The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-21
BROUGHT TO LIGHT.
tOpie p. Read in Arkansaw Traveller


PEELED to pay in advance. Baggage, in
deed" exclaimed. "Have my trunk sent
Up, if You please"
You brought no baggage, sh.7
"Thea it has not arrived. 1t will soon bs
here for I ain ure it arrived, having seen 1t
delivered to a wagner at the depot I have
no money with me hope that you appre-
ciat3 my situation, SIT
lie douLtfully shook his head an / w5ike,;
away. This annoyed me not a little AMI
wondered il the fellow who had taken my
trunk had run away with il. | dal 10
check, and knew that might have trouble
in recovering my property Just as turned
t. 60 out, an Old gentleman whom | sud
denly encountered, threw up his hauda AMI
exclaimed:
My God.7
"N hat is the ratter!H
"Oh, sir, il did not know that my s,a
EuI'Yal was dead, / would think in you lac
had returned He was killed in the army
lie regarded me closely, and in a quetar
tone continued:
i have ne yer ,ciore seen such Te,e4l-
blauce Same eyes, nose. mouth-everg-
thing Viii You please do an Old man q
favor
I,epliel that / would favor him in any
possible way
Then come with me to my hou5a. WANT
m, wife to see you"
l toll him of the perplexins situation in
which | was placcd.
Here, Mr.. BGnch,' he exclaimed. calling
the proprietor. Look at this man Doesn't
he look exactly like my son Norval"
Exactly, only he is much older
"Nss, but You must remember that il is
more than twenty years since Norval went
into tae army Poor hoy" turning to ma
Poor boy, lie was killed at Autietam. /
want you 10 so homo with me. | will stand
good tor yaur bill.
i feel under many obligations to you, old
gentleman, Tor ! am really in an embarras-
sing position. fear that fellow has stolen
my trunk, but if you will go with NE to
the town officer, l will afterwards go with
you.
He agreed and we called upon the town
marshal, who, after listening to my state
ment, looked at lie suspiclously and said:
You didn't come in on the train.
"But, sir, | know that ! did delivered
my trunk to q tall negro who walked with
limp, ana who, It remember correctly, had
an impediment in his speech. The trunk
and | would know il among a thousands
a large one, covered with black leather
Look here said the officer you cams
up on a boat, for l saw you when You got
of; bellies you could not have come by
rail, for as there are several wash-outs above
and below here, there has not been q train
in for two days"
This statement was insulting, yet I strug-
gied to conceal my resentment Officials. in
small towns are generally narrow-mindei
dogmatie men, and | cared not to dispute
him lurtier than to reaflirm that came in
on the morning train. Then turning 10 the
old gentleman. WHOSE name / had learned
was MetIor5, announced my readiness to
accompany him. He had been so absorbed
in the contemplation Of the resemblance be
| 5ween his son AMI myself that he had paid
but little attention to the disparity Of state
! mentS concerning the manner Of my arrival
Mr.. Net.ord lived il an attractive Old
place, not far from the river, When we
entered the gate, q woman came out on the
gallery and in "a moment, after 5. cling me,
clasped her hands and leaned agaiust a post
As we approached, she uttered a shriok ami
sprans toward me. The old gentleman
gently taxing u0!a OF her, sad:
Come, Mary, don't give way TO your feel
ings This is-you have not told me your
| name, SIT. SAh, YES" when had told him,
this is Mr.. Oscar Hocksrsmith. / wanted
you to see him on account Of the perfect
likeness he bears to Noryal Come in. ST, %
! he continued leading the way. We entered
comfortable furnished loom Tie old
lady couli not keep her eyes of me.
Poor Norval, she repeated over and over
a-an. Poor child. Oh, sir if I did not
know that he was-oh, sir, are Won indeed
! he
Be quiet, Mary" said the old gens,eman
| Don't become eXciteJ Let Us make 1t
pleasant here for Mr. Hoc,ersmith, and
/ perhaps 10 VIII remain several days with
Us. Tell u something atout yourself, Mr.
| Hockersmith"
Il was born in Richmond, Va" | re
piled, and my parents died when was
| quite young. / went into the army and
was wounded by piece Of shell at
! Shiloh After the war ! went hJm8.
| bat found that the uncle with whom ]
had lived, was reduced aim Ist 10 a penn
less cond li5n He did not long survive
and there icing nothing in Richmond to
particularly bind me to the place, ! waa-
derel away and have never returned.
! have come to this state TO look after ths
land interest Of g corporation, and, so soon
as my business Is completed, shall 60 back
to St Louis.
until then,' said Mrs Metford, yen
must remain at our house. Although
now that you are not our son, yet to Sc
you here revives and illustrates a memory
that is so dear" Here the poor woman
completely broke down,
Mary aid the old gentleman, approach
ing her and stroking her hair, don't givt
away to your feelings would not have
urged him to come, but | knew that if did
not, you in the event of hearing Of thit
wonderful likeness, would naver forgive ms,
Don't give away, now"
She became calm, but every tina sht
looked at me, could see her lip culver
What a pity that | am not your son"
mu5ed. Any man, aside from natura
affection, woull feel proud of such
mother" ! thought Of the dead son, anC
Of what splendid home his death had mad
cherries, and almost wished that hac
told the cid couple that | was really thei
Norval, whose death was enormously an
Houuced
After dinner, to which ! was induced t.
remain, we were sitting il the parlor, whel
! a loud knock on the front door CEASED a mo
mentary futter of excitement Nj Net
ford, who answered the summons, soon re-
turned accompanied by the town marshal
, Approaching me, and placing his uugentl,
hand upon my shoulder, he said;
81 want you
; Want me:' asked in surprise,
; Yes, ! want YOU
what right have you to want me, as yo
; term it,
He took up paper and handed it TO me
1t was a warrant, arresting Inc on charg
of willfully and maliciously decei' ing ID
people of Cregmore It was useless to =
sist, and although the old gentleman al
his wife protested against such an indigHii
, being i.iIposel on a guest of their house, Y
! by the feeingless ruiHan was led away az
lodged in jail
II.
The next day ! was arraigned before
justice Of ths peace, who requested HE
, make a trief statement of how l come
town. did so, telling him to the best
' NY recollection. ! told him about losiI
} my trunk, and ventured to take to task
: villare TINT would stuhborniy shut IFS ey