ftlll" fjRy$$I llliJif Jd AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER. j?Kjr Vol. A' IVoav XSlooiiifielcl, Ph., Iiioscljiy, Jul;- 11, 1871. IVo. S28. it lit mioomncifl wimrs. 1. Published Weekly, At New Iiloomfleld, renn'n. BY FRANK MORTIMER. BUBSCllirTION TEUMS. ONJS DOLL Alt l'Jili YEAR I GO Cents for 6 Months ; 40 Cents for 3 Months, IJY ADVANCK. "Shonny's Farder." SHONNY, my sou come to me, Und say your lessou oud ; Come dell mc soineding dot, you know, Uud vot you'fc peen nboud. Myeuiby you'm golu' to peon a man, Den you must tako dcr placo Of your old farder vear his shoes, Xcn dcrgronnd Is on his face. You know my son, vc all imibt die, Somedlmcs or Oder, dead i Uud dill dot comes dot's bedder vc Hafe knowledge ia our head. 80 Jusd come here, and told me now Somcdtngs , so I can sec Vot you'm peen learuln' efery day Conic here, my sou, by mc. " Come, don'd you hear? Shon, my, sorf, Did you hear mo shbeak jusd now ? Come, quickness, Bhouny cf you don'd Dcrc'e golu' to peon a row. Lowesa, go und get dot glub , Dot hangs out on der rack ; I am dat Bhonny's farder, but I'm 'bilged tor prenk his back. I'll show dot feller dot he can'd Pud on sonic airs mit mc I'll bead his life mltin a Inch, I'll led der raskell sec, " Oh ! ho ! you'm comlu' now, nU ! Iki ! Vy didn'd you come pcforc ? tou dldu'd heard me T Yell, nil rlghd Go blay outside der door. The Forged Letter. rilOWAHDS the ch.so of one September, JL Charley Dunham sent word to 1110 to como diiwn into Mapperley AVooil anil liavo some shooting. Tho Governo r, Duu 1mm jiere, bo said, bad gone away on busi ness mid was in it expected borne for five or six wcekK, so that there wan nobody in occupancy of tho btatoly halls' of Mapperly House, except tho younger members of tho family and the servants.. Mapperly Wood waB unusuully full of game that fall, and Charley thought that the absence of his father and mother and consequence unlimi ted lioeusc in respect to all matters both indoors and out, offered inducements too unusual to bo resisted. "Besides," wrote Charley, "a fellow named Hatfield is hero, courting sister May.' Bho got acquainted with him at tho Kcasido last summer and they are going to bo married about Christ mas. He's a curi ous chap, and I want you to give mo your opinion of him.'.' I had already had some experience' of the hospitality of Mapperly House, . and I was nothing loth to accept Charley's invi tation. The bluo eyes of his sister May wore well worth going a long way to look at, and as I had myself felt tho force of their marvellous power to a very ularming dogTco before then, I had some curiosity to see the man who wa to bo luado happy for life in their poMe'ssioni .The day fUler.lhe receipt of Charley Dunham's letter; I pack ed up a carpet bag took the morning train for Daybveok, the nearest station to .Map porlcy House,' winch was Some five miles distaut from tho town, and whoso grand old turrets could " bo sceii towering above tho trees long beforo the train came to a stop. Charley met me at tho depot with a gig, and for tho lirst two miles of tho drive home could talk of nothing but dog and shooting. When bo had in some degreo tired himself, I ventured to ask him about May. "O, she's happy as a qucon," said Char-, ley. ' " To tell the truth, she seems a great deal jollier about it than Hatfield does. He's a glum sort 6f a chap. ' I don't like him liiuch." ' ' ' Y .' "And they are really going, to be mar ried?" I suid, inquiringly. ,' 1 " Bless you I Yes. That was all settled long ago. May has got half her wedding things made up already. Tho governor don't think tho engagement is long enough, but ho used to know Hatfield's father, and whatever May wants she usually gots, you know." " Yes," said I, "I suppose so ;" and re lapsed iuto silence again, while Charley changed the subject and began 011 tho shooting topic once more. When I reached tho houso I was intro duced at onco to llatllcld, who was stand ing 011 the steps with May, awaiting our arrival, lie was a soft-voiced, pleasant looking man, not over twenty-five, and with that easy air of aristoc ratio nonchalance which is ever captivating to tho feminine heart. At tho first glance I knew himfor a "lady killer" in tho bettor senso of term. Though displaying