Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-20
A HAT LINING.

England, was the scene of a mystic
rious crime. In the struggling out
skirts stood large, oldfashioned
dwelling, almost surrounded with
trees. A short averue led to the
front, and fifty yards to the right ran
a lane leading down to an old mine
long disused. On the side next the
dwelling was a heavy growth of trees,
shut off from the lane by high stone
wall, in which was strong oaken
door leading to the rear OF the house.
There was similar growth of trees
on the other side of the dwelling,
extending for perhaps half mile to
the left and far away down into the
valley in the rear. Immediately be-
hind the house was a vegetable gar
den. and the usual outbuildings were
situated between the house and the
garden. Back of the garden trees
extended, the house looking as though
it had been built in spot cleared
away from the forest.
For many generations this had
been the residence of the Wellesley
family. Formerly it had been veal
thy, but in latter days it had lost
much of its property, and the repre-
sentative at the time of which we
write had an income of about $500 a
year. He was over seventy, but still
hale and active. He had three chill
dren. John, the eldest, was in In
dia; William, the second in age, was
a wandeIer, no one knew whittier;
and Mary, the youngest, was married
to a sea captain, and resided in Liv-
erpool.
The family, as already said, was
once wealthy, but the wild and reck-
less prohigacy of its elder sons had
reduced it almost to poverty. When
the grandfather of the present repre-
sentative died, in 1852, he left will
by which all the remaining property
was tied up for ninety years, his heirs
in the meantime to receive an income
of only $500 year.
Ninety years from his death the
whole bulk of the estate which, ii
was expected, by that time would be
increased twenty fold in value, was
to 60 to the representative of the
family then living, butte his second
child, he surviving. Owing to the
discovery of valuable mines on the
estate, it had increased in value
greatly beyond the estimate, and it
was expected that the next possessor
would be one of the wealthiest men
in the midland counties.
William, the second child, was
born in 1915, and Mary, the younger,
a year later. In 1880 she was al
school in Rochester, and eloped with
young sailor in the navy. After
their marriage the sailor left the navy
and in course of time became master
of a sailing vessel. Mr.. John Wlldes'
ley, ST., refused to be reconciled tt
his daughter, and from that day on
ward they never met. When Will
liam was just twenty-one years old
he suddenly disappeared, and from
that time to the year 1910 he wal
never heard of. After five years
disappearance the law presumes
man dead; and consequently Mar.
would become, in the event OF he
fathers death, the second child, h
surviving.
As already said, Mr.. Wellesley wa
hale and active. On November IL
1910, he was seated in his dinln
room smoking his pipe after dinner
when servant announced that
gentleman wanted to see him. II
directed the gentleman to be admit
ted, and as was invariably his Gus
tom when a stranger called, directe
his servant-an old and faithful at
tendant-to remain in the room wit
them. The servant retired, and IL
troduced a man of medium age, nh
gave his name as Livermore. He II
very swarthy, and had dark, bush
hair.
81 come," said the stranger, aft
having taken a seat, ION very impo