3
AT FEARFUL COST.
"W
rIIAT are your objections to my
marrying your lilece. Mr. Mere
dith r we love each other1 devotedly,
and" i ' ' .
"And love Is stuff and nonsense!"
exclaimed Miser Meredith, as many call
ed him. " You hre only a clerk, and
you don't expect to support a wife and
the family that would probably come
after taking one, on affection, do youY
My niece, provided, also, the man
whom she chooses for a husband Is
worth at least five thousand pounds,
will be my sole heiress. I have been
father and mother to her Blnce her
parents died, so t think she would only
be doing right by remaining single
or I need attention ami care while I
live."
"Selfish old brute I" mentally ejacu
lated Frank Waldron. Then he said
aloud "you will never conseut to our
marriage ever taking place V
"Certainly not. My niece shall never
be a poor man's drudge, if I cau help it.
Good morning, sir 1" and old Meredith
abruptly left the room. ' ; ;
Hattie Meredith, a fine, handsome
girl of twenty years, was standing nt the
garden gate, waiting for her lover, but
the gloomy look on his face, as he left
the house and came toward her, told
plainly enough that her uncle had
refused to allow her to become Frank's
wife.
" Hattie;" he said bitterly, " I am too
poor to be the nephew of Miser Mere
dith'; and he says he will never consent
to our marrying."
Hattie soothed him by telling him
that she would try to change her uncle's
decision, and try she did, but it was In
vain. He told her what he had told
Frank that he would never consent to
her becoming a poor man's wife, nor
any man's while he lived.
The following week much to the dis
gust and anger of old Meredith, Frank
and Hattie were wedded, and they, left
Millvilie.
John Meredith told her never agaiu
to darken his doors wMh her presence,
and that he would at once make a new
will bequeathing his whole fortune to
charitable institutions.
r ,
The commercial panto In 1857 told
heavily on Frank and his wife, who
were reduced by it from comparative
ease to dire distress. In this extremity
they resolved to seek John Meredith,
though for years they bad not commu
nicated with him. .
It was twenty mies, from Millvilie
to Mlddleton, and when Frank got back
his wife and a Mrs. Jameson were await-
ing his return. ; He looked ghastly and
Mrs. Jameson retired to rest ; but as she
did so she heard him say that they were
saved but at a fearful cost. Before day
Mrs. Waldron was delirious. : ' i "
Between 8 and 9 o'clock there was a
knock at the door, and Frank on open
ing it, was confronted by a constable.
" Frank Waldron," he said, "you are
my prisoner. I arrest you for the mur
der and robbery of John Meredith."
He seemed paralyzed by the fearful
charge, and neither spoke or moved ;
but with a dazed look upon his face,
and deadly pale, he gazed at the con
stable. ' ,! '
" A moment passed before he : awoke
from the stupor into which the dreadful
accusation had thrown him, and he then
said, "I am Innocent." "
" I hope so," responded the constable,
who had known Frank for many years ;
"but, nevertheless, you must accom
pany me Immediately." ' 1 ; '-:
Frank; without littering1 another
word, went to the room where his un
conscious suffering wife and her sick
child were lying, kissed them tenderly,'
and then told Mrs. Jameson the un
founded charge upon, which ' he was
arrested ; but that lie was guiltless of
both crimes, as he surely would be able
to prove. '
"Mrs. Jameson,".. he said tearfully,
" my wife and children will need a
friend now more than they ever did
before, and will you be' the friend to
them ? It may be weeks before I shall
have been tried and 'prove ray i inno
cence, and If it should be so will you
care for them till I shall 'have ' gained
my liberty f" ' :w :,; .
' ".Though, you ! were ' the 'greatest
wretch on the face of the earth, Mr.
Waldron, I would be but a poor unchar
itable Christian if I refused to 1 aid ' and
care for them now, when they ; need aid
and care most. ' Whether you are guilty
or innocent, I will do all in my power
fjrthem." ' j ; 1 - ;
" Heaven bless and reward you," "he
aid, fervently ; and then, in company
with the constable, he left his home for
Millvilie, where he was placed in prison
to await his examination. : '- '
That morning Mr. Meredith had been
found in his bed-room, cruelly stabbed
to death, and lying in one corner of the
apartment was his plundered strong' J
box, where he always kept a consldera- J
ble sum of money and some valuable
Jewelry. ; v.
