The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-12-02

ME, Wn8t n6Q occurred, ana ne seem
ed pleased to hear me speak; an
then, without telling me what / wa
so eager to know,plied me with ques
tions, and was surprised, nay, nigh
say shocked, when he found i knew
nothing of my past life My first re
collection being when l awoke OF
shipboard.
ut was he who first called me Los
Identity and the sailors are prover
bially fond Of nicknames, discovered
and all on board called me by my
new name. I say new advisedly,
may say, for ! supposed it quite ma
turaI that / had another name, if
onl could meet some one who coul0
pronounce it.
"And this Is all you know!' asked 1
''AlJ," was the brief reply.
Well "Lost Identity" was my state.
room mate on my return voyage.
had him clothed as beftted his sta
ton, and conducted him lnto the pre-
sence of his father and mother.
The Door woman clasped him to
her bosom and cried: "Heaven be
praised, my lost darling is restored to
mer'
His father was equally affected Cd
meeting his lost boy, but he was less
demonstrativs, yet the deep sigh of
relief that escaped him after he had
embraced the restored one gave proof
of his deep feeling.
II ~-x.z
discover the awful affliction that had
overtaken her boy, and the revelation
nearly took away her breath. His
father pressed him with all manner of
questions In the hope of striking
some responsive chord in his clouded
memory, but all IN vain; the young
man had indeed lost his identity.
Mr.. Marshfield took me to his pri-
vate study, and, after brief moment
of deliberation, addressed me thus:
James, believe William Turpin
is at the bottom of all this. believe
that be decoyed, or caused him to be
decoyed to some obscure retreat,
where he was confined, and by some
manner OF diabollcal treatment rend-
cred the helpless creature we find
him. It | were assured of this be
yond doubt, 1 would at once dis
patch you to his house and take him
into custody. but in the absence of
positive proof of his guilt We must re-
sort to stratagem.
He then unfolded a plan which he
thought would work to charm; pro
vided, of course, Tdrpin was tho vii
lam. This William Turpin was the
cousin alluded to in the fore part of
my story, who appeared to be jealous
OF Oscar, owing to the affection his
rich Qp;le had for him. Turpin CO
yetto.c.. yesttoc. ,vs;.hara u; of the property. and if
Mr.. Marsnfieid's suspicious were cor
rect, he may have abducted the pre-
sumed heir, and probably meant to
keep him concealed until he (Turpin)
was in full possession of the coveted
prize. This was Mr.. Marshfelds
theory.
The neat little plot we concocted
would be most fruitful in it's results
If Turpin really was the guilty wretch
We all now believed him to be.
Twas to go TO his house, only few
miles away, and say Mr.. Marshfeld
wished to see him on important bust
nest. l was not to lose sight of him,
but to bring him to Manchester. MY
patron was afraid Turpin might take
the alarm, especially if he knew that
his victim had escaped from his con
fnement.
Oscar was instructed in the part he
was to play, and he entered into the
plot with great earnestness, for he
had been made acquainted with the
supposed outrage that had been prac-
ticed on him.
Before l departed on my expedi-
ton, however, another discoverv-and
most startling one, 1ndeed-was
made by the young mans mother.
10 explain this 1 must go back a
number of years. Mrs. Marshfeld's
last children were two boys, twins,
one OF which was Oscar, the other
was named Albert. From their birth
Albert did not seem like other babies,
he was SO strangely helpless. And
though he thrlved physically equally
as we'll as Oscar, his brother, 1t was
discovered at the age af three years
that he was an imbecile, downright
idiot He had to be fed at that age
like babe. or he would have starved.
The distress of the mother may be
imagined.
When the children we're about four
years old Albert disappeared as sud
denly and mysteriously as did his
brother in later years, and in spite of
every method that ingenuity could
devise, the poor creature was never
recovered. nor his body found. As
years elapsed the afflicted mother be-
came reconclled to her loss, and all
her affection was lavished on the re
naming son, Oscar.
Now to return to the main part of
my story. Just as was ready to
start for the residence of William
Turpin, and Mr.. Marshfeld was i'm
parting 10 me his final instructions,
a piercing shrek issued from the
apartment above us, where mother
and son were enjoying their reunion.
The shrek, which did not appear to
be one OF terror or agony, but rather
otherwise, came from Mrs. Marshfeld.
We fastened up stairs with q
bound, and found the poor lady re
clining in the arms of her wonder
stricken son.
What has happened." asked the
father, as hc saw his wife had tainted
yet, strange to say. a heavenly smile
fingered on her pale lips
II scarcely comprehend" replied
the young man. in a tone OF bewil
derment. During our conversation,
she remarked.
i wonder if toe scoundrel robbed
You OF the bracelet you have worn
these many years. Turn up your
sleeve and let me see If you still have
it,
"Iobeyed her request thus, suitine
the action to the word, and the mo
ment she beheld this mole, or birth.