The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1881-09-29

may be little too heavy" and enter
/ ing his rooms Clement found there
box that had arrived from India, ad
/ dressed 10 him.
It was from Horace Mervvn, and con
tanned q lot of Indian curio sites, a few
specimens Of native arms, and a roll o.
manuscript.
well, what is thisP' And Clemen
took up the package Of paper an,
! lUoked at it.
''What! q play, and written By Hor
aeeT Why, the man is crazy to thinb
that he can write, for how he eYel
passed through WuOlWich. I cannot
Understandable! here is his letter, 81
and opening it he read:
GHORAByD, Sept, IS.
my DEAR OLD CLElL.--T send you hersy7i h /
few so vcnirs that may be acceptable, a. thc]
are curtOsiriss ia England.
Kate " It : me that you call often. and "a
likes Il immensely; but don't fail In low
pa tlcular stHE.
You have doubtless seen accounts OF our
hard work her, SO III rot bore You with ne
pcating the ST ny, and 7 have but a moment tc
write. GOod-s-e, and go0d luck T. vOl.
yours, HORACE BERyYN.
"P. S.-Just received orders 10 move uDOr
the hill tr bes, aud expect hot time. but hDps
to wiz my Captaincy.
''l3T tho wy, L have employed ny leisure
hours q scribhl NJ, and, Just to pls Sc Eats
have written pl y, though shc knows moth
ing about If, and have KEEP it as dead 90
cret trom my brother etic rs, not being will
ing % llugaed at as pedgudc fool. nov
send il TO YOU, AMI its title IS TIE VazabOnd
OF course you can at q gi}nce decide up a
IL N ,rtt9, if IL has any. ard bring it out fol
me. II it has only dement's, which I believe.
I3EfTr M nn
DO not tell Kate. Goodbye again.-HoRACE.' y
''WeH. here goes for the first cigar
lighted wi4h his nonsense" and the
title page was rolled up and held in
the blaze; but as Clement Hastings sat
musiug and smoking, his eve fell upOu
tho opening words of "The Vaga-
bond, " and something in them caused
him to read further.
And, rs each page was read, be con-
tiuueI on, until at last ne dropped the
MS. and said. anErilvi
'Why didn't I think of this? It will
60 rs certain rs I sit here-if 1 let "A
manager SEQ it, which 1 VIII take good
caro- not to do, as Kate Da7enaut shall
never know that he can do what [ can
not"
He was half-tempted to destroy it,
but refraiuei from 50 doing, and locked
it up after a moments tho Ight.
The next dav, as he read his morn
ing paper and ate his breakfast, his
eyes fell upon the telegraphie head
Massacre Of troops in India-sever-
al officers and a number Of soldiers
slainp'
Eagerly he read what followed, and
it told him that UmOug the dead left on
the Geid was the gallant Lieut.. Hor-
ace Mervyn, R. Il. A., who sacrificed
his life % save q wounded OOrpOraL."
''POOr, poor Horace! JUS ike him to
do suCl a deedI' said Clement, his
heart touched BY the loss of his friend;
but his hetter nature soon vanished,
for he sprang to his feet with q flushed
face, and cried:
''NOW Is Kate DaVeuant miue-aye,
and more, The Vagabond' is mine"
Six weeks after, Clement Hastings
arose at sunrise, and eagerly seized tna
half d dHzeu papers he had Ordsred left
at his rooms, and read tho criticisms
upon The Vagabond," presented for
the first time the night before
''My fortune is made, for they laud
It to the skies" Grief the literary thief,
and he spoke the truth, for his name
was upon everyOne's lips, as having
written the most successful play eTer
produced, and one that could bring q
tear and q laugh together, being full
Of the most touching pRthOs and the
raciest humor.
And Kate Davenaut, whose eyes had
grown red since she day Of that Indian
smiled upon the young au-
thor kindly, and offered her warmest
nay more, as time
went by, and the fame of Clement
Hastings increased, she promised him
her hand, for her father willingly gave
his consent when he found that Gle
ment WAS no longer an impeCunious
young scribbler,
Having made q success, Of course
Clement Hastings writings were i1
demand, and, with the aid of q Bo
hemian, who had brains but no money,
be wrote several other plays that alsC
took we'll, and for which he paid the
real author en0Ug1 to keep him from
for few months
W tn q comfortable bank account,
and royalty upon his plays, Gle.
nent Hastings was living in fine style,
and had bought and furnished a small
residence in which he was to install his
bride in another month.
Seated ii his sumptuOus home one
evening, making notes for q new play,
the servant suddenly usherod in visi-
or, and with a cry of horror Clement
Hastings started back, for Horace Aer-
yyn stood before him.
Horace, 1 believed you deadr' he
said, in 3 hOarse voice.
80 1t would seem, Clement, from
what has occurred; but L came not
here to quarrel with YOU. Hold! ]
know all for, on landing yesterday,
after my escape from a long impUisOn-
mant amOng The BaloOchees, l stopped
over night in southampton, and seeing
The VagabOnd' advertised, went to re
theatre aui witnessed my play verba-
i'm. with your name rs author.
80 be iti you have reaped q rich
harvest, and I viii not rob you Of it,
for 1 am q rich man; bu, for your
T,achery I viii punish you by taxing
from yOu KITE Davenant, whom you
Won M Ter frIss pretenCes."
"Nrvarl Sac knew that YOU could
lot write q play, or thought 50, and
you have no proof, and she viii remain
.rae t. me" said Clement Hastings,
liGrcely.
unfortunately for you, I keep o /
,opy Of all my letters, and the BsIOo- |
,hees did not get my copying-book, |
md l shovel to Kate Just what YOU /
lad done-Hold! Show no anger !
10 me, Hastings, for I am the |
ona; for tho ugh I give You
he play, aud no one else than KITE |
md myself shall know of your treach- |
5ry, for all you can make out of 1t you !
ire welcome to, You must lose her, rs |
his letter will show you" aud Captain |
Iervyn handed the white-facad, tremb-
ing man a short note from Kate Dave, |
liant, severing the engagement between /
hem, aud telling him that, for the |
uture, they were strangers to each I
,ther.
Clement Hastings bowed his head iu
humiliation and sorrow, for he dearly |
owed KITE Dayenant, and when he /
'aised it Horace had gone, and from
hat day they mover met again; for the
'Oung officer, still suffering from his
wounds and long captivity, had r5-
igned from the army, and soon after
tartsd to Italy for a long stay abroad. !
But he went not alone, for Kat9 /
)avenaut became his wife on the very
lay that her marriage with Clement /