The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-18
PART /.


dustrial home. / was not yet old
enough TO be admitted TO the bar, hav-
ing barely passed my twentieth birth
day, but l had assisted Mr.. Patterson
IN the trial of number of important
causes and was thoroughly competent
20 look up and digest authorities as
well MS To seek out and examine wit
nesses before trial. knew how to coll
lect salient facts and brief leading au-
thorities, and looked forward eagerly
70 the day when could open case, as
making the first argument Is called,
with my preceptor and friend sitting
by, making ready for the closing
speech. Lawyer Patterson had already
warned me with laugh against open
ing" case 80 wide" that he "could
not close it," But / fairly ached for
the chance / didn't sec much of inter-
est ahead, however. in this suit of ''Wil'
son III. PeclSham and Wife against the
Children's Industrial Home" 1t was
a fine May morning and / could not help
thinking that Isaal Wnlton's gentle
lore was more 10 my taste just then
than Sir William Blackstone's.
OF course, Mr.. Patterson had gen.
eral idea of the facts on which our bill
IN equity, the first paper in such pro-
ceeding, was based, for Mr.. Potter had
talked them over with him before draw
ing the pleadings. Mr.. Potter always
drew our pleadings; Mr.. Patterson said
an advocate who was sure OF his plead
ings had his case half won. But lie
thought IL just as well that should
call on Mr.. and Mrs. Peckham that
morning and make careful notes of the
facts and dates which he would have
to depend on them TO prove under oath.
found them on the porch of the
handsome villa Mr.. Pecl<ham had taken
the spring before. was struck by the
mournful beauty of Mrs. Peckham's
face and the graceful melancholy of her
voice and gestures. suppose the near
approach of the date when the sad story
of her life would have to be told, in pub
lie, at the county seat, fifteen miles
away, had opened the old wounds. And
when / remembered that the object OF
this very suit, in whose preparation 1
was now assisting was to compel the
managers OF The Chitdren's Industrial
home to reveal to Mrs. Peckham the fnte
of her baby boy, committed to their
charge by false friend nearly twenty
years before, i realized suddenly how
gentle ought to be in my treatment Of
so painful a subject.
MIR. Peckham was a handsome man of
military bearing end dignified manners.
He came TO meet me as walked up the
lawn and shook his head when ex-
planned my employers instructions. II
suppose it can't he helped" he said, "but
] am exceedingly sorry that Mrs. Peck
ham must be harassed in this way. She
has seemed to me unusually depressed
in spirits of late" The lady herself
showed no hesitation when her husband,
leaning over the back of her long porch
chair. explained what had come for.
II will tell you, as best can," she
said, slowly, "of this great grief of my
life" Her eyes sought those of her hus-
band, who sat by her side, holding her
hand with that delicate tenderness
which is husbands highest compli-
ment to his wife. She read encourages
mept in them and went on:
II had been living happily, in the town
OF p for nearly two years, when my
first husband. Capt Este, received a
cablegram, one Friday night, announc-
ing the dangerous illness of his mother,
in Milan. lie was her only son and the
thought came into the minds of us both,
by a lightning flash of sympathy, that
he ought to go TO her. A steamer sailed
from New York the next day at noon.
and although the last train to the city
had gone down that night, il would be
easy for him 10 catch the boat Saturday
morning. We kissed our baby boy, just
year old, as he lay asleep in his cradle
md set about packing my husbands
trunk. He thought he would pe back
pgain in a month, surely, and somehow
the dreadful shock of the parting had
not yet come over me.
"Weeks passed and ] heard no more
from him. l tried to imagine him over
come by the death of his mother, but
i could not understand how he could
be forgetful of his wife. A month passed,
and | wrote 10 the American consul NJ
Milan, asking him TO cable me as soon
as he had anything definite TO com
nunicate. No cable message came, and
Oht uay III NY ucsptEdNiOH tuTncu tC
my neighbor, Mrs. Bartlett, as she sat
on my little vine-co,cred piazza, com.
forting me, and cried out: oh, Fanny,
will you keep little Henry IL ! go to
Milan? If don't do something, | shall
die! / can't sit here and just wait any
longer Then remember l burst
into tears and sobbed OH Fanny Bart,
lett's shoulder until she soothed me
with a speedy acquiescence in my
prayer. My little boy, she said, should
be as dear to her as though he were
her own. And, God forgive me, be.
lieved her!
with no less haste than for my hus.
bands j prepared for my own dcpar.
ture. He had left me a hundred on
two dollars In ready money, which
also left in the local bank TO Mrs. Bart,
Iett's credit. My diamond earrings, my