For two or three hours on the preced
ing nlgbt, Frank Waldron had been
seen prowling around the residence of
Mr, Meredith, but hobody had perceived
him enter the house. On being searched
after arriving at Millvilie prison, a bag
of gold was found on his person, and
his hat was foutld lying on the iloor of
the room which opened out of Mr.
Meredith's, and through which any per
son would have to pass to get out of the
house on leaving the murdered man's
sleeping apartment.
Bucb, Including Mrs. Jameson's ac
count of Frank's startled and peculiar
appearance on his arrival home, and the
words she heard him utter to his wife
with which the reader is already ac
quainted, constituted the chief evidence
against him; but circumstantially It
could hardly have been more dumaglng.
Most people believed even those who
knew him well that he was guilty of
the horrible crime. The theory was,
that driven to desperation by his pov
erty, he had resolved to only rob his
wife's uncle; but that the gentleman
had been aroused from his slumbers by
the noise made by the robber, and the
latter fearing arrest for his attempt at
burglary, had rashly killed Mr. Mere
dith. It was well known that Mr.
Meredith had been on bad terms with
his niece and her husband since their
marriage, and many persons had often
heard Frank say that he hated the
miserly, selfish old man.
Well, three weeks after Frank's arrest
and committal, his trial took place. His
testimony on his own behalf was as
follows: '
" Having but little faith in Mr. Mere
dlth's assisting him and his family, and
being depressed and low-spirited, he, on
the evening in question, lounged about
the former's house for two or three
hours before he gained sufficient courage
to enter. He at last went in by the
front door and found Mr. Meredith in
the library. The old man received him
coldly ; and when he stated his errand,
Mr. Meredith said he would furnish the
aid he solicited, but only on certain
conditions. He must leave his wife and
children, go to Australia, and stay there,
while his wife and loved ones must live
with Mr. Meredith. He had no choice,
his family being now on the verge of
extreme destitution ; so he pledged his
word and honor that he would comply
with Mr. Meredith's heartless condi
tions. The latter gave him the bag of
gold found on . his person to pay his
expenses to Australia, and to enable him
to live there until he found employment.
He had then hurriedly left the house ;
so it was not surprising that, being con-'
fused by what he had Just done, he
should forget his hat and walk home
bareheaded ; though it was a mystery to
him how it had got into the room where
it was found, for he had not been in the
room at all. Was it not natural under
the circumstances that he should arrive
home looking startled and pale, and that
he should use Just such an expression in
speaking to his wife as Mrs. Jameson
had overheard t Yes, it was indeed a
fearful cost at which he had procured
bread for his starving family at the
coBt of exiling himself for years, perhaps
forever, from the ones he loved the best
in all the world.
John Noble, Mr. Meredith's only ser
vant, except an old charwoman, who
came in the morning to do the house
work and cooking, and then departed
early in the evening, stated that, about
8 o'clock he had seen Frank walking up
and down in front of the house. At 10
o'clock he (John Noble) after going to
his master to Bee if he required any
thing, retired to rest; on looking out of
his bedroom window, he ' saw that
Frank was still pacing backward and
forward in front of the house. The
following morning on entering ' Mr.
Meredith's apartment to assist him to
dress he found him lying dead upon the
floor. . ' . ' '
The Jury, after a few minutes private
discussion of the case, returned to their
seats in the court, and the foreman said
that they had found a verdict of "wilful
murder," against the prisoner.
When asked by the Judge, if he had
anything to say why sentence should
not be passed upon he only replied, u I
am innocent." t . .; . , .... ,
Two or three days after Frank's con.
victlou John Noble was arrested for
intoxication. He was found lying beast
ly Intoxicated in the street ; and when
the officer tried to arrest him a struggle
ensued between them during which
John Noble's coat was torn almost to
threads, . , .
There rolled out of the lining of the
coat a watch fend chain, some jewelry,
and several bank notes. The watch and
chain and jewelry were recognized as
belonging to the late Mr. Meredith ; and
when questioned as to how he came to
have such valuables, he said Mr. Mere
dith had given them to him. This was
not believed, as Mr. Meredith ' was
known to have been a very niggardly
man, and the officials began to think
that perhaps Frank Waldron's story
might be true. Well, at last a confes
sion that he had wilfully killed Mr.
Meredith was forced from John Noble.
It wag he, of course that had placed
Frank's hat In the apartment were It
was found.
Frank was ' at once released, and
shortly afterward John Noble paid the
penalty of his crime upon the scaffold.
