Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-04-09

wedding cards. 1t was the first time !
had heard from him in year, and had
any one else told me Terence Hallegau
was a marrying man, | should have de-
rided him, but when Terence himself, in
his own peculiar chirogIaphy, directed
to me an envelope containing such start
ling news. all set forth IN the highest
style of the engraver's art-well, it was
too much, aud | went down into the
camp, where there were a full score OIL
Terence's friends and acquaintaEces tc
toast his memory and console with each
other. And grief was our lot, until the
day Jewett "strucll it" in that hole he
had been pegging away at, over on the
other side of the gulch, and excitement
reigned supreme.
In the midst of the confusion, tele-
grams came and went, flying sht
and sent by special courier to and FROM
the office at Sunrise, nine miles away
2pd. one day, came one for him who sits
here burning the nocturnal kerosene.
1t was from Hallegan, who was now liv-
ing in Chicago, and summoned me to
hasten to that city, where was needed
to assist in closing transaction involv-
ing the sale of some mining property in
which Terence and were interested.
Terence met me at the station. He
looked remarkably well, even for a per
son whose health and spirits had always
been of the very best, and told him so,
| adding that IN deponeut's opinion he
must have drawn capital prize IN the
matrimonial lottery.
He smiled happily, and took my arm
to walk outside the train Enclosure, as he
said:
"That l did-that l did, me boy;
just wait till you see her, and you'll be
sure of it"
He called cab, gave the driver some
brief instructions, and leape1 in after me.
We rode several minutes in silence; then
Hallegan turned to me in a rather en-
barrassed way, and said, in a strained
tone:
"Billy, me boy-it's very near dinner
time at our house-and there's no time
for-explanations. Only-if you think
you've seen-ny wife-if her face is ia
miliar-please don't mention it, or act as
though you noticed it. I'll explain after
dinner"
l acqu;esced wonderingly, and won
dered yet more after l had met Mrs.
Hallegan, for l was quite positive that l
had never seen her before, and there was
ample opportunity, during the course of
the excellent dinner we presently sat
down to, to study her, She was slightly
above the medium height, and of per-
feet, though rather slight, figure. Her
hair and eyes were dark, setting off ex-
cellently her clear olive complexion, and
her features were all that an artist could
desire. She was hardly what one would
call a beautiful woman, how1ver.
Handsome would be the better word
or, perhaps, striking There was
something about the firm set of her
mouth when not speaking, and the
strong, rather masculine chin-in which,
oddly enough, there was charmingly
feminine dimple-that caused this effect,
think. One would never have taken
Mira Hallegan for the daughter of the
little, white haired, sweet-faced old lady
who sat opposite me, aad whom she ad-
dressed as another"
Dinner over, the ladies rose to leave
us, smiling over the broad hint Terence
had just thrown out concerning a desire
to smoke. As they reached the door,
Mrs. Hallegau turned and bowed Eock-
ingly TO her husband, whose hand was
Just reaching for the bell. al hope, Sir
Terence, that the cigars may prove dry
company" Then, with bright smile,
| she vanished.
Popped into my chair, breathlessly.
| Where tai | seen that mocking bow2
Then, suddenly, there cane before me
that little scene in the mountains two
years since; the dust, the heat, the
sleepy cowboy inside the coach, the
dapper little chap who 50 politely took
our money and watches. He bowed just
that way when he finished his work and
departed. "Her brother" 1 thought
"black sheep, blot on family escutcheon.
How much they resemble"
| "Well, me boy2"
Hallegan was looking at me quizzically
through the smoke, we having lighte |
our cigars meanwhile. l suppose
looked embarrassed. OF course it was
all rot; the idea of there being any CON
nection, however remote, between the
stately creature who had just left us
and the little rascal who engineered that
holdupl
Hallegan spoke.
"Billy, me boy, won't make a short
story any longer than is necessary. You
remember the little fellow who held us
up, two years agof
"Of course do"
eyes, very likely. Well, I fancy I'd
better begin at the beginning.
"Three years ago, a young fellow
named Wilson, who had been employed
as cashier by the L. and A. Stage and
Express Company, got into trouble over
his accounts. The manager-Robin-
son-chargel him with shortag
amounting to several thousand dollars.
There was an investigation, aad, on the
strength o; certain circumstantial evil
dence which neeI not be stated, as it is
immaterial, backed by the testimony OF
Robinson, the manager, Tweedy, the
superintendent, aud Frank Robinson, son
OF the manager-who, by the way, had
always been Wilson's bosom friend-the
cashier was convicted on trial and sen.
fenced to a long term at Canon City
Strange to say, he offered NJ testimony
and made no defense except his plea oil
mot guilty.
"Well, it killed him. Inside of year,
the worry and disgrace, along with the
hard work and close conference.-the haC
never been very stron 5-hal wasted hin
to shadow, and when, at last, he knew
be couldn't live very long, he seat fol
his mother and sisters to come to him.
"His mother was too ill Lerself to
travel, aud one of the sisters-a crippl,
was obliged to remain with her, bu
the elder sister went.
"She found him dying-dying il
prison. 1t was the first she had kuowr
of his trouble, aud, naturally, she wa;
terribly shocked.
''He told her the true history of thu
affair-that young Robinson, between
whom and himself AMI existed sort oil
Damon aud Pythias friendship, was the
guilty one; aud how, when some of tht
stockholders got wind of the shortage,
TN, f,un RI ninSn,,c md Tn.nn.l.. Ill. IL :.