The National tribune., 1881-12-17

! ION anu lie were converslng together the former
having taken the method that is often the boa.
to restore the mind of the respondent tn CON-
thing like sanlmation-he had engaged hin, -
conversation about matters quite foreion to g.
Whlch mad given him pain Mr.. Silverton -
once addressed me. ~
nave just Mr.. WoOllaston, been telling NV
olu friend some of the passages of nv life dDr;,1,
INC hahy years which have interyened since 7 Sa1v
lilih last; and IN the meantime as he insists tho,
SHOULD remain with him for q few davs bovo
gwen orders that the CONVEYANCE no sent hoo1-
10 the village for my wife and daughter whom, T
mad left behind me till found how
situated here. Madame Favre hoe ''11
'-'o ''ii"Se' as she IS afraid this impostor
may have been making use of bar ,,a :. tI'''i
uon' 'lu ono thlther to put her agents on
the alert" oN"'' on
The very reference to the woman who had 80
befooied the Squire gave him, 1 could see the
greatest uneasiness, and he sat for a
dOwncast eyes, but without speakir VOL ~.
last as if anxious to divert the conversation -
other channels, he said "You mentioned vo,,,
wife and daughter Jack; thought Won had ~
family"
"Nor had 1 till lately" said Mr.. Silyerton
with a smile "And l well tell you how an
old couple like my wife and / come to have a
daughter now. You have often heard me snesl-
OF my brother Charles. You know he was wild
and foolish and that in his youth he made
marriage abroad which so annoyed and irritated
his father, and, L must admit, the whole of his
relations that we discarded him forever. 7 can
not now think Of our harshness towards the poor
oil 4In,,{
he was still one of ourselyeS-our own flesh and
blood-and no such violent rupture ever comes
to good or gives Us peace however much we
may think ourselves justified at the time in
making the breach"
At these words, l thought could see the old
Squire vince. He must" l said to myself Che
thinking of Tom" Mr.. Silverton went on:
"a few years ago, after We had long lost sight
of my brother, and being ourselves childless. q
strong desire took possession of me to take some
steps to try and discover whether he might still
be alive, and what condition he might be in
After weary, and for long time fruitless
search, succeeded in discovering the small town
in the north of Italy where he had been married
but found that the marriage had been carried
out under an assumed name. He had dropped
land. / ascertained the name of his wife also
but yet it was long before could trace him with
any certainty; and at length found that he had
lived for few years within twenty miles of
Paris, where he died. From this point all traces
Of him were lost till very recently. when, by
happy chance, l found family of the same name
in Paris, among whom was sister of nv brothers
wife, who had in her possession the proofs OF his
marriage, and what was of still more interest to
Us, was acting as the guardian of his only child
now an orphan This child, lovely girl who
1ad inherited her fathers handsome features,
was like restoration to US from the grave: and
after satisfying ourselves as to the fact of her
to us, my wife and 1 resolved to
.dopt her our daughter, and make her the
nheritor of our possessions. All this happened
o very recently that it almost seems to me mere
f dream than reality; for you may be sure
ge are very proud of our young charge. But Il
eed not say more, for l hear the conveyance ap-
reaching with them"
AS he said these words, he walked qaickly out
f the room, in order to receive the visitors in
he hall The Squire rose from his chair alss,
nd made step or two forward, as if to bid them
relcome. At that moment Mr.. Silverton ap-
cared at the door of the ROOM leading in a
Dung lady Close beside him came an elderly
adv, whom | rightly took to be Mrs Silverton,
nd | could not help observing that there was
n arch smile on her happy face. When looked
gain at the young lady on Mr.. SilyertOn's arm,
almost cried out with surprise. 1t was Jessica
"Mr. Atheling" said Mr.. Silverton as be
anne forward towards the Squire this is our
aughter Jessica-TOMS WIFE"
For second or two the old man stood as if
l bewilderment; but as the beautiful girl ap-
reached him and sank on her knees at his feet,
e took her by the hand and raised her up, and
could see there was a tear upon his cheek.
My dear" he said "I have been a foolish old
ian; but God bless you; and tell my boy to
y and forgive his deluded old father
Before she could answer, step was heard
ltering the room, and Tom himself stood before
). His father advanced to meet him. took beth
is boys hands in his and it could be seen that
was making strong effort to control his feel
gs In this he only partially succeeded; his
Ords were but few, and uttered in a quiyering
'ice. "Tom," he at length said, "yeu must
ever leave me again"
l need not dwell upon the happiness of this
conciliation. In answer to my subsequent IN
liries l discovered, what Mr.. Silverton did not
lily state to the Squire in his first conversation
at it was through his finding of Tom, ana tha'