Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-04-09

ii.
The scheme. however. included forging the
name OF one OF the customers Of the bank: and
though my grandfather had no actual concern
In THIS still he was sufflcsntly implicated to be
arrested {when the plot came out as of course
IL d11) with the others. to be tried, sentenced
and, as said, transported.
He was only twenty-five when this hap
peDed; and before he rad worked out his sem
tence. had had ample time to be heartily sorry,
and heartily ashamed OF his folly In being so
led away. Well, he got out at last and went
another young space grace, he got on from
being an assistant on sheep farm to buying
sheep on his own account. and so on till he
got money enough to go away to Canada and
buy share in good business.
''He got on exceedingly well, and in time
bought good house. and bit OF ground
Il must tell you now an important thing.
When he left Australia he changed his name,
as most men perhaps would have done In SIM
liar circumstances, from Housego, his real
name, Hananiah Housego it was, TO Whiting.
Why Whiting don't know: but OF course I'm
not wrong TO call myself Whiting, as my father
ter TOO. For my grandfather had married In
CANADA; but, however, he didn't get Oh very
well with his wife; and alter his cath, without
a will she squa ndered pretty well all his money
uncle and aunt. AS was saying, he didn't
lead very happy life, and this was partly
owing TO rather strange Circumstance which
| must low tell you about.
ANY one might have thought that my
grandfather, having left Australia and
gone far away, aud having changed his name
al living under altogether new CIRCUMSTANCES
might have got rid or all associations connec-
tea with his conviction. Well, now. there was
one person TN Canada who found OFT or who
knew all about him: and this unknown person,
TOT some reason never discovered, p5rS 3cuJod
my poor grandfather In the strangest manner
''You know that the government mark On all
things which belong TO them. Including. of
course, every thing connected with convlctS or
convict labor, is what they call a broad arrow.
Wen, this broad arrow pursued my grandfather.
He found 1t first, l believe one day marked on
his gaje-post; he quietly rubb I'd 1t off, and in a
few days 1t reappeared. Then IL turned no, as
he walked out early one morning, scratched In
the Dust before his gate. At ttmeI he found it
his estate. At other times he would receive
letter through the post with the mark on the
outside. and on opening 1t found nothing but
the same repeated, OF course 1t annoyed aud
trr1tated him Immensely, the more so as he
could take no open measures to discover the au-
thor OF the persecution, nor take anyone into
his confidence. He tried hard enough, you may
be sure, in quiet way. to find out who did it.
But ne never had the slightest clew to who it
was; 1T must have been spite, of course
81. we went on on for years. and It was supposed
undermined his health; for he met With an &C
cldent that did not seem likely to have any Sc
rous consequences, but he sickened and died.
Before his death, however, he told my father,
his eldest Child, all about IT, and his real name
which my father had never known, enjoinlng
On him strict secrecy except TO hts own chill
dren. who, ne Said ought to know the truth,
THAT, said John, '1s the whole OF the story,
rather sad one and not very interesting; still,
as said thought you ought to know ft, as it
SO concerns myself. at the same time didn't
see why was bound to run any risk of preju-
d1cing possible friends against me when first
came over, since 1t Is so many years now since
my grandfather died, and all this has been at
an end for long time"
For my part, john" said, II think you're
right; what you've said can't make any differ
eIca In my opinion of you; and Eliza seems to
have taken you with her eyes open. But /
think It's right OF you TO have told us, for all
that"
We talked little more over the curious story:
bat John himself had nothing more to tell US
than just what I've told you. and then he left.
Next morning, as we were sitting at break
fast, Eliza said 70 M:
'1've been thinking about john"
Have you realy?" Said |. How odd.D
Nonsense" she said; ~ don't mean about
him. but about his odd story and his curious
name, for of course 1t Is his name"
Don't you think" said l, "that you've heard
the name before?"
I'm sure OF it; but where, can't the least re-
member"
;. How we puzzled over that name and what
1t was associated with in our minds! 1t
seemed TO have taken possession OF us botn,
and although 1t was Suc1 an unimpOrtant
thing. we could not rest for thinking of i5.
However, all we could think OF was that 1t
seemed connected with our last visit to the
country.
dafe3ay you Will have guessed long ago
where 1t was that we had seen it; but 1t wasn't
Till after several days had pa ssed that Eliza
SAID to me suddenly one evening:
sure of It."
''Of course It was" said l; "but In coanec-
ton with what?"
Do you know that nothing would content us
out we must find out what it was; for, don't
you See IL was suca an uncommon name none
such appearing even in the Directory. and we
mad got quite excited about 1t.
think 1t was clever OF Eliza to have remom-
bered where It was. I'm sure | never should,
but then, as think said, she Is clever.
Well, at last we thought of plan; and
Eliza, having hunted % the date Of our stay In
the country, and knowing that that Times was
one afternoon TO The TAa@s Office, and said [
wanted to look through the die for that month.
hadn't looked through many before sud
to know every line and word of 1t. Really by
this time had got so interested in the chase
That FELT quite eager about It; but looking
down the columns couldn't see the name any
where. SO then / began carefully at the be-
found It.
It was an advertisement for next OF kin, and
began, Ito Thomas Housego;' and further
down had the name that had so bothered u.s.
Hananiah Housego. Thinking this really must
concern COZ. ,. young John, soon bought a copy.
found John sitting with Eliza. Now We hadn't
seen much OF John for some DAYS, he being
very much occupied, and when we did it SO
happened that we hadn't talked about this; so
you may think he was aStOniShed when l ran
Into the room, spread out the paper, and be-
gan to read the advertisement Il cut 1t out,
and here IL 1s):
ITO Thomas HousegO, formerly of Norwich
In the county OF Norfolk, his next OF kin, or
legal personal representatives. Whereas, the
above named Thomas Housego, who was one
OF the children OF Jonathan Housego, late Of
Norwich aforesaid, gentleman, deceased, left
England In the Lifetime OF his father, and has
not since been heard OF; and whereas the said
Jonath IN HOusego had two other sons, named
respectively Jonathan HouSego and HananIah
Housego, and whereas the said Jonathan, son
OF Jonathan HousegO aforesaid, died On the 81 st
OF March last" and But there, needn't
read you the whole OF IL; it's wordy ard |
can't bear anything wordy, The effect OF it
was tnat there Was sum Of money standing
unclaimed that might he claimed by any living
representative OF Hananiah Housego, who was,
OF course Johns grandfather.
Well It's not much good telling you more
than that John Whiting went straight to law
yer, and that the lawyer said that II only Ger
tain links were complete 1t would be easy 10 get
the money. The links he wanted were soon
forthcoming; and after g. lot OF correspondence
and formallty 1t brought In for Johu certainly
not fortune, but enough to make him Ind !
pendent OF his then EN- plOyer3 and to enable
him to buy share in gOin concern and soon
after that TO marry Eliza.
It was a gTeat.uncle OF his who had died and
left the money. AS l said, lt was only a modest
sum; but how happy that small sum made us
should find 1t difficult 10 tell you.
They live close by me, and we see each other
every day.
don't kpoU that thera,, much a,oo fo to,,