The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-02-16

OF nv ntAIa hs:Sa5 GEAR sSsus uau
been touched on that horrible night.
The subject of the masked robber
was aforementioned until my health
was fully restored One day was in
my boudoir, idly lounging, when my
husband came in and, seating himself
on the sofa by my side, took small
piece of faper from his pocket-book.
It looked like the fy-leaf of q book,
and Was covered with writing in lead
pencil. He handed it to me, saying,
81 think, little woman, you arc strong
enough to read this"
1t was as follows:
"I have come here tonight with o
i band of robbers intending to steal and,
if necessary, to murder. While taking
the Jewels from your casket, / came
across ring. That ring saved you.
l looked upon your face and food
Of recollections came over me. You
need never fear. / love you still.
Bed as am. the thought of your pure
soul has never left me, and although I
AN robber, the memory of you has
kept my hands clean from blood. I
shall always keep watch over you,
So the mystery was solved, and the
robber, who had robbed me of nothing
was my old lover. Your uncle tried to
search him out w. III ,,iD, "m.l :. va"
not until many years after that,
having" Netn invited to spend II
few days with some relatives of my
husbands, in the western part of New
York State, l again heard of John
Graham.
One morning. at my cousins sug-
gestion, we walked over to the
picturesque old churchyard. We
strolled in and out among the graves ;
stopping now and then to read the
quaint inscriptions. A simple gray
stone, on which was hanging a small
wreath of immortelles, attracted my
notice. I stopped to see what might
might be written on it, and then |
read the name "John Graham. Died
on the Eve of New Year Day, 1S-.
Beloved of the people. God rest his
soul" I asked my cousin if she knew
who this John Graham was? And she
told me that some twenty years before
a man with a peddler'a pack had come
into the town. His wares were good,
and he sold great many. AS he trav-
eled from house to house, staying, as
was the custom i'll those times. first
with one family, then with another,
he became very popular, and was in
duced to take his small capi-
tai and orc:: store. lie
gave his name as John Gray, and
ne was 80 self denying, and did so many
deeds of charity, that the country folk
almost canonized him as saint
Their shrewd minds soon discovered
in him no common peddler, and when
at his death an old envelope was found
next his heart, with the name John
Graham in a woman's hand, and inside,
lock of yellow hair, carefully folded
in paper, on the outside of which is
written, "My guiding STAR" the curl
osity of the good people was Mt its
height. Your uncle and I could have
solved the problem, but we carefully
guarded the secret, and to this day
the village gossips wonder who "John
GRAND an" could have been. ] have
neverN known how he happened to fall
into ST III a state of degradation as to
becon;l a robber, but firmly believe
that by his after life he made full
atonement for his sins. A New Year
Eve never passes but that l think of
John Graham, and you will not won
der that it is 50, for it was fateful
time in his sad life. felt as though
it were almost supernatural coinci-
dence that it should have been also
the time of his death. Romance.