The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-10
STRANGER THAN FICTION.
Story of a Woman who was Stolen In
Childhood.-How She was Found.

ago family, consisting Of father, mother
and two children, lived in small town
in Western Ohio. The head of the fam
ily, Mr.. Lawton, was a lawyer and spec
uiator, and had been a merchant. He
had grown rich, very rich for those days.
and was noted for his keen business sa-
eacity and his honest and kindly heart.
His wife had been delicate, pretty girl
when he married her, and after his sec
ond child was born her health broke
down, and she became confirmed inva-
lid. The couple had two children-a
boy named Michael, who was at the
time referred to about eight years old,
and Mabel, who was then baby" and
was about five years old. Mabel was
pretty child, and her parents petted her
and dressed her in q style that made her
the envy of all the mothers in the neigh
borhood.
One day Mabel went into her mothers
room and told her she wanted to 60 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 prom-
ised, Kissed her mother gayly, and ran
out of the room-out of the world as far
rs the poor mother was concerned, for
she never saw her again. Mabel did not
come home to dinner, and at supper
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 direction, but
without avail. No trace Of the lost one
! A of
ward the mother died heartbroken, and
the father sold his property and became
n homeless wanderer, with but one OBJ
ject in lifc-.he finding of his lost one.
Taking his son with him he travelled
from State to State, visiting public insti-
tutions 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 a Spanish city Mr.. LAW
ton caught a local fever and died in
few days, leaving his son, then boy of
nineteen, all of his fortune. Mr.. Law
ton told his boy that he had no near rel
ative except brother, who had gone to
California in the first flush of the gold
fever. and had never been heard Of after
ward.
Michael Lawtor came back to this
country, entered q college in the East, and
graduated with honor. He studied law
in the office of a famous New York law
yer, and after being admitted to the bar
he Ment West, and made his home in
ncwiy-sett,ed State, where he soon built
up good practice. One winter Lawton
went to New York to visit college
chum, Marchmont, who had married
and gone into business. Marchmont had
several young sisters, and one afternoon
Lawton was introduced to Miss Mabel
Letcher, a young lady who was their
music 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 andshe 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 that she was an
orphan, that her parents had died when
she was n child, and she could not re-
member them at all. She had been
named byla 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 IN odd-looking, elderly man
came in and asked for "Mr. Lawton."
An introduction took place, and after
the usual preliminaries the stranger said
he was 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
brother who went to California q good
many years ago, and who did not write
home of his doings. Well, am his rep
rcsentativc, and was his friend. to the
hour he died. Years ago he went to -
| (mentioning the town where lIawton
was born), and there he heard Of the
manner in which your little sister disap-
peared and of your fathers departure.
He tried to find him for while, but did
not succeed, and then he went home
again. He made up his mind to find
your sister, if it was possible. He en-
ployed several skillful detectives and
spenta great deal of money in the search.
A year ago he died, and in his will he di-
rected that you should be his heir unless
your sister was discovered. In that
event she was to have half of his prop
erty. saw your name in paper some
| |
became convinced that you were the
and who intrusted me with the care OF
his property. And now "-here the
speaker paused An instant-"now have
something still more strange to tell you.
We have found trace of your sister.
She was stolen by party of vagrants for
the clothes and trinkets she wore. and
was taken to Eastern Ohio. She was
taken very i'll, and was left with good
hearted lady, who adopted her as her
daughter. After her recovery she could
not remember her name or where she
had lived. When this lady died, Mabel
taught school for several years, and then
she went East to study music. After she
left school, I think she went to New
York, but I cannot say. We have no
trace of her for six years. She was
named after the lady who adopted her,
and was known as Mabel Letcher."
"Known rs what?" screamed Llwton.
"Mabel Letcher."
"Great God, now she has been my
wife for six years." 1t was So, indeed:
Further examination showed beyond
question that Mabel Lawton and Mrs.
Michael Lawton were one and the same
person. The agony of the two people
can be imagined. In their eyes they had
sinned beyond hope of redemption. They
separated. Mrs. Lawton is still living
in n town in Massachusetts,, where she
has been fer many years. The children
are at school and Michael Lawton is in
his grave. He gave up all his business,
grew frightfully dissiparnd, and after
spending nearly all the n ey he had
reserved for himself, he wanuered to the
lovely little Maryland farm. where he
strove to bury his past and where he
lived life of toll. The clover blossoms
are as sweet about his grave and the
wild flowers bloom rs sweetly there as
though lie who sleeps in that quiet nook
was at lust ut rest.-Readtng PA } Eagle.