nothing of vulgar con ceit, ho was conscious of his power, and I saw that no circumstance, however awk ward, would ever cause him to loso his self-possessiou. It was no wonder that May had been caught at last. I shook hands as cordially as a man who was unable to feel otherwise than a little jealous of him could, and having saluted May Dunham, wo all went into tho house together. At lunch I sat opposite my new acquaintance and was able to observe him moro closely. Despite his pleasant face and a sly and merry twinkle in his eyes, there was a look which came at times across his features, that gave mo an un coiufortablo feeling of distrust. " Do you know," I said to Charley, when wo were alone that afternoon, "there is something in Ilallleld's mind which ho wouldn't care to talk about to either of us?" "Think so?" asked Charley. "He ap pears to mo to have some trouble weighing upon him, but I never have thought much about it." "Something the matter," I said. Doesn't May know what it is ?'' "Can't say," said Charley, looking at me very much as if ho thought I was manifest ing considerable solieitudo about other people's affairs. "I can't say, I'm suro." I took Charley's implied hint and did not revert to tho subject ngain. We com menced our work of destruction in Mapper ly Wood early tho following morning, and a week afterwards the tablo at Mapperlcy House groaned beneath tho weight of partridges and quails which wo provided for it. Hatfield accompanied us very fre quently, but ho was a poor shot, and did not seem to manifest any particular inter est in tho sport. Two hours in the morn ing were usually enough for him, and then ho would shoulder his gun mid march homo to read Tennyson or Longfellow to May and leave Charley and 1110 to carry 011 tho war alone. I think one reason of his in difference to gunning lay in his antipathy to Charley's huge mastiff Crusoe, who, al though worthless in hunting, always ac companied us, keeping a respectable dis tance in tho rear, in full consciousness that ho never was made " for a gamo dog and that Leopard and Spot, Charley's setters, understood tho busines in hand a great deal bettor than ho did. Ho was a magnifi cent fellow, however, and lord of all tho manor grounds, and in consideration of his faithful services as sentinel during the night, Charley nevor refused to , take him with us on our excursions by day. Tho feeling between himself aud Hatfield was quito mutual, for tho latter never ventured near tho dog but Crusoo would show his teeth and growl at him most suspiciously. One morning Charley and I unbnshcd a (lock of partridges, uud when thoy settled again tho dogs wore nuablo to find them, In our endeavors to discover tho lost birds wo became widely separated, and at bust towards twelve o'clock, tired with the morning's work, I resolved to return to tho houso. As I approached the grounds of the mansion I heard voices in the shrub bcry.ono of which I recognized as Hatfield's and so stopped to liston whether tho other were not Charley's. The persons of tho speakers were hidden from mo by the thick growth of evergrcon beyond the walk, but I could hear every word of their con versation quito distinctly. " I tell you," said Hatfield, " that I must have more money." "And I say," returned tho other, whom I instantly perceived was not Charley, but a stranger, " that I have advanced all I am going to on this cursed nonsense. ' I don't soo any likelihood of getting a return for iny investment." . .. ' " I've done all that I agreed to do," said Hatfield." - ' " You promised to marry the girl," said the other. " Well, I am engaged to bo married to her." " But you havo fallen in love with her, too." "What of that?" "Much. If you havo got spooney in tho matter, thoro is very littlo chanco of my getting my money back. When we struck this bargain, Daniel Hatfield, it was to bo purely a business arrangcniont. I was to furnish the money and sot you up in good style. You were to do tho work and mar ry tho girl. When we got possession of hor property, wo wore to divido the profits. Kow you've broken faitli and got sweet on her, and you know, as well as I do, if you marry her, not ono cent of her money shall I cvor set eyes on." "Tom Burns," said Hatfield, " I told you