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 ?"'