The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-12-28
TIE MISSING HAND.

wa warp All gathered round tho Ora Ill ~,
dining room. Edgar eloaa "a papa. Jrastn I'LL
ting on the rug. Frrd nratling roan I,
mamma AMI |. m uaunl. ~ Aunt Elith'r
right aldo. X waa wild November night
with the rnin heating piilleaaIp ngainat thu
rlusely uuctalned wiulnwa. tho wind what
ling shrilly through the loallnaa rlna ant
atdc. aud playing mad pIauka with tho Tall
rpd rhmneya Or "Garruk lEnuae," ~ 9TH
homo was ealca aver alnce Air Garllck. IN
famous player. paid our great- gInndphna !,
visit Before that tho hpuaa waa ainplv
'l'ha llma. and very proud wn atlll wore j
Tho grand old trnrs from Which H. took ita
nrat anl noat appropriate namn.
ItwsH exactly the sort IF night a. mnlle ~
all gather round thn wilc old fashioned
hearth whore tho lnEa wnrc htaSing mertily
and IL cauao IA 90 feel grateful for thu hlopa-
inss WI onjoyed and insnluutarilr 10 pits
thnaN VINO waro ieaa fortunate. Tho wind
rening down the chimney In litful n,att made
tho cRndea iipro aud tliptol 30 weirlly That
lerrin pfoppaod putting thew ont and nitffuy
cuelly by tao tirpltaht Eau,s4 and work wria
neglected. thu ubeaahuara pat aaitlo. an
pusay Was making a,d havoc of mamma !,
Knitting without any auR interfering, In TACT
NE woro all Ia u delightfully."- comfortable. W.
dolcnt. inrditstiva mood. ana II only wanted
STORY u complete car hnppinrsa. Eat Aunt
Edith whNRn t04uutuca III that respect fairly
rivalua the inNAaftNn lady hi tha "Arnll4ail
Nights, waa aient anil grave Hnpa aonnei
grave taa. and owen nnt dhar. merry mother
apamea t. ho thtu,ng af Raninthinu mrlnn
eholy, Va children. With TINT iu4tinttivn
toAlng of awe wn sometimes experience. va
SCARCE know why. glanced AT carh other III
niut0 wonder and curiosity. expecting SOME
thinH to happnn every moment rhntiav had
been dull aud oppressive. and tho afternoon
had heon threatening Storm whom putltlenty
n loud peal Of thuudeT aremrd ~ Ehala thn
hnlisp IL ita very foundation
''lt Was just AuyN night aA thla. k@hntt "
Aala aunt tp papa. With little ahivrr
EXACTLY" papa replied. thouEhttulIy. "and
aho same ttnle nf thu ynar too
"Stnnase ynu ieil tho children all about II =
mamma ai.id. Gn'atly. "tanN taaI> ~ # they
wanted e. know very much.
well. aimee II II pnrhaps Time thnY know,
will tell You how Aunt Eiith aayri my Hfa. d"
continued papa, infnti,g to Edgar. the oldest
of las, long age. long hefoto you wore born.
my boy.
There was little hustlc a. va acttlni mora
Anunly into our places, few mnmunt.l' mi
ptraatsc eiirnCp. aua thou papa began:
Aunt Edith and | WrrN only brother aud
atster, ever an mpch greater crrnies than ven
and Edgar are. Jessie not only because NvN
had but each Other to loyn, hut hcgHuae wn
had ta make cunr nlnn rntlse against afl pnpnry
Jeffrey Lawson, our atRp-muthrl 4 son IN i
previous marriage. We lost oar own dear
mother when we vera hahics. .ril was tan
years Older than Waa. and attcr nut father,
death, which hRppaned when was eight aud
Edith aiS, we would have had Il poor time of
Il bat fer Dame turtle, olr tittr old uuraa.
She looked after our interests aud fought all
our battles vaiiantly. whethnr WI were HI ths
right ar tho wrong. Our stcp-nother wAs wv
wrapped up Ill lvr that +hc bestowed very
little trouble upon IA. / esprrially waa nn
favnrite. for eho got \ ally idea into her head
that stool hetwaan l"ff and thn property of
GMrick. lie WAS line, handsome fellow. "A
l remember him whrn | waa fifteen ana M
Gyeeand-twcnty, stropg AMI Daring naughty
IN disnosttipn and hastN Hi temper CoJIIi
500 even then that hn bitterly resented nay
hoinK master and himself. ia ii were. nobody
for all our servants had grown old with us
and were stauaOh and loyal L. W. children Of
the house.
"nur mother we raltod Mr. ~, though shn
was little moro than Kin AMI icss than kt;ld'
resented II too ana iaNkrd forward with
very bitter feelings 60 the ttne whom would
he tventy-nne: tot then, according to our
FAT hrr's will SHE WAS to leave A. srriek mai
reside In n little cottage h. uWnci IN Males
1t would he different position far her. as shc
had but small Iptnture all her uva fortune
had he,n spent on Jeffrey ana ~ sunlp III
eNplieahle chain " wpmans reasoning. 4hp !
liie l1t W'tAJ Sllt VIVA pleased TO Grill
her unMertted miSf0rtunGS. Each WEAR that
passed made matters wnrSa between AS As |
grew older many things In the ma3auN- |
ment 81 Che property struk mo IL very III
just The hast Of tho timber waa being rgt |
down: the house allowed tu fan iDfn II st4ta |
on rain. because my mother would /
not spend money ON repairs which | alnaa /
WAS to enjoy the benefit Of. Our family law i
yer was dead. Jeffrey chose his mathrr', |
legal adviser, and neither Edith nor knew |
l4<-.f- i
very much III this state TILT was
nearly twenty. when one day leff entered nay !
room In n state of wild excitement, and |
showed me will that he had discovered in |
some out-of-the-way corner. 1t WAS dated a /
lew DAYS before my fathers death. and az
sept that il heaueathed e Jeffrey the sum Of |
g5QoO, and the reverslon Of Garricll II died I
without heirs IL was substantially the same
" tae 9ne already in existence.
81 had my doubts about the validity of the
document. but passed no comment; both /
The witnesses were dead. and | had not a
shadow of proof to advance. Suspicious Ia
;uch a case go for nothing, 81 | held my
,eace, the more especially as Judsan, Our old
steward, was prepared to swear To my fathers
signature. SO Jetf Lawson had his tive thou
and pounds.
"Oa the night OF which am going to tell
rou there was large part 0f the money in
ne house. JEFF was going 70 London the
lext morning, and rs he meant 70 start early,
se said good-hy TO u overnight and Went up
o his room first, carrying the money with
i'm. Edith and ] remained in the dining
com d little longer, chatting on ditf rent
astters. among others, ot Jeffs departure,
l u strange resSlessnees had observed IL
ia manner of late, Of the possible date OF his
atnrn: and somehow, quite unintentionally.
let fall hint Of my suspicious about the /:
sill. and tiscoved that they correspondent
xacfly with E5ith's. At last, when the fire
al burned quite out ana the candles were
STING low in their sockets, we went up
fairs together 10 was q wild November |
Ight, with Just such angry, impatient gusts