Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-06-08


duction from barrow. She proved TO
he Latham's daughter, and barrow
bespoke my services TO help her TO
some means of earning little money.
lie assumed that my extended acquaint-
ance among business counting rooms
might enable me to unearth for her
petty clerkship someN hero. liked the
girls looks, and it went TO my heart to
disappoint her, but | could give her no
better encouragement than the in
definite promise to see what could be
done a promise L secretly feared
would be Of small value.
Bessie Latham was about Is years of
age at that time, and she was about as
innocent and as ignorant of the ways
OF the commercial world rs nesting
dove. With her big blue eyes, deli
cately rounded cheeks, and golden
hair, set off by the mourning hat she
wore, and her neat little figure in its
well.fitting dark gown, she made as
dainty picture as man could wish 10
see. 1t seemed grievous pity that
creature So manilestly made 10 grace a
refined and luxurious home should be
called upon to go outside and buffet
her way through hostile, pitiless
world. l could not summon the
courage to dash her hopes at one fell
blow | got her to leave her address.
and told her if | heard OF anything
would write. did not hear of any
thing, although | exerted myself
strenuously in pretty Bessie's behalf.
Times were hard, and merchants were
feeling more inclined t6 turn away
supertlrous help than to take on
additional Yet my conscience would
/ oil 90, h.,
| tirely. Instead of writing, | went to
call on the Lathams.
The house in Orange had been sold
to pay off the mortgage. Mrs. Latham's
equity had proved to equal zero, but q
sale Of the more expensive furniture il
had contained brought in sum upon
which mother and daughter would be
able to live for while. They had
hired small fiat at the top of dingy
brown. stone front house in one of the
cross streets close to that part of Park
Avenue where passenger trains whiz
by all day, and empty trains seem tt
he backing and filling all night.
fancied they received me with some
constraint, as if they might have pre-
ferred not 70 have me see their shabb!
quarters, but this wore off presently
and they seemed more at their ease.
Mrs. Latham was not in the best o
health, | learned. She was as hand
some, for woman of her age, as wa
her beautiful daughter, but her still
smooth skin had about itNa pallo
which | was sure must cause Bessie n,
little uneasiness. There was upon he
face an expression of deep melancholy
which L, naturally enough, attributes
to her husbands tragic death. 1t wa
not until some time later that learne,
from Darrow that she had had tina
same look ever since he had known her
, He limited at an unfortunate love affai
prior to her marriage with Latham
but did not give particulars, if indee
| he was acquainted with them.
1t was impossible for any symtatheti
, person not to take an interest in tn
i Lathams, and | ackno Sledged | ha
: begun to take very deep one. The
j plight was so singularly unfortuuat
i that it seemed as something ought t
: BIZ, and must be, done to help them.
q had been seated 10 their cramped littl
/ Earlor less than five minutes when
9 determined to take the matter in han
!, and try, though ever SO unsxilfully,
play the part of special providence
n their behalf. | informed them that
and that | had called merely to j
n them know / was still bearing them
q mind. Then, without avail. ,ning the
\ suspicious of my Interior object,
Il began to question them as to the detail
/ of Latham's death. Their informatit
II was meagre, | found, and did not ac
much to the stock ! already possesse
10 The only evidence / elected was of
,r character damaging to the hypothes
- | wished to work from, namely, tn
40 Lathams decease was the result of
accident or a murder. For the wide
D. admitted, rather reluctantly, that
I late years her husband had been pro
,e to attacks of melancholy, and on sever
m occasions had vaguely limited that
err might some time take his own ii
OF This, of course, was quite the wro
Nv sort of testimony. | wanted to
id either one of two facts; that Lath;
he did not commit suicide, or if he {
TO commit suicide, that he did SO on I
morning of the 18th, rather than duri
en- the night of the nth of April. W
| one of these points proved, no mat
which, the claim against the insural
d. company could be made valid, and
n Ssj, 600 ought to be forthcoming.
lid | realized that the chance of gett
ass the money for Mrs. Latham was
ii. ceedngly small. Next day made
ler quiries and learned that the insura
ng company was concern of good repu
ow which, if it seldom extended fave
re never asked any. 1t would keep to
ial letter of the law, and If it could
ple clearly shown that the conditions
ult Latham's policy had not been violat
re- the money would be paid over with
-, | fnrther uIIeStion Thnrnfnra I did
IFS. lose hope entirely. held consu
,an ton with Darrow and we drew u
ing subscription paper, which We I
ard about among I.atham's local credit
1cK A strange quarter in which to
ON begging, it will be thought, yet, altho
his they had lost 50 cents on the dolla
mo their claims against Latham, few
ing them refused to put down their ma
Of for something upon tine paper wi
the barrow had headed aud had seconC
ven each according to our ability.
uld My next step was to draft an adj
The tisement offering reward to any
etly son who could give true accoun
hen the death of Henry Latham, supp,
led, to have occurred on the 18th of Al
ion, aboard steamship Empress of japan
ugh route from Yokohama east. This
nter serted in all the San Francisco NJ
,out papers, and in some of the prime
alth ones of New York and Chicago.
hat / awaited results.
him The results were long in shoy
emit, themselves. 1t was full three W
ton after tho advertisement had ceased
o., ming in the New York papers, Attic
ow. continued in the San Francisco O
to and no news of any sort had con
ont us. | had nearly given up hope,