St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-16
Exciting Story of n Crime and Long
Separation.

lOcktt WAS nelu up De1Ore ler.
Had you rather L took it off?'' Elsie
asked, gently.
mo, dear, you may wear it. Put in
the solitaire pearl earrings"
Elsie kissed her so-caIIed aunt and fitted
away.
For Miss Della Merriman. who had in
herited hundred thousand dollars from a
second cousin, greatly to her own amaze
ment, was not Elsie Garman's aunt. Nine
teen years before she had closed the ewes of
the girls dead mother lifted week-old
baby to her own bosom and taken her
home.
Memory was very busy in Della Merri
mans heart as she sat over the fire during
Eisie's absence-so busy that she started as
II from dream when the carriage rolled
up to the door as the mantel clock struck 9.
Did you have pleasant evening, dear?''
Miss Della asked.
-nO-Idon't know. Ihave strange
message for you, auntie''
''For me?"
", From a stranger who was at Mrs.
w altOn'S-Mr. Carrington-RalDhC CARING
ton"
Della Merriman rose to her feet. her face
CHASTITY, her eyes staring and her breath
coming IN short, quick gaSps She tried to
speak, but the words would not come.
''Auntie," the girl cried, terrified. s.don,t
look so-dOn'tr'
THE message" Miss Merriman whis-
pered.
He told ME to tell you that the muir
derer Of Henry Garman was Charles Raj
ston, the cashier of the Hope bank. who
had confessed his guilt, He said: Tell
Miss Merriman tomorrow l will see her'n
"Antie," Elsie continued, her eyes full
OF piteous entreaty, ''what does it mean?
was not Henry Garman my father?"
~ eS- child. 1t MEANS" Miss Merriman
said SOlemnly, THAT the cross that for
twenty years has lain upon my life is lifted
tonight. will not send you to a sleepless
bed, child, with your heart so troubled. But
give ME few moments to think of your
tidings, and tell Inc how this message came
to be entrusted to you"
Mrs. Walton came to me late in the
evening and asked permission to intro
duce Mr.. Darlington. | had noticed a
stranger, auntie, who looked at me very
earnestly"
"a tall, handsome man, with curling
brown hair and large, merry blue eyes,
wearing full beard OF waving golden
brown"
''NO-a tall man, with a grave, stern
face, smoothly shaven and hair almost
Wnltes quite an OLD man"
True! true! had forgotten. He must
be So"
when he was introduced to me, auntie,
he touched the lOcket upon my neck.
Pardon me- he said, If am too curious;
but your name and that trinket are con-
nected with so much of my lie that l ven
ture to ask you something of them. The
lOcket first. Did not some one give it to
yOu-a lady?"
His face was so eager, auntie. that
told him the lOcket was yours. Then he
led on little by little, till l told him my
whole life. He said he had been here two
months seeking you, but did not look for q
wealthy woman, but one poor and solitary.
He whispered half to himself that L had no
claim on YOU. What did he mean? Are
you not my aunt?''
mo, dear, there is no tie of blood be-
tween you and me. Your claim is the
claim of love; for you have been the one
| comfort, the one sunshine of my lonely life.
Twenty years ago, Elsie Ralph Darlington
gave me the lOcket you have upon your
neck-a gift of betrothal, for we were en-
gagged to be married. L was poor girl,
making artificial flowers for bread-an or
phan, too. He was assistant cashier of the
Hope bank, where your father was night
Waterman, and Charles Ralston was the
cashier. RalStOn was in love with me and
pursued me with unwelcOme attentions.
''One day, to rid myself of his impor
tunitieS, / told him l had promised to marry
Ralph. He left me white with rage. Only
one week later the bank was entered at
night, your father shot through the heart,
and Ralph Darlington discovered in the
vault trying to revive him. He was az
rested and tried. He told a story no one
credited, that Charles RalStOn had sent him
from his house to the bank for papers. sitter
keeping him busy there over the books all
the evening. But Ralston Swore that ha
had not been at home that evening, and
proved it; that the keys of the vault safe,
found hanging in the keyhole, were stolen
from his desk, and he had not sent his clerk
to the bank. So Ralph was convicted and
sentenced. He escaped Elsie, had saved
five hundred dollars for my wedding gar
ments. l went to see him in his prison,
and, knowing he was innocent L gave him
the money to bride the keeper of his cell.
The man took the money and Ralph es-
capped. l have never known if he lived or
died until tonight.
After he was gone your mother was
taken i'll. The shock of her husbands
death was too severe for her, and she never
rose again from her bed, though she lived
three months. When she died promised
you should be my charge and never know
the shadow upon your life till you were a
woman"
Elsie was sObbing quietly, often lifting
to her lips the gentle hand that had given
her all that she had ever experienced Of
life's blessings.
There was long silence after Miss Mer-
riman had ceased speaking, and the gray
dawn was creeping in at the windows when,
softly kissing the young face, Aunt Della
told Elsie to go to rest.
But for herself there was no rest. Fever
lshly, with an agitation altogether unlike
her usual quiet, she waited the comingY of
her lover who had fled arom his unjust
sentence twenty years before, but who was
free now, and his innocence known. The
day was young, and Elsie was sleeping
when he came.
Della was waiting for him in the wide
drawing-roOm. There fell upon the knot
OF ribbon round her throat the locket Ralph
had given his betrothed. She stood up to
meet the stern faced, elderly man who adj
yanced TO meet her, trying to find traces of
her lovers face. Not until he smiled a
tender. loving smile, sOftening the whole
face, did she recognize him. Then, her
own eyes dim with tears, she said softly:
You are more than welcome! Thank
God, the cloud is lifted from your life
Ralph"
And he, holding the little trembling
hands fast in his strong ones, answered:
II have found you at last! I began to
fear you were dead. Della! My little love!
my darling!"
Ralph" she said. the bright blush ris-
ing to her faded cheeks, you forget we
are gray-haired, elderly people,"
Il forget everything but that you are