Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-12-28
CONTAGIOUS.

were the children OF different mothers,
and developed as they grew to woman
hood strikingly different characteristics.
The elder one, Sarah, was the daughter
of his first wife, who had deserted him
and her infant child to run away with
one of his clerks. He knew little of her
story after her fight, but in the course
of year and half he learned that she
had been forsaken by her lover and had
plunged into such a terrible course of
dissipation that death had been merci-
fully speedy in overtaking her. A year
later he married the second time.
Again a daughter was born to him,
and as the two children grew up they
were treated, as nearly as possible, ex-
actly alike. Everything that money
could buy, or affection dictate, was at
their command, and every influence of
refinement and education was exerted to
fit them for high place in society, but
whether it was some faint in the blood,
or a morbid brooding over a mothers
sin and shame, something led the elder
daughter to turn away from good and
seek evil from her early youth. The
father sought in every way possible to
avert the misery which he foresaw for
himself and for her, but it was of no
avail. A hayward youth was followed
by utter recklessness as the unhappy
girl became a woman. She still made
her fathers house her home, and would
spend large portion of her time there;
but there were prolonged absences which
the family strove in every way to con-
ceal, and into which they dared not
inquire closely for fear of shameful dis
closures. The climax came in pecu-
liarly painful way. Among the gentle
men who visited at the house was Mr..
Harrison, and it happened that, while the
younger daughter was the one he sought
in marriage, both the girls fell in love
with him. Sarah's passion was none
character and its utter hopelessness, and
when she learned that her sister was to
marry the man she herself loved, she left
home finally, after terrible scene in
which she swore vengeance, detied all
authority, and spurned the love of her
father, mother and sister.
For three years nothing was heard of
her. Her father, old before his time
with sorrow, mourned for her truly, and
would at any time have received her
back with open arms, but no word came,
and he knew too well the futility Of
trying to track her or to lure her home
again. At last one evening she presented
herself and demanded an interview,
which was readily granted.
1t was behind closed doors, and no one
but the father ever knew just what
passed between them. He told his wife
and daughter, however, the substance of
it. Sarah had demanded portion of his
fortune, and had offered for it to hide
herself from him forever, to take another
name-and lead her own life in her own
way.
81 told her." said the sorrowing man,
"that she should always have a home
with me, no matter when she came to
claim it, and that would never see her
want for anything if she would come
back to me, but that, if she persisted in
the life she plainly said she proposed to
live, ! would do nothing for her before
or after my death. And then she left
me, saying it was forever, and cursing
me--cursing me, her father, who even
now would die for her if need be-"
For time after this nothing was heard
of the prodigal. Then one Christmas
eve she wreaked her hate, or vengeance.
es she chose to call it, in an awful crime.
Mrs. Harrison's only child, boy not
quite three years old, was in one of the
public parks of the city, in charge Of
nurse, when Sarah approached, and, by
pretending violent fancy for the child,
threw the careless servant of her guard.
Whether she bribed the girl, or really
succeeded in tricking her, was never
known, but it was two hours later when
that frightened individual reported to
Mrs. Harrison that her boy had been
stolen.
1t would be impossible to describe the
agony of the parents, and useless to de-
tail all the circumstances Of the search
that was made. The servant gave suf-
ficiently accurate description Of the
strange woman, whom she had never
seen before, for the family to know who