Mr. Meredith had made no will, so
Mrs. Waldron, being his only relative,
inherited all his property.
Though they had suffered much for
the sake of the love they entertained for
each other, the future of Frank and his
wife, from the day Bhe became an heir
ess, was bright and happy.
. e. .
Wanted to Spread.
YESTERDAY, Solomon Glass, a col
ored man, whose experience In
agricultural pursuits has enlightened
his neighborhood, came to town with a
view of getting a divorce from his wife.
When asked upon what grounds he re
plied :
" Sufficient is de grounds ob dis occa
sion. When I rented ten acres and
worked one mule I married a 'oman
suitable for de occasion. Now I rent
sixty acres of lan' and work five mules.
My fust wife is a mighty good teu acre
wife, but she don't suit de occasion ob
sixty acres. I needs a 'oman , that cau
spread more."
When told by a lawyer . that the
grounds were not sufficient, he remark
ed: . ......
" I kin produce de histry to show
whar I'm careek. I's a learned man
and kin read clar around de majority ob
colored gentlemen an' a great many
white fellers. De reason belongs to de
French histry, an' though I doesn't
speak French, I talks about it. You
know Napoleon fust married Josephine
de Beauharis." ,
"Yes," answered the lawyer, "but
you may become a trifle too historically
opulent If you proceed much further."
" Dat's all right. An' you know dat
when he got up to de head ob de guber
ment, an' had charge ob all de commls
serles, he wanted a wife who could
spread more, and he got a dispensation
from Josephine and hitched onter Maria
Louisia, cose she could spread more.
Dar's de histry, an' dar's de , precedent,
an' ef a man can't get a dispensation on
dese groun's whar's yer court house, an'
whar's j er law V" . ; . , ; .
A REAL ROMANCE.
ON a hot July day in summer of 1874,
a boy of perhaps fifteen or sixteen
years, weary and footsore, was making
his way along the dusty highway that
passes the farm of Ex-Representative
David E. Croan, four miles north of
Anderson, Indiana. Espying hands at
work in a harvest field near by, he tim
idly approached and asked to work for
something to eat.. . Mr. Croan's son
William took him to the house, where
his mother gave him a bountiful dinner.
Mr. Croan then set him to work, and
finding him willing and industrious,
employed him to work. The boy could
give but little account of himself. The
first he remembered of himself was
traveling from place to place with his
parents, as he supposed them to be,
called gypsies. After traveling about
for five or six years the family finally
settled down near Newcastle, Henry
county, Indiana. There, after enduring
hardships and cruelties, he determined
to run away from.; his wretched sur
roundings. One evening after receiving
a terrible beating from his father he
grew desperate, and after dark stole
away, going north, and sleeping the
latter part of the night near the mounds.
The next day he made his way to
Croan's, and here found a comfortable
home for several months. Since that
time he has worked for several in the
neighborhood; always being econom
ical and saving in his habits, and laying
up quite a sum of money. . , .,
A few weeks since he determined to
go back to Newcastle and visit the
home of his former miseries in order to
see his sister, to whom he was warmly
attached. From his sister, who was
much older than him, he heard a won.
derful story She told him his name
was not Hiram Britney, as he supposed,
but Hiram Trlford ; that the Britneys
had stolen him when he was but six or
seven years of age from his mother, a
widow, by the name of Trlford, living
near Angola, Steuben county, Indiana,
His mother made every effort to find
him. The country was scoured ; ' the
river was dragged ; advertisements were
inserted in the newspapers of the day,
but all to no avail, and the mother
finally gave up the search as hopeless,
and settled down to endure as best she
could the horrible agony and doubt
surrounding her child's disappearance.
From that time on up to three weeks
since, a period of sixteen years, no
tidings had been received of the loet
child. Young Britney or Trlford, as we
shall hereafter call him, on hearing thl
strange story from his supposed sister,
determined to go to Steuben countyjat
once and fathom the mystery. Arriv
ing there, he Inquired for a family of
the name of Trlford. He was directed
to their residence. Knocking at tbe
door, he was admitted and invited to
take a seat. This he did, asking numer
ous questlnna regarding the surrounding
country, the crops, etc., the lady eyeing
him closely all the while. Finally Le
asked !
" Did you not lose a boy some years
since V"
"Yes," replied the lady, and tears
unbidden came to her eyes, "and I
would give .anything in the world I
possess to find him." Another look at
the stranger, and with a mother's quick
instinct she threw her arms around him,
folded him close in her loving arms,
saying, " My child, my child ! My long
lost child, I have found you at last."
