Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-05-29


give me few moments to think of
your tidings, and tell me how this
message came to be entrusted to YOU"
"Mrs. Walton came to me late in
the evening, and asked permission to
introduce Mr.. Darlington. | had no
ticed a stranger, Auntie, who had
been looking at me very earnestly"
GA tall, handsome man, with curl
ing 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 white; quite an old man."
"True, true! l had forgotten. He
must be fifty-fve."
"When he was introduced to me,
Auntie, he touched the locket upon
my neck. Pardon me- he said, If
I am too curious; but your name and
that trinket are connected with so
much of my life, that l venture to
ask you something of them. Did not
some one give it to you-a lady"
"His face was SO eager, Auntie,
that 1 told him the locket was yours.
Then he led on, little by little, till 1
had told him the whole of my life.
He said he had been here two months
seeking you, but did not look for a
wealthy woman, but one poor and
solitary. He whispered, half to him
self, that / had no claim on you.
What did he mean? Are you not
my aunt ?"
"No, dear, there is no tie of blood
between 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 engaged
to be married. l was a poor girl,
making artificial flowers for bread
an orphan, 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 pur-
sued mewith unwelcome attentions. -
Zone day to rid myself of his i'm
portunities / told him | had prom.
ised 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 arrested and tried. He told 6
story no one credited that Charles
Ralston had sent him from his house
to the bank for papers, after keeping
him busy there over the books all thu
evening.
"But Ralston swOre that he haC
: not been at home that evening, anC
5 proved it that the keys Of the vaul
I safe, found hanging in the keyhole
= were stolen from his desk, and h
had not sent his clerk to the bank
5 So Ralph was convicted and sen
2 fenced. He escaped
r "Elsie, | had saved five hundre,
dollars for my wedding garments
S l went to see him in his prison, an
: knowing he was innocent, l gavehir
| the money to bride the keeper of hi
e cell. The man took the money, an
: Ralph escaped. | have never know
/ if he lived or died until tonight.
: CATER he was gone your mothe
was taken ill. The shock of her hui
a bands death was too severe for he
e and she never rose again from he
y bed, though she lived three months
|, When she died, l promised that 20
e should be my charge, and nevt
e know the shadow upon your life Ill
til you were woman"
n Elsie was sobbing quietly, ofte
e lifting to her lips the gentle hand thu
1t had given her all that she had evt
IS experienced Of life's blessings.
S, There was a long silence after Mi
Merriman had ceased speaking, an
:, the gray dawn was creeping in at IL
windows, when, softly kissing IL
re young tace, Aunt Della told Elsie
J." 60 to rest.
But for herself there was no res
at Feverishly, with an agitation alt
g. gether unlike her usual quiet, 81
waited for the coming of the low
err who had fled from his unjust Sc
g, tence twenty years before, but WI
* was free now, and his innocen
ne known. The day was young, al
Elsie was sleeping when he cam
7 .z1s