wheu I was in such trouble six months ago, that if you would pay off my debts and advance mo enough to live on until next year, I would undortako to marry a rich girl, and that you should bo paid for your investment at least four fold out of my fu ture wife's estate. To this you agreed, and the result of our bargain was that I sought the acquaintance of May Dunham. I tell you fairly that although I owo to you all my opportunities of knowing her, yet I havo bitterly cursed tho day when that miserable contract was .matio. Fori have found in May Dunham a true-hearted, no ble, generous girl, Thomas Burns well worthy tho earnest lovo of a more honest man than I, and I have hated and despised myself for tho wretched part I am playing in this matter. But I promiso that you shall be well paid for thoso advances. May Dunham will bo worth a million on hor father's death, and her marriage settlement will not bo less than a quarter of that sum. And if you hold to your bargain as I have so far held to mine, you must lot me have another installment at onco." " I have a bettor plan than that in my head," returned the othor. "Walk down towards tho town with 1110 while I explain it to you. This shrubbory is a dangerous place to discuss a secret like ours." I parted the branches with my hand and looked through at them as they moved away. The strangor was a thick-sot, red haired man with heavy, animal jaws, and carriod in his hand a stout stick. The couple walked slowly down tho lane towards tho road, tho strangor gesticulating in aii explanatory manner, while Hatfield ever and anon interrupted him with a graceful movement of his arm, as though depreciat ing what his companion was saying. Hero was a conspiracy in good earnest. I leaned back against tho fence considerably astonished and not a littlo bewildered as to what I ought to do. My first impulse was to go straightway to May and reveal to her all that I had heard. Then the afterthought caino to mo that oven if I were to do so, I should not bo believed. May's confidence in her lover was unlimited. I should never bo ublo to shake it by any baro statement of facts unsupported by othor ovidence. Therefore I resolved for tho present at least to keep iny occidental knowledge, of Hat field's plans to myself. Ho seemed to bo not so much a villain as a weak fellow who had got himself first into pecuniary difficul ties and afterwards into bad company. Tci-haps ho would confess tho whole affair, himself to May before tho wedding, and in the sincere hope Uiat ho would do so, I resolved to keep quiet at prosont and say nothing about it. . . A day or two after tills, while wo were all at breakfast, there came a letter in the morning post, addressed to Charloy. ' " That looks remarkably liko tho " gover nor's handwriting," said Charley, looking at it and breaking tho seal. ".'What's up now, I wonder 1" . Ho divod at once into tho contents, aud in a momeut pushed away his pluto with a movement of annoyance. . , "He's coming .homo day after to-morrow,", he said. "Bother! Why, couldn't he stay his tiiuo out ?" . , . 1 May looked at him out of hor tender bluo eyes reproachfully.., , , ; , ,. "That isn't tho worst of it either," con. tinned Charley1, not heeding hor. "He's going to bring oompany with him old Mr. Pedroncelli aud his wife." . ; - "Mr. Pedroncelli 1" exclaimed May. "Yes. We'll all have to too the mark while he's here, confound him. Coming events cast their shadows before. Here's a postscript about the family plate."- " What about t,be family plate t" asked May. ' ' " He says it must be got homo aud rub bed up in honor of our distinguished visitor, who is of very aristocratic 'family and used to considerable splondor in all ids surround ings. He says we must fix up the north chamber as handsomely as posiblo. I see we are to have a regular old martinet with us. Oood-by to tho shooting and all tho othor fun." May turned to mo to explain that the family servieo of plate, which was very old, massivo and valuable, was usually kept at tho bank in Daybrook for safety, and nevor used except upon what her fathor consider ed stato occasions, when it was brought to the houso and cleaned up for service. ' Hatfield remarked that it would be well to bo sure of tho genuiness of tho