The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-01-03

a creature OF retired ana ronneu I'bscS NJ,
manners There are, perhaps, some SUI
liying who have survived the t"mpestuou
III Of tho ordinary Fleet street newspaper
man. OF twonty or thirty years ago perhap'
one or Two among these remember Ciaud'
4 -ln--tut he was 80 short time Win theh
that IL is not likely; those who do rcmehoe'
hlm will understand that tho way TO success
rough and thorny for all for such as Agier
! was impossible,
But YOU will think every day OF little
! lri.r said his wife ooh, my dear, II
were only going with you, And but Tor me
you would DO at homo with your father, well
aud happy"
Then in his dream, which was also Nom
DRY, the Old man saw how the young nus
/ band kissed and comforted his wife
"My DEAR said Claude, iii It were moi
for you, what happiness could have In the
words Courage, my wife. courage ana nope.
I shall think OF you and OF 1ris all day ana
all night until We meet again
And 10 they parted and tho ship sailed
away.
The old man opened his eyes and looked
about him. II was a dream
cit was twenty years ago" he said, and
Iris was a baby in arms Twenty years ago,
and he never saw his wife again. Never
againi Because she died he added after
pause my Alice died"
He shed no tears being so old thai the
time Of tears was well-nigh past-at seventy
five the eyes are drier than at forty, and one
is no longer surprised or disappointed, and
seld ON even angry, whatever happens
But he orened the letter in his hand and
read il again mechanically. II WAS written
on thin foreign paper, and the creasgs OF tile
folds had become gaping rents u WAS
dated September, 1890, just Is years back
"W hen you read these lines, the letter
said, II shall Ia in the silent land whittier
Alice, my wife, has gone before ue. ~
wolld Ia n strange thing only to think upon
this journey which lies before me, ana
which must take alone. had time left Tor
thinking. But have not | may last II
week, or may die In few hours. There
fore, TO tho poirt
"In one small thing we deceived you,
Alice and Imv name is not Agien ne all ;
We took that name for certain reasons, Fer
haps No were wrong, but we thought that
as we were quito poor, and likely 70 remain
Door, IL won d be we'll b. keep our secret to
ourselves Forgive us both this suppression
Of the truth We were made poor by our
own voluntary act and deed, and because
married the only woman loved.
81 was engaged 10 girl whom did not
love We had been brought up like brother
and sister together, bat I did not love her,
though was engaged to her In breaking
this engagement / angered my father. In
marrying Alice | angered him still more.
az now know that he has forgiven me.
h. forqave me on his death bed he revoked
his former will and made me hi. sole heir
Just as il nothing had happened to destroy
his old afYcction-subiect to one condition =.
viz, that the girl 10 whom was first en-
gagged should receive the whole income until
I. or my heirs, should return % England in
order to claim the inheritance
1T is strange die in a wooden shanty,
in a little western town, the editor Of
miserable little country paper. | have not
money enough even 90 bury ma. and yoS il
| were at home, ! might be called a rich
man, as men go MY little Iris will be an
that am my fathers heir, am struck
down by fever; and now know that 'halI
never get up again.
III is strange Yet my father sent me
his forgi veness, and my wife is dead, and
inc NBHIID lnht HhS touto - NNtitS' W INV
Wherefore, nothing now matters much 10
me, and know that you will hold my last
wishes sacred
Il desire that Iris shall be educated as
well and thoroughly as you can afford; keep
her free from rough and rude companions;
AXE her understand that her father was a
gentleman Of ancient family: this knowl
edge will perhaps, help 10 give her self
respect II any misfortune should fall upon
you, such ms the loss Of health or wealth,
give the Papers enclosed to Trustworthy
solicitor, an bid him act as Is best in the
interests Of Iris II, az hope, all win go
we'll with you do not open the papers until
my chid's twenty first birthday; do not let
her know until then that she is going to DO
rich; on her twenty first birthday, OPEN the
papers and bid her claim her own.
'"ro the woman wronged-l know not
whe ther she has married or not--bid Iris
carry my last message of sorrow at what
has happened. lido not regret, and | have
never resretted, that ! married Alice. But
gave her pain, for which / have never
ceased 10 .rirve have been punished for
this breach OF faith You will find among
thu papers an account OF all the circum-
stances connected with this engagement
There is also in the packet my portrait,
taken whom was a lad of TO- give nor tina,
as we'll there is tho certificate OF my mar
riage, my register Of baptism, that OF lris's
baptism, my slgnet rim - His arms
She old man interrupted his reading his
arms were; quarterly first and fourth, two
roses and "a bosr's head, erect; second and
third, gulc- and Jesse betwsen--bet ween-
but | cannot remember what ID was be-
tween-----7 lie went on reading: my
fathers last letter TO me; Alce's letters, and
one or two from yourself, II Iris should
die before her twenty first birth
day, open these paper, End out from them
the owners name and address seek her out,
md tell her that she will never now lie dis
turbed by nv claimants Ia the estate
Tho letter cd hero abruptly, ns II the
writer had designed to All more, bu, was
prev vented by d,dth.
For there WAS postscript, in another
hand, which stated; MIR. Aglen died No.
vember 95tn, 1854, and is buried in the Gene
terv Of johnson City, IN
The old man folded the letter carefully, |
and laid il on the table Then he rose and |
walked across be room 10 the safe. which !
stood with open door in the corner farthest !
from the fireplace. Among its contents was
IL s,.sl