The Princeton union., 1879-09-24
MARRIED HIS SISTER

\ -
Same Family Met, Loved and Were MarriaS
! Sad Ending. -
! Reading iPa Eagle
Not long ago a quiet, unoDtrusiye farm
er, WHO Tor the purpose of this sketch
will be called Mlcheal Lawton, died in
Garrett county, Maryland. Garrett conn.
y IS the westcrnmost t'c county of the State
and isa wild, mountainous region in
in which there are number of exceed.
ingly fertile valleys, called ylades, which
arc famous for the natural grass which
grows on them and makes them superb
pasture fields for cattle The glades
when broken up by the plow, make cx-
cecdingly fertile farms, and they are
rapidly being cultivated bJ people who
40 not wish to settle in the far West
Lawton was laid to rest under a hugh
oak tree, onta little knoll on his farm.
lie had selected his own burial ground.
and III compliance with his wis es. the
small white marble slab at his head m ere
~ bears his initials and the two dates
those OF his birth and death. His neigh
bors knew but little of his life or
his position in society before he came
among them. He bought 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 pay for his land.
and occasionally in conversation he would
say something which showed that be had
been unusually weli-educated, and had
travelled extensively both In this country
and in foreign lands. He never spoke OF
| friends or relatives, and after some abor-
tive attempts 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 posses
sion of the little farm, and the few house
old articles he left behind, and then all
trace OF the career and almost all recol-
! lection OF the existence of Michael Law
ron passed away. The writer knew the
man we'll, and once when on a fishing ex-
curslon with him, he related the pat etc
and remarkable story of his life, part OF
which was published some years ago,
and attracted a great deal of attention at
the time. The outline of the story IS
vouched for, but the names of places and
persons are changed for evident reasons.
Years ago family, consisting of father.
mother and two children, lived in West
ern Ohio. The head Of the family, Mr..
Lawton, was lawyer and spccu-
lator, and had been merchant. He had
grown rich, very rich for those days. anu
was noted tor his keen business sapacity
and his honesty and kindly heart. His
wife had been a delicate, pretty girl
when he married her, and after her second
child was born her health broke down, she
became confirmed invalid. The couple
had two children-a boy named Michael
who was, at the time referred to, about
eight years old, and Mabel, who " as then
''baby," about i've years old. Mabc.
was pretty child. and her parents petit
ed her and dressed her in style that
made her the envy of all the mothers in
the neighborlood. One day Mabel went
into her mot"er's room and told her she
wanted to go and play with some other
little girls who lived ON the next street
Mrs. Lawton gave her consent, but told
her to be sure to come home to dinner.
Mabel promised, kissed her mother gayIv,
nd ran out Of the room-out of the
world as far rs the poor mother was con-
| cerned, for she never saw her again.
Ma'el did not ccme home to dinner. and
at supper time Michael was sent after
her. He soon returned with a pale,
frightened face, and told his father
that his little sister had started
tor home at noon, and no one knew where
she was. Search was made for her in
every direction, but without avail. No
trace of her could be discovered. A
month aftcrward the mother died heart
broken: and the father sold his property
and became homeless wandcrer. with
but one object in life, the finding of his
lost one. TALKING his son with HIM he
travelled from state to state, visiting pub
lie institutions where children were cared
tor, and going through cities making in
qulrles which he thought might lead to
the desired result. From the United
States the search was extended to Europe,
and finally, in aSpanish city, Mr.. Lawton
caught a local fever and died in few
days, leaving his son, then q boy of nine
teen, all of his fortune. Mr.. Lawton
told his boy that he had no near relative
except brother, who had gone to Cali
tornla in the first flush of. the gold fever,
and had never been heard of atterwar.l.
Michael Lawton came back to this
country, entered a college in the East.
and graduated with honor He studied
law in the Office of New York LAWYER,
and after being admitted to the bar he
went West and made his home IN a new
ly settled state, where he soon built up
a good practice. Ono winter Lawton
went to New York to visit college
| chum, Marchnont, who had married and
gone into business. Marchmont had s.v-
eral young sisters, and one afternoon
Lawton was introduced to Miss Mabel
Letcher. a young lady who was their mu-
sic teacher. She was exceedingly pretty,
and lady in 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 him.
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 Letcher told Lawton
after their engagement she was an orphan,
that her parents had died when she was