News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-10-07

Method of Taking Revenge Upon Her
Daughters Rival,
"She's beautiful, lovable and true
girl"
yes" sighed the matron, ''but she'll
never find husband
''She certainly receives plenty of at
tentlon, L suggested, uncertain of the
speakers meaning.
"For time, yes" was the reply.
Fortune hunters pursue her keenly un-
til they learn the family story. And
we'll they may. If she lives another
year, or till legal age, she will inherit
$3.50, 00O-her mothers estate. When
her father dies, if she outlives him he'll
leave her at least a million. She's the
only chiId-that is, the only one that
survives. An elder brother, charming
fellow, cut his throat last fall in mo-
ment of suicidal impulse. Awful as
was this misfortune in itself, it had a
more sinister import to the father and
daughter Though you think him a
jolly reckless old man, l tell you he was
not himself again for months. The
young woman was crushed. Since that
day she has lived as in dream. She
throws herself madly into society, but
there's no forgetfulneSs for her. She
wants to marry. naturally, but does not.
A signal was given by her poor brother,
and a horror always dreaded now con-
fronts her. She's only waiting"
''Waitlng2 Waiting for what?"
1.-The development of the family faint
-madness!"
With o,,r;ooitu Of |ovar boot +bor
learned the whole sad story. 1t was a
pitiful tale, and it seems hardly fit that
we, who have chatted and laughed so
much together since the season began,
should listen to the 'ETrue Story of the
Beautiful Girl Who Cannot Marry" An
ethical interest is added to the narrative
by the insight which is afforded of the
womanly instincts of the gentle mat on
who barred this family skeleton She
has a daughter of her own who does not
shine when contrasted with the tail, fair
blonde girl. Several times had she OBJ
served me chatting with the Baltimore
belle, and that may explain why she got
ME apart from the crowd in the great
parlOrs to relate the woes of most I'M
fortunate family. At first the malice of
the act was thlnly veneered with make
believe sympathy, but before she had
finished the hideous character of the
curse that hung over the young creature
was expatiated on to the minutest of its
terrifying details. To render impossible
any escape from logical conclusion that
death in madhouse or more merciful
suicide awaited this pretty woman, my
chronicler went back three generations.
l wish it were possible, without causing
pain, to give the family a name. NV
informant, for the purpose of her recital,
spared nobody. But 1 am not woman
and canEO1 understand the strength of
her impulses to destroy a person who
never knowingly crossed her path. If
were to whisper a few words to ambi.
tious young girls they would be:-''Fear
most the mothers of your rivals" Well,
here's the story, as nearly reproduced as
memory PERMITS
The barbaric strain descends through
the female side of the house" began the
matron, as she sent her daughter away
on young mans arm. The reason
for this is that the sons, with the single
exception OF her maternal grandfather,
never lived to marriagab.e age In four
generations, according to the state
ments of the family, there have been
eleven suicides in the direct and cola.
teral lines. The maternal grand father
of yon pretty girl was an Englishman
who came to Baltimore soon after the
close of the = ar of 1S12-15. He was
possessed Ofmoney and soon attained an
enviable social position, but he was
careless of both to dangerous extent.
A grand uncle of mine, who Ii Cd in
Philadelphia knew the man we |, and
has often told me how he was constant
ly seeking to divert his mind by excite
ment. tie was a bold and reckless
player. Finally he married, and the
couple lived together for eight or ten
-years--Fhree- children, one boy and
two girls, were born of the union. One
day he disappeared, and nothing was
heard of hin Tor several weeks. At the !
end of that time letter came to the scr
rowing wife couched in the most aoon- |
lzlng language. Its purport was that
the impulse of the writer to take his
own lie had grown So upon him that it
then overmastered him. By the time
the letter reached It's destination he
would be a dead man. And with a
thoughtfulness that was worthy Of a
better purpose he declared that he would
take his life in friends presence, so
that proof of his death could be readily |
established. He further said that he !
was the only one of his family that sur /
vived, and that the property he owned |
in Baltimore and Philadelphia would !
descend to his family, as provided for |
in a will amply witnessed, then in the
custody of a friend Surely enough,
the next post from New York-then a
week on the oad-brought the sad in
telligence of the husbands death. The
body was inferred in the Trinity bury
ing ground and the stone, with the date
OF death, is still standing. The gentle
recOnteur admitted at this point that
there had been people malicious enough
to say that the man had abandoned his
American wife and that, having another
spouse In England, he had invente the
neat story to set away without scandal.
But her Cthe matron'sJ grand uncle
knew better. 1t was true bill
The will Oh, yes, it was found,
and in the most curious part of the
story. After providing amply for the
maintenance of the homestead, the wild
ow and the children, there was sup
Elemental clause, reading something
like this, as the grand uncle had repeat
ed it;
"'In view of the fact that there is a
recognized faint OF insanity in my blood,
and that for three generations before
me there has always been demcnted
member of my ia iy, ], being yet of
sound mind, do wish to provide for the
lost one who will, inevitably, succeed !
me. therefore direct that $1,000 to |
be realized from the sale of my proper |
ty, shall be safely invested by my exocu-
tors for the support of such invalid and /
his or her successor Then, again, in |
the form of codicil, was this clau e:
TO the lost one, during life, and to
his or her successor, the small house in
the north woods known and described
as ''Ashmer," and suggest that he OF
she be there confnej, under watchful |
care, rather than in a public hospi-
tai"
''The widow was terribly shocked at |
Il is revelation. Everything that a |
woman's heart could suggest was done !
to keep the knowledge of the family |
faint from the children. 1t hung over !
the mothers life and blighted it, The |
boy grew to mans estate, but was slv, |
secretive person, and was enc day found |
drowned in the Patapsco. The coron-
er's verdict was Incredibly fran ed to |
read accidentally drowned, but nobody |