The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-01-07
Prologue.
CHAPTER I.
slE NICHOLAS cARsLAxD.

rays Of crimson ana yelloW lIght were
flooding the wide spreading valley be.
meath. Uponsths rich meadows and
brown cornaglds-upon the white
washed farms aud the struggling, pic
tuFesgus yIllage-on the inpuherable
tressWhich dotted the vale, and on the
green lanes that intersected 1t, thedall-
ing summer sun ahons warmly and
pleasantly, lending an additional and
fictitious. beauty to the scene.
The humbaEless windows Of CaEsland
Hall, which looked westward, were
ahlnze In the sunsets radiance like
mirrors Of polished gold, and all the
rooms on thai aide the hall WeFo
flooded With the mellow beams
The home OF Sir Nicholas GARLAND
stood midway between tue villages OF
ThorfelI and Thorrell Moor, Behind
the house ths view was bounded by the
swelling uplands, Whereon, 10 olden
days, beacon fires had flared outi In
front, the country was laid bare 70 the
gaze for over q dozen miles.
Standing on the roof Of tho hall one
could, apparently, have cast stone
into the village OF ThoETell; beyond the
hamlet tho wiley opened out and was
dotted by fields and farms for q mile OF
two, Then, further on, evidences OF
industrial enterprise showed them
selves in the shape Of lines Of railway
covered With coal wagons, colllery head
gear and tall chimneys, Next came
another village named Marsh Green,
whore the miners mainly resided, aad
away beyond that again q populors
town, noted as being the centre Of the
Southwest Lancashire coal field,
Such was the landscape presented to
the eyes from the upper windows OF
Garland Hall, and Sir Nicholas Cars.
land was vlewing the picture with q
melancholy face. He was seated at the
deep-bayed window OF room on the
second floor which was called his study,
his countenanee and bearing betraying
a mind disehHed.
The character OF the baronet may be
drawn in avery few words. HewaS o
aeltmade man Of the type so common
in Lancasliire. He had started life at
the bottom Of the ladder, aud in the
course OF fifty years had amassed for
tune.
AttWenty.fye he had married an old
lady for the sake OF the few Thousands
She possessed. That money had proved
the cornerstone Of his SUGGEST With II
one pit had been sunk, With the most
,eratifying results; other pits had fol.
lowed until half.adozen collieries dotted
the fields between Thorrel village aud
the mining hamlet Of Marsh Green.
The elderly woman Nicholas Carsland
had married died before his star arose.
She was nearly twenty years her hus'
bands senior, aud she ceased to live
when lier frat child saw the light, q
year after the marriage.
Five years later Nicholas Garland
had married again. On the second oc.
casion II was q union Of hearts as well
sof hands The woman he had fallen
in love with was a fine handsome girl
who earned her livelihood on the pit
TOP he owned.
For ten years, or thereabouts, Cars
land and his wife lived happily to-
gethar. They loved each other, fortune
was smiling upon them, the one mine
had already developed into three, hence
the Carslapd household had nothing to
disturb lie serenity.
Byhis second wife Carsland had an
other child, and this was also boy,
who, when his mother shuffled of this
mortal coil, was bonny lad Of five.
When the only woman he ever loved
died, Carsland was still in the prime Of
life, being scarcely over forty, but his
thoughts never turned again to matri.
mony. Bythis time his success had
filed his brain with great ambitions.
From q pit lad, working for o shilling
aday, he had risen to be capitalist
worth, at least o hundred thousand
pounds, and having done 30 much he
Wasresolvod to domuch moro.
He began TO take an active interest In
the afiairS OF the adjacent town, Earls.
ford. Hegot himself elected as a mem.
her Of the town council, sat as coun.
cillor for several years, and, in due
course, was chosen as mayor. Then a
general election took place, and he was
brought gout as candidate; no spent
aor1e Thousands Of pounds on the con.
test, bribing right and left, giving free
ale and free breakfasts 10 all and gundry
who cared to imblbe and cat at his OK.
pehse, asswas tho custom In those days
and the free and independent bur.
gesaes Of Earlstord voted for his oppo.
Tent,
The defeat was bittcr pill to sw0l.
low, after all his former victories, but
he gulped 1t down quickly and became
mayor q second year, feasting the coun.
cillo1 and aldermen in royal fashion,
and earning tho plaudlts Of oil on &C.
count d his generosity.
But Nicholas was playing game, and
hewonit During his second year Of
Office local inGrmary was opened by
tho Prince OF Wales. For one day and
night his royal highnesa atayed In the
iibi9hborhood rs Mayor Carsland's
guest, and was entertained on q prince.
" scale Of magnihcance at Carsland
Hall.
His reward camo and quickly. The
patty for which he had fought d losing
battle had possessed itselt OF tho relns
81 Office, and Gro long the "plucky and
generous coal prince OF Thorrell Moor"
wis gazotEed Sir Nicholas Garland,
Bart.
Sitting az the windows Of the palatiAl
house 81 stono no had reared tot him.
belf, tho bafonet looked back upon his
busy past with d melancholy courto.
nance which was but the reflex Of d dis.
contented mind,
His flso had boon hardly won; tho
nEumbllng stones In his path had boon
big and numerous, and as ho sat there
No whBaaking himself In all soriouanoss
ifthebei thlng1 for which no had fought
10 desperately were worth tho stress
and struggle no had Undergone
liBut for my son."
ThoSo words wero arGioulat0d lowly,
.l..AAL. nm al al hlu hW lhn old Itinn