The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-01-04
A CRACK IN THE MANTLE-PTBCE.

"I'm afraid, sir, we cannot make a
satisfactory piece of work unless we
tear down the whole mantlc-piece
You see, it has been loose for years.
There is a wide crack at the back that
must have been there for some time"
Herbert Payne looked ruefully at his
table Of papers, his large book case, his
pictures, ousts and grimcracks, that
made his handsome library the one room
of the house that truly seemed like
home to him.
every WE'LL" he said, "only be sure
you put it up this time so that there will
be no further annoyance,
Then Herbert Payne fled from the
confusion to come, and took a trip for
two weeks, absolutely without end or
aim, except to escape FROM his disor
dered library.
Mrs. Beach, his hoUsekeeper, took
care that none of his treasures were in.
jured, and when he returned, there was
no trace of the invaders, save that the
falling mantle-piece was carefully and
firmly reset.
But upon his table lay a sealed envel-
ope, yellow with age, and directed in a
pretty ladylike hand to "Herbert
Payne"
Every vistage of color left the mid
dle.aged bachelors face as he saw this
epistle. The hand stretched out to
grasp it trembed so violently that he
drew it back.
Mrs. Beach was within call, and he
controlled his emotion toask:-
rHow came this letter here?"
"The men found it behind the man.
tie. piece, sir. 1t must have slipped
down the big crack "
He shut the door and boted it. No
careless, curious eyes should watch him
while ne read that letter-the letter
which had been hidden for thirteen
years behind the mantle piece.
Before he touched it he unlocked a
writing desk, evidently seldom used
and took from 1t miniature picture of
lovely girl of eighteen or nineteen,
with large brown eyes andwaving gold.
en- hair.
A face full of sweetness looked out
from the cold ivory, and the eyes Of the
stIong man grew full of tears aS he
gazed upon it.
For he had loved her. Not with the
wild, unstable love of youth, but when
he was man past thirty who had faced
trouble and temptation and conquered
both.
lie had met her first when she was
the comfort of an invalid father, and he
had been first won to love her by watch
ing her sweet patience with the irritable
old man, who kept her constantly busy
in his service.
Later, when they were friends, Her.
bert learned that Mr.. Morrison, the
fretful sufferer was avery wealthy man
and that Leda was his only child Be-
ing himself a man of fortune, Herbert
Payne needed but little of the fact that
Leda was an helress, but he found his
whole heart going out to her as they
grew better friends.
Every day he loved her better, till he
was assured of her love in return, when
he sought her fathers consent to his
taking her to his heart and homo, his
loved and honored wife. Aud Mr..
Morrsons plea was this: -
81 cannot spare her yet. When l
tell you her story, you may not care to
marry her, but if you still love her
spare her to me a few months longer.
| may not-cannot live over another
spring, even in this soft climate, but
when l die Leda wilt inherit all my for
tune, though she is not my child. l
told you she had history. When we
had been married but two years our first
child was born, and died in an hour.
"Leda my wife, Leda was deliri-
Gus, constantly calling for her babe, and
the Doctor said it was life and death
with her to have a child. So we took
the babe, who has grown to be the com
fort of my life, from an asylum. have
no idea who she is or what was her
parentage, but from the hour she lay in
my wife's arms and the pressure of her
tiny fingers ealmed the wild excitement
of the brain, she was to us our child.
I'VE were never blessed with a babe
of our own again, aud all the love that
was in our hearts for children was lave
ished upon Leda. She was ten years old
when her adopted mother died, but she
knew nothing then, and knows nothing
now, Of the secret OF Ler birth. Only