Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-04-06
by the hand, and wit ia sGod bless you !"
left the room abruptly, II I saw that was the

by the hand, and vita ssGod bless you ~
left the room abruptly, r saw that was the
best course.
In half an hour I wapn board, just as the
paddles commenced t9reyolve and then l
sat down to read the liter which till then l
had not had time to l5t at.
It was letter from he family solicitor at
home, announcing in tie first place the death
of Harley's father, witch had occurred some
what suddenly and of Fhich more particulars
were to be sent by the allowing mail In the
meantime the writer sated that he fastened,
in accordance with Fomise which ne had
sealed packet enclosed, which was to be open
ed by him only. VII give the part OF 1t
which had so excited Harley.
''Poor Mrs. Jones isdead and on her DEATH
bed she sent for me, and made concession
of most singular kind; to me most dis
tressing revelation. You are not my son, as
I have so long fondly supposed. You are
Mrs. jones' son. To me this is great sor-
row; for though I love you, dear John, the
same as ever, still the fact. remains that l,
who was sp-F4oud-A1 .s--bny, am, ehs.ssteaa5 t
-Ia=ss,l lconfessiGe Il srodnus year
taking charge Of my son. When l heard OF
my fathers death l wrote to her from India
that as the boy was growing older, l would
uldhc III Ouc-ifu1iuIcu dlu lllCy pOuuuo. SOoii
after this she went with her own child and
mine to Broadstairs for week or two. There
both children were taken i'll with the scarlet
fever My boy died-you lived. As she sat
looking at him after he was laid out, she re-
membered that with him her income died too {;
for what little money she had at her husbands s.
death was all gone. Then the idea of giving
out that her own child had died occurred to
her. She was stranger there, where none
knew her. At this moment the landlady
looked in and asked her the full name Of the
child, saying kindly that her husband would
get the certificate of death from the surgeon,
and call with it at the registrars Office, which
would save her trouble. On the impulse Of
the moment she replied: !'John William
Jones.'' The landlady wrote it down and
when she had gone Mrs. Jones would have CIV
en- worlds to recall her words. But she had
committed herself to the false representation,
and it was too late.
''The child was buried; and then the fear
of discovery preventing her from returning
home, she was determined to 60 and settle
in some place where she was entirely unknown.
She had previously lived in Cheshire, and
choosing a distant point, she removed to
Hastings, writing to her friends that | had
made her residence there a condition OF her
retaining charge of my child. There was a
certain similarity both in feature and in COM
plexion between my boy and you, which favor
ed the deception. 1 had never seen either of
you; and after a year or two, if any Of her
cquantances-whom in the mean time she
would avoid-should see you, there would
be but little chance of their discovering the
difference.
"My dear John, notwithstanding what has
happened, feel that you are still mine-nly
son in all but the name; and to enable you to
keep your surname legally have executed a
deed making you a gift of the Perton estate,
ON condition that you retain the name OF
Harley.'
II have been aware of this changed relation
ship for few months; and as | could not
bear the thought of severing the ties that had
bound us together as father and son, came to
the resolution-a weak one, perhaps, but yet
such as you will readily pardon-to keep this
secret from you till after my death, which l
knew from the state of my health, could not
be far distant, and would probably be sudden.
When you receixs this s..,t therefore it will be
of me, I hope, as one who, if not your father,
after the fesh has been father to you in
spirit, in act, and in affection.
CHARLES S. HARLEY"
1 read the letter with strange feelings, in
which I scarcely knew whether surprise or
pleasure was predominant. could also now
understand Johns agitation for if he had
Just lost one who had been to him father, ne
had been at the same time delivered from a
sorrow which would have been lifelong in it's
effects both on him and the woman he loved.
On my arrival at Batavia Ihastened to Mrs.
Van Dusen's and asked to see her alone. She
was, as hereader may imaginequite overcome
at my unexpected intelligence. found that
she had confessed the whole circumstances to
her daughter. 'My conscience told me it was
the right course to pursue, though dear John
meant kindly but could not be contented
while deceiving my child"
In day or two the steamer was to return
to Singapore, and brief as the time for prepa-
ration was, both Susette and Mrs. Van Dusenl
accompanied me in her. With their care and
nursing Harley soon recovered health and
strength and then, after again going to Ba-
tavia to settle Mrs. Van Dusen's affairs, re-
vious to her bidding a final farewell t, va,
they all three sailed for England Chambers