The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-09-23
THE BILLOP MYSTERY.
ny JULIAN HAWTHORNE,
(copyrigAt, 1881
CHAPTER 1.

Il
On tho wall opposite, as ! cit at my
study table, hang, small picture
framed in white. Though but a sketch
in water color II shows the handling of
mastori aud II the observer be con-
noiusuur, he will recognize this touch OF
Winslow Homer. The subject Now
England farmhouse among the hills
time, sunset OF an October day.
Tho houSe, ~ you SEQ, occupies the
summit OF an activity, It's broad hip'
root, It's blunt gables, aud It's massive
chimney stand out against tho sky.
The orange light from the west illu.
inmates tho venerable front, and glove
on It's dsep,set Windows. The trees OF
unknown age and vast size aland ona on
either side OF the hsavily.iramsd door.
way That on the right is hultarnuti
the other Ia an elm; aud in ths appRr.
entity still solid trunk OF the iormsr (Rs
happen to know, though II could not
be represented In Mr., llomer's Skatch)
is still embedded bullet fred from a
Ainllock muSket in tho hands OF an In.
dian, one hundred and eighty years
ago. The bullet was meant Tor the
stout heart OF Mistress Nancy Biilop,
who. with her two sons, was defending
tho house against raid Of the sRvagsa
during tho absence oi her husband on
trading trip to the coast. For the
house, as vol as the trees, stood there
In l7l5. looking, probably, not very dli'
ferent from what they do now. You
may be glad to know that thI Indians
we're beaten oil, alter thr0s OF thein had
been shot dead while uusuccesstnlly
trying to set the building on,hre; and
tina valiant little garrison was relieved
betimsA uaXt marning, meutlon this
episode merely to give you an
idea what sort OF stuff these Bill
lops had in them. Be we Democratic
n, wo may; We cannot help liking our
friends tho better Tor descending from
stock like thar.
Lat u, now make skip Of century
and halt or so, during which the
Billopi generations succeeded one an
other in a steady, honorable, but soma.
what unsysntiul career Of prosperity;
raising crops, breeding cattle, sending u
representative to the wars, whom there
were any, aud voting for that form OF
government which stands TOR liberty.
security, aud minding your own buSI-
ness,
The original Billop was a pioneer in
that region, and owned everything in
sight from his Windowa When, in
csuEis Of time, other settlers came
along, he had treated them Hospitality,
and bid them help themselves to any
thing they wanted in the ways Of farms,
up TO within a radius OF q mile from
his doorstep. The land within that
radius got to DO known as Billop's farm;
and il contained the finest land-upland
pasture. forest and msadow-to be found
In the neiHhbothood. Early in the con.
tury, about half Of this farm wa, sold to
man by the name OF Corvin. We
have business with some Of his poitority
In the present narrative.
The house which Corviu bulk stood
halfway between the old Billop home.
stoad and the village OF Fenbrook.
(which had been in gradual course OF
naturalization since before the Rovo-
lutionRry War.) CarVin was a LAWYER,
lie brought money with him, aud made
more. lie was q pushing, shEewd mRa,
aud before his death had served a term
in tho state legislature. His son adopted
the profession OF law also, but did not
make out 80 well with 1t. He seemed
to lack the gilt Of success. Being, upon
time, in straits, he got considerable
loan Of money. Now, no details as TO
this loan were known, but II was the
general impression that It came from
Matthew BillOp, tho then head OF the
Blllop clan, with whom Corvin was
understood to be on rather intimate
terms. What security did Corvin give
for IL? What was there for him to give,
except a mortgage on his land? II was
not known what use he made OF the
loan, but there were indications that he
never paid interest on 1t, and It was
only question OF time, therefore, when
It would be foreclosed For Matthew
Billop Was not the sort Of man to give
up his just dues to anybody.
This Matthew is known in local his.
tory as Miser Billop. lie was the last
male Of his race, and perhaps the ablest
Of any Of them. For reasons best known
to himself, he never married. lie had
two sisters, one OF whom, Sally, married
John Linton, and died year later, fol.
lowed several years later by hOr has.
band tho other, Nancy, remained an old
maid, and kept house for Matthew. We
shall have the pleasure OF hOr near Rc'
quaintance shortly. will only observe
here that she was in love, In her salad
DAYS. with certain, good.lOoking, easy.
going young fellow by tho namo Of
Brent. Brent, being more good.lo0king
than otherwise good, Tilted her, aud
married her bosom friend. Mary SelWin.
The pair wont to New Orleans, hal
daughter and then both died al yellow
fever Nancy might have said, "Serve
'em rightp but she did not, not being
that sort OF woman. But sho mad the
little girl brought up north, aud tonk
care oil her, aud made her daughter OF
hOr own. Betrayed BY both her lover
and her friend, size loved their little
Fellio all tho more tenderly tor their
sake.
This transaction took place about
1870. Now, sally, before her death,
had presented her husband with a son,
Thomas; aud this Thomas became an
orphan at almost tho date OF the New
Orleans tragedy. Thomas was eight or
nine years NollioS sOnior. It will not
surprise any ono TO learn than Nancy
adopted him also; being hOr own
nephew, and destitute, aho could hardly
do lass. Thus although IN old maid,
sho was provided, at tho ago Of (saYl
five aud thirty, with son aud daueh.
tor, whom she cherished aud INDUCED
as only m old.mAid mother cnn. but
how did MiIef Matthew like those pro.
ccnlings2