When the lady had recovered her self
possession sufficiently, the boy's story
was told, and his identity established
beyond a doubt, one of the strongest
proofs being a scar on his face. The
news rapidly spread : to the neighbor
hood, and hundreds of persons flocked
to see him, and for some time he was
the lion of the neighborhood. -
Mr. Trlford came back to this county
a few days ago, settled up his business
and returned to Steuben county, here
after to live with his real mother and
Bister, from whom he was so long and
cruelly separated, and to take charge of
his mother's large farm, on which she
resides.' This Is indeed a romance in
real life, aDd we can truly say " the web
of life is strangely woven." Indiana
Exchange.
Took at His Word.
Many years ago an English voter who
possessed influence asked the candidate
to give his son a letter of recommenda
tlon to an official at the Admiralty. The
request was granted, but when the youth
called to deliver his credentials he found
he had ' mislaid the precious epistle.
However, he succeeded in obtaining a
nomination, and some weeks after his
return home discovered the lost "letter
of 'recommendation" ' among some
papers. . Having done without it he had
the curiosity to open it, and was startled
to find it contained an earnest injunc
tion to " throw every '. obstacle in his
way," for, as the writer added, " I can
not disoblige this youth's father, and if
he once enters the navy i he - will be
plaguing my life out to get him a ship."
The young man was furious, but the
father, a practical-minded man, coolly
remarked, " It is not worth making a
disturbance; we will take him at his
word and plague for a ship," which was
done accordingly with success. ,
He Believed In the Old Fashioned Hell.
The Rev. Dr. Williamson, of the First
Methodist Church of Chicago found that
his congregation were relaxing their be
lief in a hell of literal fire. He there
fore preached last Sunday on the subject,
making the following points ; 1. That
if those Scriptures that relate with such
apparent clearness to the fact of an end
less hell are meaningless, no other part
of the Bible can be depended upon ; 2.
That unless men dying in sin are doom
ed to awful and endless suffering, the
humiliation of Pilate's court, the agony
in the garden, and the final, bitter expi
ation on Calvary must be regarded as
means utterly disproportioned to the
end to be accomplished : 3. That, If Bi
ble language was written to be read, and
If, like all other speech, it' means any
thing, so plain and so repeated are its
statements on this subject there can be
no doubt that an awful and eternal real
lty of punishment for unpardoned sin
ners exists in the universe of God'; ' 4.
That bell is a definite locality ; 5. That
the torture of hell is by literal and end
less fire.
Fools That Buy Soap.
A Wisconsin peddler assured each
purchaser of a cake of soap that, on
using it until the centre was reached, a
$10 note would be found therein. The
buyers cut tbe cakes open, and found no
money. The swindler was arrested. He
argued that the .complainants, by cut
ting into the soap instead of using it in
the ordinary way, bad violated the
terms of the sale, aud therefore could
not legally proceed against him. The
Justioe ruled that the defense was sound
and discharged tbe prisoner. , .
What Everybody Wants,
Is a pleasant, reliable medicine that nev
er does any harm, and prevents and
cures disease by keeping the Btoniach in
perfect order, the bowels regular, and
the kidneys and liver active. Such a
medicine is Parker's Ginger Tonic. It
relieves every case, and we have seen
stacks of letters from thousands who
have been saved and cured by it. , Hee
other column. Tribune. , 87.4t
1 Lydla E. Plnkham'f Veeetabla
Compound is a remarkable remedy for
all those painful complaints and weak
n esses so common to our best female
population. Bend to Mrs. Lydla E.
E. Pink ham, 238 Western J Avenue,
Mass., for pamphlets. ' 8(i-t
jyjAJSSER & ALLEN ;
i central; store
NKWl1OltT, l ENN 'A.
( Now)lfer the public
A HARK AND JCLEOANT ASSORTMENT OF
DRESS GOODS
Consisting sf all shades suitable for the season
BLACK ALPACCAS
. ! f
AND
Mourning Goods
A SPECIALITY.;
BLEACHED AND UNBLEACHED
- " y r
MUSLIMS,
AT VARIOUS PRICES.
AN ENDLESS SELECTION OF PRINTS'
We sell and do keep a good quality ot
SUGARS, COFFEES & SYRUPS
And everything under the head of
GROCERIES I
Machine Needles and oil for all makes of
Machines.
