River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-09-25

cabin boy, having become Admira
Cloudsley Shovel, was knighted by the
king.
/ MARRIED HIS SISTER.
How Two Long Separated Children OF the
Same Family Met, Loved and Were Married
Sad Ending.
Reading (PA Eagle.
Not long ago a quiet, unobtrusive farm
or, who for the purpose of this sketch
viii be called Micheal Lawton, died in
Garrett county, Maryland Garrett coun-
ty is the westernmost county of the State,
and is wild, mountainous region in
in which there are a NUMBER of exceed
ingly 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 pillow, make ex-
ceedingly fertile farms, and they are
rapidly being cultivated by people who
do not wish to settle in the far West.
Lawton was laid TO rest under a hugh
oak tree, on little knoll on his farm.
| He had selected his own burial ground,
| and in compliance with his wishes, the
small white marble slab at his head mere
| ly 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 Z live on il one fall some ten
or twelve irs ago, and on it he died.
He 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 well-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
ton passed away. The writer knew the
man well, and once when on "a fishing ex-
cursion with him, he related the pat etc
and remarkable story of his life, part OF
which was published some years ago,
and attracted 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 a family, consisting of father,
mother and two children, lived in West
ern Ohio. The head OF the family, Mr..
Lawton, was "a lawyer and specu-
latol, and had been a merchant. He had
grown rich, very rich for those days, ana
was noted for his keen business sagacity
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 boy named Michael
who was, at the time referred to, about
eight years old, and Mabel, who was then
"baby," about five years old. MabeI
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 neighborhood. One day Mabel went
into her mothers 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 gayly,
nd ran out of the room-out of the
world as far as the poor mother was con-
cerned, for she never saw her again.
MABEL did not come 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
for 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 afterward the mother died heart
broken. and the father sold his property
and became a homeless wanderer. with
but one object in life, the finding of his
lost one Taking his son with him he
travelled from state to state, visiting pub
lie institutions where children were cared
FOR, and going through cities making in
quiries which he thought might lead to
the desired result. From the United
States the search was extended to Europe,
and finally, in Spanish city, Mr.. Lawton
caught a local fever and 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 no near relative
except brother, who had gone to Cali
fornia in the first flush Of the gold fever,
and had never been heard of afterward.
Michael LawtOn came back to this
country, entered college in the East.
ara graduated with honor. He 1tudied
law il the office of New York lawyer,
and at Ter being admitted to the bar he
went West and made his home IN new.
ly set ed state, where he soon built up a
GOOD practice. Ono winter Lawton
went to New York to visit a college
chum, Marchmont, who had married and
gone into business. Marchmont had sCv
eral young sisters, and one afternoon
Lawton was introduced to Miss Mabel
Letcher, 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
a 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
money to enter school in the East,
where she studied music, and after she
had graduated she got class of girls for
pupils, and while thus engaged she met
Lawton. Lawton was sitting in his office
one day, when an odd-looking man came
in and asked for "Mr. Lawton." An in
PRODUCTION took place and after the usual
prcliminaries 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 ques-
tions, Lawton complied, and the stranger
then explained his errand;
"You have heard your father speak, |
suppose. of a brother who went to Califor-