letter bcfoio taking tho plato from the banker's. "There's no doubt about tho letter," said Charley, tossing it to me. " Do you think there is?" "I should say not," I replied. "That is certainly Mr. Dunham's signature." And so also said May. The necessary, orders wore accordingly given to the banker and on tho following day the plate came homo. It was a most elegant service and consisted of a great many pieces, so many, in fact, that tho three housemaids were kopt busy through tho whole day in scouring it up and getting it ready for uso. At night it was arranged upon the various tiers of the great oak side board in tho long dining-room and covered up with a green cloth. The north chamber was cleaned and fitted up, and wo all re tired to rest that evening in considerable curiosity as to what sort of visitor the mor row would bring to us, and in not a littlo disappointment at tho sudden termination of our sport. The room ossigned to mo during my Blay was in tho cast gable of tho house and almost directly over tho dining-hall. I mention this in order that tho events of that night, which have novor passed from my memory, may bo thoroughly under stood. Tho family retired to rest at tho usual hour, but I was unable to sleep. Tho nervousness induced by the expected arrival of tho dreadful Pedroncelli, kept mo tossing from one sido of the bed to tho other, and in vain I endeavored to court the drowsy god. All efforts to obtain sleep were fruitless. Tho dog Crusoe, too, seemed unusually wakeful. Ho camo be neath my window at intervals of five or ten minutes aud vented his 11 no ashless in a series of low howls, bo lugubrious that I jumped out of bed at last, and oponing tho window, reproved him sharply. Ho wont away reluctantly, but soon camo back, whining piteously and scratching the pil lars of tho piazza below with his nails. The night was intensely dark, and occasional violent gusts of wind, rattling tho shutters, betokened rain. I attributed tho dog's norvousncss to the approaching storm, and finally, unablo to endure his noiso any longer, went down stairs into tho front hall and let him in. No sooner had I opened tho door than he bolted past mo liko a shot and disappeared. Fastening tho door again I called to him softly, but could not ascertain whither ho had vanished. Tlio door leading to tho dining-room was slight ly ajar, and putting my head through tho opening, I called again. Still no response. Tho entire houso was silent as death. Sup posing that tho dog had been frightened at tho wind and had sought a placo of safety under the stairs or Homowhcro ulso, I gave up U10 search and returned to my room, laughing at Charley's faith in tho courage of his mastiff. Toward midnight I must havo dropped asleep, for it was not long aftor that' when I awoko witli a sudden start nnd a vague sensation of terror.' It Bocmod to me that a terrible orash had rung through tho house so loud and fearful that tho very foundation of tho earth hnd been shaken, Yet I lay quietly in my bod ami apparently nothing extraordinary had happened, ., I felt about mo in tho darkness to soo if tho bedclothes had been disturbed. Everything was in its proper place. I arose and threw open the shutters. The night was still intensely dark ond tho west was oehoing with tho low muttering of distant thunder. " I havo been dreaming," I thought, " and the wind has frightouod mo." ' ' ' Onco moro I returned to bed nnd this time did not awake until tho daylight, cold gray, came straggling through the window. I had not finished my morning toilet beforo I heard a piercing scream in the hall below, and a hurried scamporing , up stairs. ; I opened tho door and looked ou Into tho hall. Ono bf the housemaids met mo With a faco blanched to an ashy white, aud fell fainting at iny feet. Then Charloy camo dashing after her, Mushed with intense ex citement. ... , 1 ;, , , " Come down' stairs," lie cried. "For God 1 sake koop this thing from May." ' ' " Wimt do you mean ?" I said, , standing ' upon the threshold in amazement. Ho made no reply, bu taking mo hurried ly by tho arm, led mo down tho stabs. Pushing open the doors with his foot ho pointed to a dark object lying nttlio further ond of tho dining-room. The floor and walls of the apartment were half