Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-27

she darkly hinted that It was easy to gel
| friends to connive when concealment wal
the object. So time passed; the reproachful
remonstrances, the pious counsel, the hope
that would see the inhuman ingratitude
of nv ways ere il was too late for me to
make atonement, were repeated in every let.
ter; and I could not but admire the COM
! posure of countenance on the part of the
porter at the - Club, for there was not
q trace Of consciousness on his face as he
handed me those missives, each of which
had alias Neil Mac " on the envelope.
IDENTIFIED IN SPITE OF HIMSELF
Then, as it CHANGED, was in snail fish,
ing town in the West Highlands; and word
was brought me that Mrs. Macy and a
niece of hers had come from some consider
able distance in the hope that would 20
and see them. went at once-for thought
this would prove decisive. I found at the
postofice, which was the place of rendez-
vous, a most respectable-looking. serious,
calm and courteous old Highland
woman, along with very pretty and smart
looking young lady (for the moment I
deeply regretted was not Neil MacV-,
there being certain small cousinly greetings
that one might fairly and naturally have
claimed under the circumstances), and
forthwith assumed that now, at least, they
would see was not the relative they had
lost. But was mistaken. The old lady
asked me to show her the fore6nger Of my
right hand. did so.
"Ah," said she, "the mark is not there
now; but marks like that often get worn
of"
Then turned to the pretty young lady
with confidence: was sure she could not
share in this delusion.
"Why," said, eff your cousin had not
been drowned at sea-if he were alive-he
would, according to your own story, be
don't you see that am rather over eight
and twenty? Don't you see that my hair is
turning gray?'
Her answer appalled, me.
"Oh, said she, quite sharply, "that's
nothing; have known young man of two
and twenty whose hair was quite white"
After that, what was to be done? began
to feel something of the convicted impostor;
I wondered whether I was not, after all,
Neil Macy. Here were two apparently
quite sane persons who plainly intimated to
me that was not myself; and what was nv
solitary consciousness against their COM
bined evidence? began to think I must
have survived that shipwreck. Perhaps my
mother was really a native of Skye, and had
left her little belongings there, in the fond
hope that some day L might turn up and
claim them? When left the Tarbert post
Office went straight to Colin Hunter, and
asked him what my name actually and cer-
tainly was; but he was busy with his sea-
painting, and fatty refused to 60 and have
any argument with my forsaken aunt and
cousin.
That was not the end: for subsequently
the whole clan Mac v appeared to
have taken the matter up, and from time to
time there came q letter filled with bitter
reproaches, and also with dark threats of
exposure. But that is not the tone in which
the old lady herself now writes, when she
writes at all. She has grown resigned; ap-
parently she has given up all hope that her
ungrateful nephew will come to comfort her
declining years. She is no longer indig-
nant; she is wistful and pathetic. She hopes
God will pardon my ippenitent soul. AndI
hope so too. WILLIAM BLACK,