Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-12-11
The LANDsTREETs.
A STORY OF THE PEACH COUNTRY,
BY
OSCAR DALE.

OSCAR DALE.
Copyrighted by The Every Evening Publishing 90
CHAPTER XIV.
The LOST FOUND.
When Barlow got to his brothers.
house late at night on the day he had
left home he eagerly looked through the
letters that had accumulated during his
absence, and which he had authorised
hia brother to open. There were quite
number Of them, most Of them containing
mysterious hints that their writer's could
give important information II provided
with little money to enable them to
follow mp q certain clue. Barlow had by
this time grown used TO this form Of
fraud, though It had cost him consider
able money to do so. One letter, how
ever, marked important" In his
brother's handwriting he opened eagerly.
II was written In a feminine hand and
ran as follows:
OFFIoE OF "THE FASHION,"
NEW YoRK, August =, 1876.
6R:
have noticed your personal advertisements
In the papers and 1t has occurred to me that
pObbtulg u lbu1 VI Hlg uC4uhilthuOo ullkub Bo
the person sought. You say her maiden name
was Margaret Leland Landstreet. The first
of these Two names happened to be printed
in one line, with the Landstreet in the next
line In the advertisement and hence / was
quite startled in seeing the name of my friend
Mrs. Margaret Leland thus printed in bold
letters. have known Mrs. Leland for over
ten years as she Is frequent contributor to
the publication with which / am connected.
know nothing Of her past history, but she
Ia perfect lady, and has quite q number of
friends in New York. AS soon as the schools
closed she and her son started on a rather
rambling journey through New England and
Canada and they will soon be back. 1 do
not know where she now is, as she made no
arrangements l find to have letters follow her.
but her town address you will find on one Of
her cards which enclose Hoping that this
information may prove Of some advantage to
Mrs. Leland, am, Very Respectfully
Jane Hicks.
P.S.-Mrs. Leland's son is about thirteen
years old and his name is Thomas GrdRtLey
Leland. J. II.
Barlow had read the letter with the
greAtest interest but he gave regular
war.whoop on reading the post script.
$50 there's q boy 10 there" he said
TO himself. "Why did none Of us think
Of that possibility before. Aud young
Tom, who bsars GrAntley merely rs .
middle name. I feel 80 absolutely certain
that am on the right track now that II
would make me sioh to 6od myself mis-
taken" Thus rejecting he concluded It
would be cruel TO excite the hopes Of
the Lsndatrests rs much as his own were
ex,ited and hence he began that display
Of retioenoe about which old Tom hal
complained at Mr.. Curtis. Next day
was Sunday and he wrote long letter to
Katie but said very liltls about the clue
except that IL might take some weeks TO
ascertain II It would amount to anything.
He concluded not to call that day at the
boarding house on Washington Square,
since ne knew Mrs. Leland was not
there.
On MoDdsy morning, however, at as
early an hour as circumstances would
permit he rang the bell ard asked II Mrs.
Leland lived there. The servant, q new
one, said no, but on his insisting that
Mrs. Island must live there the girl
asked him In and called her mistress,
Mrs. Jobson.
"Yss, Mrs. Leland has lived here
good many years." said Mrs. Jobscn.
"5he's away now but expect her bone
next Wednesday evening. viii you
leave your card
"My card will be Of no use," said Bar
low. "She does not know me. want
TO see her about matter Of business and
will call Wednesday.
"Better not come till Thursda7," said
Mrs. Jobson. "Shs won't get home till
Wednesday evening and will probably
mot want to see anyone
II was 80 arranged aud Blrlow had
nothing to do cut wait. de improved
his leisure to 90 around aud call on Mrs.
Jaue Hicks, to whom he gave SONS inti-
nation Of the circumstances and that
good lady gave him all the information
she could about Mrs, Island and ex
pressed al ardent hope that she might
prove to be The missing one "You see,"
aaid Mrs. Hicks, "thst though she makes
n good income by her pen, and has quite
q number OF friends she seems all alone
in the world except for Tom, and have
never heard her mention relative"
All this tended to ooDfirm Barlow In
his belief that he wRs on the right track
and he ventured to write Katie that he
had heard Of q lady from whom he ex
peoted important information, but she
was out Of town at present and he could
mot see her till the following Thursday.
On Thursday morning promptly at 3
O'Clock Barlow rang the bell at Mrs.
Jobson's boarding house and WAS In
formed that Mrs. Leland was In. He
sent NJ. his card, telling the girl to cay to
Mrs. LELAND that he wanted to see her on
business, and in q little while he was
asked TO step up stairs and was ushered
into the little library or parlor, already
described. 0u entering, the only other
occupant Of the room was bright, hand
some boy who managed to be at once the
living image old Tom aud OF Katie. His
resemblance to the latter was 30 remark
able that Barlow almost felt tempted to
kiss him.
"MAmma will be in in minute" said
the boy as Barlow took chair. In
another moment he was on his feet again
and returning the bow Of the boys
mother whose likenes to Mrs. Lsndstreet
was almost ss striking as was that Of the
boy to old Tom.
i'Good morning." said the lady pleas-
autly as she glsnced again At BArlow'a
card which she still held in her hand
"0f oourse my name conveys no idea
to you" said Barlow, ''aud unlsas thia
ia more effective shall ask pardon fol
my intrusion and retire" aud hs handed
her newspaper with the person l adver.
tisament already alluded to marked.
AS the lady read this standing Barlow
noticed that she turned pale aud bore
heavily on the table with one hard as Il
10 steady herself. Then she looL ed Ii
silence at Barlow as though she expected
TO learn from his appearance what thlt
all meant. His own excitement was alsC
manifest, fer his usually pale face wal
flushed and he lreRthed rapidly. Boil
stood thus for : moment and then tn,
lady motioned Barlow to take seat ant
sank into q chair herself. "Tom," sh,
said to her son, "run down TO the ofic,
and bring up any mail they may hav'
for me-"
Tom who had been intently watching
the mAneuvres Of q cat on q neiRhborini
roof trying TO catch 4 sparrow had no
noticed his mothers agitation, and tn,
sparrow having Just then flown away tn
boy, laughing at the cats discontinue
cried "sll right" seixsd his hat and wa
of without further ceremony.
In order to bring the embarrassing
silence TO close Mr.. Barlow said: "M,
fret glance at the face of your boy salts
fed me that he was the grandson OF Mr.
LAndstreet, while your own resemblsnc
TO Mrs. LAndstreet confirms me in tn
belief that have at last found thei
daughter. will therefore say, at once
that / have been commissioned by Nj
LAndstreet and also by Mr.. Grantley
your husbands father to find you
possible"
The lady still appeared stunned, bu
AhA FAddAuAd at the OlOBA of Barlow