Year: 1873

As was sitting by aunt Patsy's arm chair
about twilight, thought I would ask her to
tell me all she knew of my step.father, in
order that I might be armed at every point,
and thus prevent him from taking advantage
of my ignorance. was quite young at the
time he left the country, and I never knew
the exact cause of his doing so. But his con-
duct had broken my mothers heart, and moth
ing could be more criminal in my eyes than
that. He went of, leaving large debt,
which John, by great exertion, had at last
succeeded in paying to the last dollar. But l
suppose "Mr. English" knew nothing of this
this.


There was one scene indellibly impressed
on my memory. The morning of the day he
left US, he had risen from the table, leaving
aunt Patsy, John and myself, still sitting there,
and had gone to my mothers room. She was
too sick to join US that morning. We heard
her speak in supplicating tone, and then
there was an angry answer from him. The
next moment he passed quickly down the hall
with paper in his hand. In an instant my
mother rushed after him, crying, in an excited
manner


"Take it away from him Take it away
from him! Will you stand and see yourselves
robbed in this way?"


But even as she spoke, he mounted his
horse, which had been ordered for him, and
was gone. She gave one shrek, as she found
her words we're unavailing, and then sank
senseless to the floor. That was the last time
we ever saw him. The news Of his death
reached US when my mother was on her dying
bed


1t was about the paper wished to ask aunt
Patsy. When 1 had mentioned the subject
to her once before, she said


"Hush child, do not ask me anything
about that man. He is dead and gone now,
and if it was the Lords will that he should die,
I am glad he died before he had a chance of
making more trouble in the family"


But now, as "that man" was in the neigh
borhood, and evidently intended to make him.
self known to me, thought would make
another effort to learn something more of
him, so said


Aunt Patsy, do you remember much about
Nellie's father?"


"No, child, and am glad I do not. If
ever there was villain, he was one."


"Where did he die?"


"In the poor house, I hope"


eyes; but at what place


II am sure I don't know, child. I never
heard, or if did, I have forgotten"


II have always wished could know what
was in that paper that mother was so anxious
to get away from him."


II can tell you that much. 1t was her will.
When they were first married, he had induced
her to make it, leaving him all she owned, he
promising to leave it to her children at his
death, and to provide for US during his life
time Thank GOO he did not have chance
to provide for me- reckon it is mighty lit
tie old aunt Patsy would have had, if she had
depended on him to give it to her,


1t was we'll aunt Patsys speech was so long,
for it gave me time to recover myself. This
then, was the property he had come to look
after! Our dear old home! How could we
give it up? And into such hands. 1 was
aroused from my painful reverie, by hearing
aunt Patsy say


"Why, child, you look as miserable as il
some one had taken Elmwood away from you
What is the matter? p


'I was only thinking of those times, aunty
Do you believe that Nellie's father was bad
man by nature, or do you think he was only
so when under the influence of spirits?"


"Drink had nothing to do with his wicked
ness, child. He must have been bad from the
time he was a baby. If could only grow in
grace, as fast as he did in devilment, would
be fit for Heaven now"


Chow came mother to marry him, if he
was such bad man?"


"The Lord only knows. They say love is
blind, and suppose that accounts for it. But
she found him out toward the close. AS fol
me. knew what he was from the first. He
never left my side that did not 60 right tc
work and hunt up my gold snuff box ano
spectacles, to see if they were not stolen"


"Oh aunty, he could not have been as bao
as that"


II did not say he ever tried to take them


L L