Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1885-04-18

wears; and the two partners -four
| ished fora while in business, and then
their business became poor. The f.
nancial crash of 81 came upon them
and hurt them terribly.
| And about that time Mr.. Baldwin,
full of years, and full of honor, bow
ed his silver head beneath the weight
of almost four-score years, and fell
asleepl BY his will he left the bulk
of his property, amounting to more
than half million dollars, to his
grand-child, Mable Richards, consti-
tuting her father Guardian, sole keep
| er and custodian of the fortune, un-
| til she should have reached the age
of twenty, or should have married
with her fathers consent.
Percival Richards was a nervous,
emotional man, and since the death
| Of his wife he had never been what
he was before. The financial crash,
finding him thus, and, in measure,
paralyzing his business, fell heavily
upon him, and, on the day that his
daughter was ten years of age he fell
asleep with the dear ones who had
gone before.
When he knew that the end Of all
earth was drawing near, he called to
his beside his partner and his child.
1t is doubtful if two men could be
found whose hearts were more firmly
and trustfully united in the bonds CT
| brotherly love than were the hearts
of those two. In Walter Percy,
Richards had all the confidence he
could have had in himself, and when
he gave into the hands of his friend
certain trusts, he did it with just the
same assurance that would have char
acterized his own assumption there
of, in health and strength.
A lawyer was summoned--a dear
and mutual friend-who drew up
writing constituting Walter Percy
guardian of Mable Richards, and sole
keeper and custodian of her fortune;
and in fixing the limitations, he cop
led the will of the grandfather The
details were of little account. Rich
ards wished that Percy should be
father to his orphan child, and he
left his last will and testament SIM
ply to that effect and he asked that
the guardian may not be required to
give bonds,
And then the father went to join
the host upon the Other Shore.
Thus, at the age of, thirty-one,w
Walter Percy left the guardian of
Mable Richards, then ten years old
She was bright and beaming as the
evening star, and as beautiful as the
! poets ideal; and for her dear guar
dian was unbounded.
y After, the death of his partner Per-
eey settled up the old business and
commenced anew. He had the con-
| idence Of all Who knew him, and al
though he was not of the stuff of
which driving spectators and ven
turesome traders are made, yet he
was earnest and Industrious, and was
! very soon in the receipt of goodly
income, more than sufficient for all
! his wants =" et
Percy had never loved another
! woman since the death of Lydia,no
| had he found the want of such love.
For time the memory of the lost
one was enshrined in his heart, to the
exclusion of all other erotic passion;
and now that he had little Mable to
occupy his heart, his measure of love
was full. He had never loved the
bright and beautiful being as he
would love an ordinary child, but, as
we have already said, she held a
deeper, holier place
| With regard to Mable's education
Percy was advised to send her to
one of the many excellent boarding
schools which the country afforded
| for the education and training of