covered with blood, and a little red and sickening stream was flowing silently across tho car pot and trickling beneath tho door. Cru soo tho mastiff, his jaws recking with blood stood in tho centre of the room growling fiercely, while tho elegant service of plate was scattered about in dire confusion, some of the salvors and pitchers battered and bruised, and tinged like everything else, with tho dreadful hue of blood. I went with Charloy across the room and looked at tho dark object in tho corner. AVith a cry of horror I started back, for tho face of tho corpso was turned towards me, and the face was that of Daniel Hatfield. " We havo the dog to thank for this," said Charloy. "Seo how his teeth havo torn tho villian's throat from car to car P AVe hardly knew how to relate the dread ful news to May, but we mustered courage at last and told her all. Poor thing ! It stunned and bewildered her at first, but time brought healing to tho cruel wound, and when I had told her of what I had hoard in tho shrubbery, sho thanked God for her fearful escape. Wo could not quito con demn Hatfiold as tho real villian, for he had doubtless yielded to the importunities of Burns, and consented to connive at the roblicry for tho sako of giving tho latter some security for the money he had loaned him. The lotter from Charley's father had been a forgery from first to last, and a clover ruse to got the plate into tho house. It would havo been an easy matter then to secure it, had tho dog remained outside us usual. But Fato had ordered otherwise. Tho man Burns made his oscape in-time and we never heard anything of him again. A Post-master's Troubles. DURING Jackson's term, an idlo spend thrift was made Postmaster at Pensa cola. Ho was instructed to make his returns quarterly, after depositing the avails of the oflico in tho nearest bank. Thno passed, and no word camo from him. Six months having passed, the Department wroto ' to him that ho would bo dismissed if ho didn't report. Tho gentleman thereupon wrote to the Postmastor General that the duties of his oflico had been faithfully performed so far as tho delivery of letters and the collection of the postago were concerned. Ho was suro of that, for ho had a lively y ellow boy who attended to that busines. Ho was di rected to deposit tho avails of tho ofliee in the nearest bank. 'Ho done so, but un fortunately that was a faro bank nnd there ho had placed tho funds of tho government and ho was sorry to say that up to that time tho institution hud refused to honor his drafts. As to the letters written him by tho Postmaster General, he felt honored, and hoped the correspondence might be continued.. ...... , lie should havo responded to tho interro gatories of the .Department but ho had been so constantly oocupied at the bank in trying to get his money back that he had no timo to dovote to composition, and Ids negro boy was not cq ual to tho task. He would cheerfully reply to any .proper questions in future, and ho thought that explanation ought to bo satinfavtory. . . ( , . Wise Words. 1 Foolish Spending is tho father of poverty, . Do not bo oshnmed of work. Work for tho best salary or wages you can get, but work for half price rather, than bo idlo. Bo your own master, and do not lot society and fashion swallow up your Individuality. Do not eat up or wear out all you oan earn.. Compel the selfish body to spare something for profits saved. Be stingy to your own appotito, but merciful to other's necessities. Help others, and ask no help for yourself. See that you are proud, but let your pride bo of the right kind. Be too proud to bo lazy ; too proud to' give up without' con quering every difficulty ( too proud tow-oar a eoat yo.u can not pay for ; too proud to be in company you can not keep up with in bxpenso ; too proud to lio or steal or cheat ; too'proud to be stingy.' ',' "' 1 ' '. - : " ' ' I '. A lady premised to givo hor'ruaid twenty-five dollars as a marriage' portion. Tlfti girl got married to a man of low stat ure, und her mistress'' on seeing him, was surprised, and said, ' Weil, JVtry,,wh't a ' littlo husband you have got " j f La, I", ex- claimed the gUl 5 " what could you expect -for two 11 ty- five dollars ?"'
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