The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-02-19

J. morrow. must have look at that Il
ucer place before ] leave these parts. n
I We start for town tac first thing the Il
ny after tomorrow, II will be quite 3,
oon enough, and We can e, n Exeter d
n time 70 catch the night mail the same o
yening. You will not mind travelling b
y night, Sophy, am sure, since u will a
i've NE tomorrow out ON this wild and r
srangely fascinating moorland." \
Tomorrow came, snd Ronald Morris i
tartcd on the expedition he had in his
mind. Ills little wife, not from lack Of I
interest IN his purpose or his doings, but I
rom characteristics ineyactit,ide ~ IN !
details. tailed already to understand I
eve, II sr ever asked the question) the I
,,rrci spa, he VA, bound for. I
so Ronald started, and, rs he strolled ,
away mp and On IN tho bleak and soil. ,
tary moor. she stood for \ moment or {
two u, the gate on the road, of which
he turned, watching him. In . little
while he looked back. held up his stick
~ = salute, and she In reply waved her
little hand after her easy. gentle fashion.
Thrice this action was repeated on both
sides; then she saw his figure small and
clear against the sky line on the steep
hill ridge, and then no disappeared
disappeared from her eyes forever.
Lost on the moor! The days and !
weeks Of helpless, desperate, and, at
last, hopeless search BY the whole coun.
try-side which followed threw no light
upon the mystery. Lost on the moor;
That was the verdict-that was all that
could be said. and II was no uncommon
phrase in that wild and treacherOus re.
yion. Scores Of men had 40 vanished
and been never heard Of since. Natives
even, accustomed To the dangers Ol bog,
crag, and fell, Of overwhelming, blind.
ing mist, Of ovcrtaking nighttall, Of the
sudden, deep, 0b.curing snow, and OF
the lost track; natives alive to all these
pcrils have been lost on the moor, nor
any trace even found. What wonder
then that q i.ondOner entirely unused to
and unknowing Of the trcachery lurking
/ in such u wild should now and again
share the same fate? The thing, indeed,
was too common to create much more
than the nine days astonishment. And,
since no clew could be obtained rs 10 the
direction the unfortunate man had taken,
the searching parties that volunteered
soon lost heart; their cxplorings were
too vague at best 10 give them encour.
agement; and, finally, the kindly i'm
pulse which stirred the seekers died out,
and the affair was given up ~ hopeless
/ 1855.
Sophy Morris, still young and pretty,
and as placid as ever, bears traces new
, ertheless Of her life sorrow, as how
should II Ike otherwisep The marvel i
. that she survived the blow. In all prob
ability she would have sunk under It bu
!, that the food Of newborn wifely love
r which in its outpouring had seemed Il
1 carry the very essence Of her soul be
8 fore il, had found its channel changed
although not checked. As mother
8 the devotion bestowed upon the stalwsr
r lad Of nine now standing at her side gay
almost vent and verge enough for tn
70 deep love that WAS In her. In yOun
t. Ronald she seemed to see, perhaps, COZ
II centrated, . double claim upon her q
Q. lection: first for the father, whom b
u 90 much resembled, and then for b
to own sweet sake. 3.
20 Thus time and circumstance lei
their healing influence to her gre,
OF heart. sound, and though the cicatri
lis was wildly evident at times, the hea
n, ing had been healthy, and with Il
re birth of her boy had come about, as Il
90 surgeons say, at the first intention
wv But for this there was enough outsit
her loss, and consequent upon 1t,
~ crush all hope and joy from her futur
I'm Widowed % she had been, she b,
ng been obliged to return to her parent
rs. roof, and found, Is the eldest Of lar
DOR family, that the poor pittance Of q
lay merchants clerk, her father, ma
l home far from bed Of roses. For,
uld it remembered, that with the husba
tor had disappeared the provision for
widow which the uncls's will had
ms sured. Carried in Ronald's pocket
the document had been, no claim up
ter the old mans estate could be est
his lished; and the money, sround ElO,'
wn. in consols, had passed to the next
kin, = younger brother, John, . "
ave different man. This John MOI
/ of refused to acknowledge any intenti
He that his elder brother might have b
viii He knew Of none Of them, he said,
bic he stood upon his rights. Would he
, to nothing for the nePhew's widow
may her child? Well, Why should he?
rove knew lftle or nothing about this nepl
nm. Ronald. What had he meant by n
etc. rying . penniless girl solely upon
any strength Of vAmped.up promises m
nee, or not made, John Morris sid,
|, he "that old fool, my bschelor.6ro'
your Matthew" The mere copy Of the
produced by the lawyer might,
y, l might not, be genuine; at any :
der, John Morris declared it was worth
You piece Of paper - it stood. Besides.
en- to hs not claims Of his own to meete =
l not ever, he would educate the boy,
nem- much he would do, until he was fit
our and then he should wash his hand
avOr, the whole affair. 1
3ut This was the utmost which oil
lbOut urgent appeals that were made to
on . would produce, and there the m
with stood.
Bias. as'4t lssS.
were And now there IL, indeed, 20
,wyer Ronald Morris TO the front, the very
,ghly and marrow Of bis fathers self; On
uired who remember the cordial, happy
] then promising young author toresee tn
a and 3 few moro years, when tme has
had out the sons muscles, broadene'
pres shoulders, and deepened his chez
u for. will grow 70 be the very counterp'
hand the lost man.
y, my Young Ronald was )ust nlneveon
1Innhv s3mNo N lAfk nNhOOl had h00n Dl0C