The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-08-24

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and putting On much OF the selected attire,
! seated himself to have his hair and beard
cut off.
"Have yoti ever been seen without long
hair and beard in this city," asked Bazilio
as lie piled his shears.
NO ! have not been shaved nor had
my hair more than little trimmed since
| left Europe. and that was some four years
ago, my son."
And were you toothless when you were
last in the city, That is, when people
knew you as Hiram Bevis?"
Il have been tooihless many years, my
son. The accursed Moors knocked out
every one of my teeth before l escaped
from their country. But when was in this
city, three years ago, wore es fine set of
false teeth as man ever had in his mouth.
| Ne one suspected my teeth were false,
attn site: But the other day, in New Jer-
sey, was set upon by q gang or tramps
and robbed Of that set Of teeth, and have
been toothless, as you see, ever since.
| You will be safer without teeth now,
then. Whoever used to know you will fail
| TO recognize you now. Aud now tell me
why you have the absurd fancy that Dame
] Grippard is my mother2"
/ Nothing absurd about il, my son. When
! III Philadelphia / met and conversed with
a wandering beggar- an Englishman. who
! once was well acquainted with otir family,
| though he failed to recognize me-and you
may be sure did not let him suspect who
l was. Knowing that he was in our neigh
horhood when I had the bad luck to flee
| with you-from England, under the be.
lief that my blow had killed your mother
outright, questioned him slyly in refer.
ence to the atfair-still believing, remem
| Der, that had killed your mother, sixteen
years ago."
| Yes, it was about sixteen years ago Go
on, said Bazilio, still acting as his faith
er's barber.
"The beggar said: oh. knew that fam
| lily we'll. Many a TIME has Mrs. Berton
| Brackly given me cold victuals, and many
a time, too. rap on my head with broom
stick. or something handy to hurt q fellow
with. Her husband hit her a rap on her
head, one day-thought he had killed her
and fled that hour, taking with him their
little son. Maryino. They both were
drowned in the river Seine, in France,
about three months later. Their bodies
were found, I've heard, and recognized by
o London detective then in Paris. They
have never been heard of since. Mrs.
Brackly was taken to hospital"
"This is the beggars story, is it not,
father2"
"Yes, my son, and am sure he did not
lie. Patience. He continued: Mrs.
Brackly was a very long time getting
!, well-months, / know-and when she came
from the hospital no one that had not seen
her often while she was in the hospital
could have believed she had ever been the
| wife of Thomas Berton Brackly. You see,
they-the people in the hospital-gave her,
By mistake something that poisoned her
blood. She came out utterly unlike what
she used to look-so far rs her face was
considered. I was in the hospital nearly
every day while she was there, or even /
should not have recognized her when she
came out. Why said the beggar, she
looked fifty years older than when she
went in
"Then asked the beggar what became of
her and the little girl she used to keep con-
cealed."
you mean, father, the little two year old
| girl she stole, and afterward hid from you
| fearing you would give the child up for
the reward that was offered by its parents?'
| "Yes. You will remember, my son, that
the concealments of the child, and your
mothers refusal to share with me the
money and jewels she got when she stole
| the child, caused many quarrel between
| her and me, and finally resulted in the blow
|
her."
ooh, ! remember all that very we'll
though was but ten years old Them said
| Bazilio. But what said the beggar?"
He said that he had never heard of any
| little child-and | don't think he had, my
son. He said Mrs. Brackly disappeared
| from London soon after she was discharged
as cured from the hospital and that he be-
lieved she was dead long ago, till about
| three weeks ago he CHANGED to be in York
| vile, and to see and recognize her at the
| door of a cottage"
| "Ah! Did she recognize himp"
"No-he was sure of that, my son. She
called out to constable who CHANGED to be
near. to arrest the beggar aud take him to
jail as vagabond thief, and the beggar
| fled at once-having no fancy for the inside
of Jail.
"The story of the beggar," added Ur-
| bandit, made me come to New York at once.
had to foot it. for / had no money, and
| my progress was very slow. But at last
! got here, and three days ago 1 stole to
! where the beggar had told me the So called
Dame Helen Grippard lived-you see, he
| had discovered her present name by inquir-
| ing in the neighborhood. stole into her
| cottage yard, and peered in through an
| open window. She was in the room seated
at table, counting gold into q bag. My
mouth watered for that gold, You may we'll
believe, my son! Our eyes suddenly met
recognized her as my former wife-your
mother. The story of the beggar had pre-
| pared me to recognize her,"
Did she recognize your"
Patience, my son. Before our eyes met,
had noted certain peculiarities that be-
| longed to your mother. The slight cast in
| the left eye-the lack of joint of the ring
finger of the left htnd-the right-ea much
smaller than the left-the very deep cleft
| of the chin-the mole on her upper lip
| her protrusive lower jaw. and prominent
lower teeth. Oh, it VAS she! And for six
| teen years had believed that she had died
by my hands! My faith, was glad to see
her alive-and at once l resolved that she
should be a gold egg- laying goose for me!
| She is rich. my son -tremendously rich!
The beggar said she was reputed to be
worth half million"
| she is very wealthy, I know father.
/ But what did she do when your eyes metz"
Acted like herself instantly, my son,
Snatched up billet of wood and threw it
at my head with q curse upon me for a
| proving would be thief. Snatched q gun
from the wall and would have fired at me, !
be ieve, had not taken to my heels in
stantly."
And you are sure she did not recognize
your"