MarchmOnt
| had several young sisters and one after
noon LAYTON was introduced to Miss
Mable Letcher, Il young lady who was
| their music teacher. She was
an exceedingly pretty and a lady
| i'm manner and mind and LawtOn
| fell violently in love with her
and before he left the city he asked her
| To marry him and she accepted bin.
| They were married the following spring
and went To Lawton's western home,
where they lived happily for six years,
/ during which time two children Were
born To them. Miss Latcher told Law
| ton alter their engagement 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 4 kind heated lady in EaSrtcn
/ Ohio. She had taught school and made
/ sufficient money To enter a school in the
I East, where she studied music, and after
/ She graduated she got class OF girls Tor
pupils, and while thus engaged she met
| LawtOn.
Lawton was sitting in his office one
dav, when an odd-loOking elderly man
came in and asked for Mr.. LAYTON
| An introduction took place, and alter
7 the usual preliminaries the stranger
4 said he was a lawyer from San Francis
co. He then asked Lawton if he would
tell him his fathers name and where
/ ne 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 a brother who went to Cali