Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-01-08
GUS curiosity, as an elderly gentleman
with verv white hair and beard entered

embraced everybody, and proceeded to
unbutton an enormous travelling CLOAK,
in which he was eDveloped. For mo.
ment or 30 his eyes wandered round the
room, As if in search of something, and
then he smiled sadly.
"You do not knew me, Mr.. Neville"
quoth the gentleman, after what seemed
an ominous silence, drawing more direct
ly into the light of the fire, which blszed
cheerily.
81 have not that pleasure, sir" papa
replied, looking at our visitor more atten-
lively.
"Ah! Yet my picture hung there
once" pointing to vacant space among
the portraits on the wall. "My name is
Jeffrey Lawson"
"JefiP' cried papa and Aunt Edith
with one voice.
"Jefip' we all echoed in amazement
Here was the sequel to the story with a
vengeance.
"You do not seem overjoyed to see
me, Robert" Mr.. Lawson said, after an
other pause. I" We'll, perhaps you are
not to blame. But you, Edith-after all
these long yesrs-might give your
hand"
At that moment his eye rested on
aunt's helpless right arm, and the most
terrible awkward, awful silence / ever
witnessed ensued.
Mr.. Lawson was the first to recover
his sell. possession. Forgive me-" he
said and there was tremor in his voice.
81 did not know-I am sorry" Papa
remained stern and silent. ] really
pitied Mr.. Lawson, the odds were 80 fear
fully against him. Not a single kind or
encouraging glance met his eye as he
looked up little hsughtily. and con-
tinued addressing us all: 81 did you
great wrong once, Mr.. Neville. l have
travelled many thousand miles to offer
what reparation l can. That will by
which I obtained five thousand pounds
was forgery. But have come to pay
it back with interest" =
Papa bowed his head, but remained
silent.
"Money was absolutely necessary,
then, for had many pressing engage
WAS at stake--l was desperate; but
though my base trick succeeded, it was
too late. Absolute ruin and disgrace
stared me in the face, and | was COM
PEELED to fly, like thief in the night to
escape the consequences of my folly.
That night | secretly left the house,
escaping by my bedroom window. Con
cealing all the money had, | took pass
age for Australia, where, by careful spec.
ulation and hard work, | soon realized
considerable fortune. | had no desire to
return. | formed new friends; new
habits; squatter life suited me; and
&C I remained year after year. But |
was heartily sorry for and ashamed of
the part played about the will, and l
resolved one day to try to make it square
with you. Then the gold fever broke
out, and, the spirit of adventure being
strong in me, resolved to 60 to the dig.
gings. was singularly successful; but
others were not 30 fortunate. One poor
fellow who went by the name of "Down
Ted" l heard frequently spoken of as
singularly unlucky. One day l was
surprised to receive message from this
fellow requesting me to come and see
him, IS he was very i'll, and had q very
important confession to make. / went
at once, and saw at a glance that the
man was dying; but imagine my sur.
prise, when, on closer survey OF his
features, recognized him to be Ted
Judson, the son of your old steward -
good for-nothing, graceless, vsgrant Ted,
who got me into almost rs many scrapes
as got him out of. With the utmost
difficulty, for he was dying, he told me
singular story. On the very night l left
Garrick, he tried to rob and murder me.
Hearing from his father that / had
large sum of money by me, he resolved
to have some of it; and, entering the
house, in the dusk of the evening, he
concealed himself behind the corridor
window, and waited till the house was
all quiet; then he entered my room, and
after searching in vain for the money
he seized knife which lay on the table,
and in fit of drunken rage and dissp.
pointment he resolved to cut my throat
if ! did not give up my purse. Advanc-
ing to the bed, where lay sound asleep,
he lifted the knife and made slash at
care the Lswsons, jeff" papa cried
my throat; when to his horror he saw
the White Lady, who walks" bending
over me. Throwing down the knife, he
fed in terror, and made his escape
through window he found open, In a
moment it flashed upon me that your
room was mistaken for mine, and my
window, which l had left open, proved
the means of escape for the villain, as
it had already proved the means of escape
for me. hope the timely appearance of