The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1880-01-07
y s
MISCELLANY.
RANKIN BROTHERS.
a REMARKABLE PASSAGE IN THE HISTORY OF
THE FIRM. Hiai 3

4 .
Harry Rankin was married. His elder
brother and senior partner, Geo. Rankin, now
for the first time fully realized the fact. True,
he hid that very morning arranged himselfi in
unwanton finery, had gone to church in an
uncommonly solemn frame of mind, and as
sisted at the wedding. He had even gone SO
far as to print a brotherly kiss upon the lips
of the bride, as she aud Harry set out on their
bridal tour. Still he had not fully mastered
the fact that Harry Rankin was married un-
til now. He poked the fire into a blaze and
planted his chair fairly in front of il, by way
of asserting his sole occupancy of the hearth.
Around him were all the bachelors traps that
he and Harry had accumulated during their
long joint tenacity of the room. He did not
inventory them in his mind-he did not see
them, for he was lookinggat the fire--still they
were there, and he knew they were there and
feltBheir infiuencea He felt that the room
would never be home again--nothing but a
hermitage.
This is worse than having tooth drawn"
said he to himself. 1t was dull enough
here with him, after he got to pressing etern-
ally about Eva, and botherng me with his
ground plansfor cottage houses. thought
| should be glad when it would all be over,
and SHOULD have heard the last of Eva and
doublegparlors and winding stairs, but now
that it Is over and have heard the. last of It,
don't seem to be very lively. The Nold den
will never beitself again. The firm Of Ran
kin Brothers is dissolved so far as this place
is concerned. shall have to carry on this
branch of the establisLs,ent alone. / suppose
shall get use to it after WHILE but Just now
feel like a fellows left leg when the surgeon
carries off the right one in assack., l ought
to write three or four letters to night, but
there's no use of my trying to do anything
Ii do | won't accomplish as much as blue.
bottle fly on wooden gods nose. will have
to resort to opium, or chloroform, or Joseph
us, or something, to get sleep in this haunted
chamber tonight.
With these cheerful reflections and many
others of the same sort, he whiled away the
evening until about 8 o'clock, when the soli-
tude became SO oppressive that he sailed
forth, stick in hand and walked by starlight
until about II o'clock, after which he turned
in aud slept soundly.
The interesting event mentioned in the
above paragraphs did not prevent the senior
member OF the firm of Rankin Brothers from
resuming his uniform routine of habits and
duties the next morning. At precisely 8 o.
clock, his long established break fast hour. he
took his accustomed chair at the hotel table,
and was supplied with his immemorial break
fast of toast, coffee and medium boiled eggs
The rustling of lady's dress called his at
tention from his breakfast to the opposite side
of the table. There sat his brothers. bride.
"Why, Eva, said he, "you here ? Did you
miss the boat? Where is Harry P''
F." Sir y said the lady, with stare of un-
utterabe astonishment.
How does it happen that you didn't get
off? You had ample time to reach the boat.
Did the carriage break down on the way to
the landing ?" said Mr. Rankin, little dis
composed by the amazed look of the lady, 1t
is true, but still confident he was addressing
his brothers wife.
BY this time the lady began to see the true
state of the case.
"You mistake me forsome other person."
said she
1t was now Mr.. Raukin's turn to be amaz-
ed. The lady before HIM so exactly resembled
his brothers. bride in every line of her face
and figure, every trick of countenance, lip and
eye, that he felt more disposed to doubt her
sanity than her identity. There was the same
l;tba tl,a
hair, the self same hazel eye, the identical
high, clear forehead and petite, spirtuelle
lower face.
" Can it be possible that am mistaken ?"
said he ~ took you for my brothers. wife.
The resemblance, rs most extraordinary and if
there be any dissimiIarity in your personal
appearance and hers cannot perceive it. |
don't believe should ever learn to distin-
guish you. Your voice, even, is the very
counterpart of hers sa,s5 saas
An old gentleman, who was seated by the
young lady, here took up the conversation.
My daughter'' said he, has been an
noyed by the unusual degree of attention she
basrecevsd since she came here last evening
sHeresery movement has been watched by
several curious people. Probably the resem-
blance you speak. of has deceived others as
well As yourself May inquire, the. maiden
name Of the lady you speak OFF Such re-
markable resemblance could hardly exist in
the absence of any family relationship
"The lady referred to, !" said Mr.. Rankin,
" was called Eva Noble until yesterday, when
she. was mefried 10 my brother. She Is the
only child of Judge Noble of this city BY
the way" continued be, Frightening up as
new thought struck him, g I have heard that
Eva has. q twin sister who was lost in the
woods here when mere babe, just able to
,un about. Thatwas long before I came here
The site of this city was then wilderness for
the most part. The story goes that the little
one strayed off into the forest, that search
was made for her many days in vain, until her
discovery, alive or dead, was despaired Of
and that no vestige or trace of her was ever
found. p ~ "a, = p rf IN "a = = ~r ~
"Did you ever hear the first name Of this
lost child mentioned ? (" said the old gentle.
man. III ~ gf1( efFt8 tg