To be convinced that our goods are
CHEAP AS THE CHEAPEST,
IS TO CALL AND EXAMINE STOCK.
" No trouble to show goods.
Don't forget the
CENTRAL STORE,
Newport, Perry County, Pa.
The Bloofl is the Life.
LIIfDSEX'S BLOOD SEARCHER
Is rapidly acquiring a national reputation for
the cure of . .
Scrofulous Affection'. Cancerous Formation.
: Erysipelas Bolls, Pimples. Ulcers,
bore Eyes, Scald Head,
Tetter; SnltKheum. ..' ,
Mercurial aud all Bklu Diseases.
This remedy Is a Vegetable Compound, and
cannot harm the most tender Infant, ladles who
ulfer from debilitating dlwases and Female Com
plaints, will and speedy rellel by using this rem
eay. - . , .. .. ..
.c: ,w- Llncott, of Mesopotamia, O.. says It cur
ed him of Scrofula of thirty years. Two bottles
cured Mrs. K, J. pukes, of Colfax, Ind.,oI nicer
ftted ankle and big neck. Lludsey's Blood Search.
?r?."re!f i?y.?n l Krys'Pel -Mia K. Smeltzer,
Larimer Station. Fa. ..
The BLOOD SEARCHER is the safest.' surest
and most powerful purltler ever- JtHown, Price
81.00 per bottle. '
&. K. SELLERS OOJprop'M. Plrtsbilfgn; Pa.
. ' .. !... r ,r. '
To Regulate The Liver.
Use only SELLERS' LIVER PILLS, the best
and only true Liver Vegulator. : Kntabllshed over
60 years. They cure Headache, Biliousness, Cost
Irenes, Liver Complaint. Fever and Ague, and all
similar diseases like maglo, Uet the right kind,
bellers' Liver Fills, 2b cents. . .
MTS?t?,rJat.w5rm .'rnyerl-SELtEItsV VF.R
MIFUGE. " Expelled 400 worms f lom mv child,
two years old."-.Wm. Sarver, HU Louis, Mo
52.'.d SY. druRRl sts. Price Z cents ech. B. E.
HELLERS & Co., Proprietors, Pittsburgh. Pa.
Send for circulars. . , 40 ly.
NOTICE y
THE underslgued would respectfully call the
attention of the citizens of Perry county,
that he has a large and well selected stock of
HARDWARE. '' .
GROO'KKIES, ' ' ' a ' '
DUUOS.
, , WINES & LIQUORS,
IRON. - - '
T ' NAILS, ,
HORSE and MULE SHOES,
: . ' . . ; STEEL. '
TRON AXLES,
' ' !:..! SPRINGS,
SPOKES,,,
HUBS,
. , FELLOKS. , ; , . . ..
SHAFTS. ' -
. POLES It BOWS, '
- , BROOM HANDLES,
WIRE,
;, TWINES, &o.
ISO,
Paints, Oils, Glass, riaster,
. ' and Cement ".
SOLE, CALF, KIP and UPPER LEATHER,
FISH. SALT, SUGARS, SYRUPS. TEA8.8PICES.
. TOBACCO, CIGARS, aud SMITH COAL.
John Lucas & Co's., , .
MIXED PAINTS,
1 ' (ready for use.) .
The best Is the CHEAPEST. ;
And a Urge varletvof goods not mentioned,
allot which were bought at the Lowest Cash
Prices, and he offers the same to his Patrons at
the Very lowest Prices for Cash or approved
trade. Mis motto Low prices, and Fair dealing
to all. , Go and see him.
Respectfully, " -'-...
' .... , S.M.8HULER. .
Liverpool, Perry Co. Pa.
POTJTZ'S
HORSE AND CATTLE POWDERS
' . Will tan or prTnt DkMw,
no Houa will di ot Couo, Bots or Lmt Fm
vim. If Foutil Powdera ar aiod la lime.
.roou-sPowdcrawllloireaodpravaatHosCaouiA
Fouu-s Powders will prevent (Jam i towu.
' louut Powden will lncrwuw the quantity ot mUk
and oreua twenty pr coal. ad auUi tti batter arm
and sweet. - , .
Ifootei Powden will em or prerent almost nui
?" to wmcb Horace end fettle ire eiiDjw.
, rnm' Powdsb wua, IT SAXiUAOrwji.
V aoMavery-wnere. - C
, 1 : ; eVAXTIMU&a, K4.
For PalehyS. a 8mlta, New BlooaBeli
Perry County, Pa. ily