The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-12-30
THE PLAGIARISM.

This Il tale OF Lore. pure and simple
which shows how my bfother Herbert
nearly won the privilege Of providing for
the keep Of Miss Mary Ashton. our cousin,
for tho term OF her unnatural life. She,
however, now ornaments another's home,
and Herbert's heart Is dead. My brother
had q hearr In those days, though he was
old enough TO know better. II was kind
Of hobby with him.
Herbert had long loved Miss Ashton,
literally from afar she being subllmely
long and he moro than common squat.
However, this defect he shared with Cupid
himself, who is always represented as al
minutlve and podgy, and Mary, really
think, was not ayerse to my brothers suit
for she frequently dropped smiles on thS
top OF his tall hat, much to It's wenrer y
content. She also said she would not heat
word against him. This was generally
when there was nothing more to say
Even bishop could find something funny
TO say of short iHan. Nov srtheless, Her
bert was happy under the smiles of his 3D.
loved
Bat, alas, there came day whom tho
smiles were directed elsewhere and Her
bert found that Mary could mover be more
thah sister to him. 1t was astonishing
to hear him recite this declaration of hers
as choice specimen of feminine feeling
and originality. Young as was knee "
that remark, having taken to myself sef-
eral such voluntary relations, whose exist
ence / had Immediately forgotten. But
Herbert derived a goomy consolation from
this promise of sisterly affection, and evdn
quoted the length of his neither garments
as ample Justification for Mary's decision
Ho was certainly petite and magnanimity
was strong within him.
Tho wreeker Of my brothers hopes was
mono other than Eric Frodsham, whom
you may recognize as the author of certain
chaotic pieces Of literary composition We
had known Frodsham as a distant ac-
quaintance for long time and Ind
watched the tortuous trouble Of his lit0r-
airy career. In the beginning when the
world was young Frodshnm wrote plain,
clear novels which were lasting joy to
his stationer, to whom the selling of pa
pors was high mission In life. Those
works for tho most part blushod UNSEEN
on Frodslam's table till their author slc-
cceded them with weary work. tho title
of which, "a Secret Vow" was the only
intelligihle part Of the volume. Probably
for this reason tho book was an insthn-
taneous success, and Frudsham was ace
lebrity. He was interviewed, and we all
recognized in his conversation the gpod
things we had said to him In times past
Mary thon fell In love with him and joined
our family us n sister to Herbert. Weap-
preciated her kindness.
My brother ut this time was eminently
depressing rs companion, and gloom
was imprisoned in the corrugations Of his
brow. .... ......
One day he came to me in state Of
virtuous wrath, waving daily paper
round his head. Ho was speechless with
indignation, 50 relieved him of tho jour
nal and discovered tho cause of his expite-
ment. Some clever person had read IA
Secret Vow" and in letter to The Her
aid had pointed out that that work was IN
unblushing plagiarism of an unknown
novel, published anonymously some years
previously under the title of "On His
Oath" Frodsham had evidently been
guilty of literary thoft.
1.-THE scroundrcl, said my brother at
length He's stolen somebody plse's
brains md my love Hos nothing more
than II thief. III expose him TO Mary"
"Where is FrodshamP' l asked.
"On his way to Now York But l cant
let that high minded girl remain fctteret
to such villain, can IL I'll tell her al
once, in case She hasn't heard the news"
Better not" / remarked. "If sh,
loves Frodsham she won't thank you. Lo
things take their course.
But Herbert didn't. Flo told Miss Ash
ton there ard then, and that young lady
listened to the tale. She expressed hersel
as being greatly shaken and unable to de
eide what to do. She also wondered abou
tho deceit Of man, which impressed Her
bert. Finally sho told my brother he nigh
call and SEQ her, and ho returned TO I'M
beuming. Incidentally ho rcferTed 4
Fordsham as poor devil" Herbert wa
magnnnimliy itself. . ..
Mary smiled sweetly, but sadly, as al
angel whose wing lad been broken by
brick Her grief was picturesque, and peo
po pitied her, Herbert especially VIII
| lured her TO take an interest in thu worl
| by going TO theaters with him. lad for
gotten TO mention that my brother wa
well to do, though short,
For n broken hearted girl Mary wa
| fairly jolly, and | commented upon tn
fact. Herbert explained that ho was tai
ing her Out Of herself. This meant takin
! her into places Of amusement.
| Ono fatal day fatal to my brothers lov
story in it's second and enlarged edition)
| bought Tho Herald TO road tho daily IL
stnilment of indignant correspondence o
the subject Of the now famous plagiarism
And this is what l read
s1F-1 have on my return to New York jui
| received various copies Of your widely rUa
Journal which have boon Gwaitip0 tha I q
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