Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-04-25

/ for several days.
81 had letter of introduction to a
gentleman whom l will call by the
name OF Maxwell; and, soon after pre-
Senting 1t, / became on terms of SO
much intimacy with him, that he re-
lated several things of importance con-
nected with his family.
Among others he stated that,
though fairly well-to-do in this worlds
goods, he believed himself on the point
OF becoming immensely wealthy.
IAN English ancestor OF his. one
| Conrad Maxwell, had died some 3fty
years ago, leaving large estate, worth
something Ike million of pounds
sterling; and as this estate had de-
scended directly to a son, who had re-
Gently died without issue, he was next
in succession.
"A celebra' ell English lawyer, who
had been eInploy ed to discover the heirs
at-law, had traced the matter directly
to himself, and had come over here
with letters or recommendation from
some OF the English nobility.
This professional gentleman, whose
name was Egbert Du Barry, had not
/ only made his acquaintance and in
! formed him of his good fortune, but
had rendered himself so fascinating to
his only daughter, that she had become
deeply attached to him; a mutual pas
sion had sprung up between them, and
the twain were soon TO become one,
when the family would all start to-
| gether on the wedding tour of the
groom and bride.
And this reminds me, by the way,
concluded Mr. Maxwell, that L have a
wedding invitation for yourself, doc
! tor. Excuse me for not sending 1t In
the regular way; but my wife and self
thought l had better ask you person
ally If you could honor US with your
| company"
Really, answered, you are very
/ Kind and very fiattering, but 1 am
afraid 1 shall be debarred the pleasure
of being present, as l expect to leave
! town soon-within a week at the farth-
/ est
land it is only a week from this
day said Mr.. Maxwell, pointing to the
card. "Pray, do remain over and be
present If you possibly can.'
81 considered the matter seriously
for few moments, and then told him
/ would do myself the honor of being
present
Strange things happen sometimes,
In which We have prepared ourselves to
be actors without any provision on our
part There seems In many cases to
be fate that goes before and prepares
the way for a strange denouemenL.
az found that this newly discovered
good fortune of the MaxwelIs, and
this wedding of the daughter to the
distinguished English lawyer, who had
come to apprise them of their vast
hereditary estate, had created no little
excitement In the villarge of Scarbor-
ough, and was the talk of the time
every one having something to say on
the matter, and a few pretending to
rejoice-whIle many were filed with
feelings of envy.
''As said before. though the night
fixed for the wedding would somewhat
delay my departure, 1 had resolved to
be present; and though had Intended
to be on time, yet slight accident,
which had happened that day to my
horse while riding out, had SO delayed
me that when 1 reached the crowded
mansion the ceremony had already
begun
las entered the room and pushed
my way forward. SO as to get a close
view of the happy pair, who were al
ready standing up before the Episcopal
clergyman, who had been brought
from a neIghboring city TO read the
solemn service, the latter was in the
act of saying:
Into this holy estate these two per-
sons present come now to bs joined. If
any man can slow Just cause why they
may not lawfully be joined together,
let him now speak, or else hereafter
forever hold his peace
1.-The minister had Just reached this
point, and had come to a slight pause.
when, perhaps by some peculiar mag
netic force, the bridegroom, whose
features from the first glance seemed
TO be familiar TO me, suddenly lookei
up and fixed his eyes upon mine
al instantly started, and a strange
thrill went through me.
Gould it be possible that, in the per-
son now before me, known to all pres
ent as Egbert Du Barry, L beheld my
former patient, Henry Eckerlyy
The start which he gave on seeing
me, also confirmed me in the belief of
there being something wrong, aud L
recalled all the incidents or his peculiar
insanity.
s'Yes, it was undoubtedly the same
person, and Providence had, perhaps,
brought me here to save worthy
DCautAAuA A1Gl
from a wretched ENHANCEMENT.
while L stood thinking, hesitating,
and fairly trembling with the great
secret, the clergyman had already pro-
ceeded with the following solemn words:
II require and charge you both, as
YOU will answer at the dreadful Day OF
Judgment, when the secret or all
hearts shall be disclosed, that IL either
of you know any iinpediment why We
may not be lawfully Joined together in
matrimony We do now confess It.
Holdl' now suddenly exclaimed.
Il forbid the ritel'
ssThe words came forth at that SOL
emn time, and in that solemn place,
with terrible effect
Everybody started and grew sud
denly pale, and every eye OF the whole
assembly was turned sharply, inquir-
insly, and almost wildly upon me-
'.This is a gross deceptlonP L pro-
ceeded: this man is not named Egbert
Du Barry, but Henry Eckerly, the
well known lunatic, who, some years
ago, was a patient in an insane asylum,
sent thither by an order OF the court,
instead OF to common prison for
criminal acts, similar to what ne mas
recently Deel committing
"1maglne a thunderooiG iron
cloudless sky-the bomb bursting In an
unprepared assembly, an earthquake
shaking an unwarned village, and you
can have some idea or the wild conster-
nation which my language produced.
s.Tne bride shrieked and tainted, the
groom sprung from her side and Crap
pied at my throat. and there were loud
cries and confusion, as II Bedlam had
been let loose.
"But the end was gained, the man
was pinioaed, the family was saved,
though fearfully crest-fallen and morti-
field: for there was really no property
in the case, and the lunatic himsef mas
lust edited you with long, and inter
esting. and brilliant conversation
"WeIlI WE'LL welli'' was my COM
ment. Truth is indeed stranger than
flction.n And when left DIR. Clayton.
~ ,vas in a deeply reflective mood on