The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-04-07
WALTER BLOOMFIELD
,opyright 1896. by ROBERT B ,sSEn's Sous.

Ernest, you are my only confdant.
AS your discretion has always ap-
peared quite in advance Of YOUR years
l have no hesitation in laying before
you matter which is occasioning me
very great anxiety. and in doing so
refrain from insisting upon the impoT-
tance, at least for the present. OF abSo-
lutte secrecy. for YOU must, am sure
at once perceive the necessity for Il.
The enclosed letter from your grand
father reached me the day before yes
terday. Read it carefully. and retain
it in your possession until You see me.
OF course, 1 am anxious to do any
thing in my power to help your grand
father in his trouble. but what is there
l can do that is OF any use in the cir
cumStanceS? This is what | want YOU
to consider. and you can either write
to me to return TO Hoidenhurst 1T
once, If only for day. l would come
to London myself and talk the matter
over with you. but. as you know. =
large staff OF workmen is present e;;
gagged about the place. and one Or
other of us ought 10 be here. Poor lit
tie Annie! My heart bleeds for her
unfortunate father. and I fail alto
gether to understand the case. 70? to
mc she seemed always Il most affcc-
tionate child. l would ask the advice
of my brother how best to proceed
were it not for his former affection for
your mother. which diSinclines me 10
talk with him of the WolSeys; lie is
so much cleverer than l. and would he
sure TO think at once of what was best
to be done. Don't let this matter
worry you overmuch. for that more
than anything would increase the al
ready great anxiety Of your affection
ste father. ROBERT TRUMAN.
Enclosed in the above was letter
which bore the postmark OF Sydney.
n. S. W. 1 recognized my grand
fathers handwriting at glance, and.
taking the letter from its envelope,
read:
Sydney, New South Wales.
18th March, 1S-.
Dear Robert hope you won't think
hardly OF me for neglecting to write
to you such a long while. but I am
nigh to being out of my mind with
trouble-a condition l have to the pres
ent done my best to conceal from
every one, especially you. My affairs
are now at such a pass that not only
is it no longer possible to conceal
from you the particulars of the anxiety
which is wearing my life away. but l
am compelled to solicit your aid in re-
spect of 1t.
You must know that when, little
more than four years ago, placed my
only surviving child. my dear little An
ME. In the great drapery establishment
OF Milliken & Burton. Oxford street.
London. / acted in accordance with
her wishes anG my own best judgment.
Looking at the slenderness of my re-
sources. the increasing Improbable
ness of farming in England. and the
insecurity of young person depend
ent entirely upon such life as mine.
l decided that I should do we'll in so
placing her. and she went to London
accordingly. All went we'll for year.
and my poor girl made good progress
in her business. I received a letter
from her regularly every week. and on
three or four occasions when l was in
London l saw her for an hour or so,
and was satisfied as to her position.
But one day communication reached
me from Messrs. Milliken & Burton in
forming me that my daughter had left
their service without notice or as
signed reason under circumstances
which induced them to entertain grave
fears for her safety. The intelligence
dismayed ne, and l at once prepared
for journey to London that / might,
if possible. recover my daughter, but
ere l could begin my journey l re-
ceived a letter from my child, heart
breaking in it's expressions Of affec-
tion for me, yet begging me TO forget
her as one utterly unworthy. AS IL
that were possible. and she the only
one living of all my children.
In London / could learn little or
nothing of my child beyond that she
had left her situation in the manner
described, and that she appeared we'll
provided with money. having given
such small possessions as she had las
we'll rs other present which she .pur-
chased) TO some of the young women
in the same establishment.
You who know SO we'll how deeply
1 loved my child-you who are also
the father OF an only child-will real
ize as perhaps no third person could
how complete was my desolation. re
solved to cease my efforts to recover
my child from the villain who Las be-
t-ayed her only when my life shall
cease. and l accordingly left Holden
hurst as you know. 1 have traced her
to Liverpool, but TOO late to see her
10 Brighton, to bennington, Derby