The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-10-19
TRUE TO EACH OTHER.


His friend to tell him willingly essnyed. -,
He eaid: 81 steal my broO,ns already made"
san,..saAs~~4s.@~o
TRUE TO Each OTHER.
The squire was still young and Wig
OrOus man. wealthy for n resident Of an
agricultural community, safitks highly
respected by all Who Knew hiSL ss-s
He had been married Il dozen years
ar more, but Mrs. Burlri-h. WHO had
been person OF feeble constHntiOn
from Inheritance. had borne offspring
only that he might endure a parents
agony in seeing them perish onR after
another in infancy and early childhood.
till not one of the little flock remained
to bless and brighten his existence.
He was thinking even now. rs he rode
along through the binding snows.orm,
of the last little golden lead that bat
vanished in October. and the six little
mounds in the snow in the churchyar,l
of Ashburnham.
The road from Mcrrimeeting to Ash
burnham was an unfrequented, back
country one. and as he reflected sadly
upon the loss of his little ones, he saw
an object by the roadside that resemble,l
human form. covered with snow. He
rcined in his horse suddenly and took q
more careful survey of the object.
He was so far satisfied with his con-
lecture, on q second examination, that
lie alighted from his sleigh and APP
preached the mOtionless snow-c0vereti
object.
He excitedly brushed away the accu.
mulated snow from the parte6f thee OBJ
ject that bore resemblance 10 . human
head, and the next moment his hand
came into contact with the rigid, frozen
features of corpse.
A further examination of the body
showed it to be that of y woman, and
in spite of tine wan and sorrowful face.
Young and once beautiful one. She
was poorly clad and held something
closely wrapped in the folds ct a faded
| shawl.
He undid the shawl. and discovered
therein, still alive. though seemingly
much benumbed from the exposure to
which it had been subjected. a male in
| FAINT. some five or SIX months old.
With some little trouble he succeeded
in placing the form of the dead woman
in the bottom of the sleigh, and then
wrapping the babe snugly within the
folds of his heavy fur-lined cloak. and
pressing it warmly to his bosom to en-.
sure extra warmth. he drove rapidly in
to the village Of Ashburnham.
The post-mOrtem ELECTED
nothing further than that the woman
had probably come to her death. from
exposure and eXhaustiOn; and from a
letter of an anterior date. found with
| some change in Il pocket of her dress,
dated from New Bedford. addressed to
Mrs. Rosina Somcrs, and signed by o.
liver Slocum, shpowner. stating that
Jesse Somers, second mate of the Dol
phn, had been lost in Il gale off the
Cape de Verde Islands. they arrived at
the conclusion that the man lost must
| be the husband of the dead woman and
| the fat her OF the child.
The woman was buried at the cX-
pense OF few charitable persons, and
| the little Jesse Showdown Somers. as
he was called, WAS adopted by Squire
| Burieigh.
No further clue to the identity Of the
persons supposed Ia ie his parents was
ever afterwards obtained, so that Squire
Burleigh and his wife finally came to the
conclusion, to use familiar expression,
hat FLINDERS should be keepers" so
hat it naturally came to pass that the
child soon came to be regarded in pre-
,isely the same light rs one of their own
offspring.
Two years after the adoption of little
| IT, t<l,
land with an infant daughter. who. con-
:rary to all expectation. lived and
.hroye, and in defiance of the oft-recur-
ring precedent of hereditary disease,
rrew fat, chubby. and rosy. and was
never known to have Il sick day. eX-
,epting from these almost unavoidable
ailments incident to childhood.
When Florence Burleigh was sixteen,
she was as perfectly maturcd as most
young ladies of twenty, and Jesse Som
,rs was fine, robust, manly intelligent
young fellow.
Years before. through the gossip OF
outsiders. they had become conversant
with the fact that no blood relationship
existed between them, and the remark
able affection which they had felt for
each other before, believing themselves
10 be brother and sister. now deepened
INTO tenderer and more absorbing
love.
Squire Burleigh, engaged in law and
speculation. knew nothing OF all this.
When Florence was sixteen, she was
acknowledged tho loveliest girl in Ash
burnham.
Lawyer Guppy was abaohelor of forty
and in the receipt of a handsome in
come from his professional practice. -
He was ayaricious, unprincipled, and
bringing.
TO those incapable Of arriving at a
Just estimate of character, Guppy would
have been considered all that is dcsira-
be in sutton; but Florence was favor
ed with an intuitive perception of his ma
lure. and she shrank from and repealed
his insidious advances.
When Il purpose once entered the head
and animated the heart of Guppy, the
stubborn current of his unrestrained
seltiShness drove him irresistibly on to
its fuiillment.
He was not to be put off by simple
maiden's frowns. He knew course
worth two of that.
He laid his grievance before the
squire, and wound up with proposal
for Florence's hand.
The squire was elated at the conde-
scension and preference of Guppy,. and
promptly accepted him in Florence's be-
half.
The fair victim was summoned, and
the intended honor to be conferred was
proclaimed.
The proud-spiritod girl gave q point
blank refusal. and rushed with rebel
lious haste from the presence OF the con-
spiratOrs. :.
The squire was astOnished, afterwards
bewildered, then indignant. Guppy sug-
yes. ell that there might be rival at the
bottom Of it.
"lmpossible!'' roared the squire in
dignanlly.
Take no offence. squire" expostul-
ated Guppy. II merely limited at the
possibility of such q thing. :.
Il am puzzled at Florence 8 conduct,
the squire admitted. ''She has always
been so used to submitting to my wish
es in everything"
III | might suggest" meekly inter-
posed Guppy, II should hint. at ven
lure. that the rival have reference to
was not outside Of your own family cir