FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   229   230   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   >>  
by the name of Brown. Fortunately, however, there is only one Andrew Jackson, or Andy, as they call him, and I found him on one of the suburban trains, rather old to be a conductor, but seemed young for his years. He is your grandmother's cousin, and was present at the double wedding, when Eudora Harris was married by Elder Covil to James Crompton, 'a mighty proud-lookin' chap,' he said, 'who deserted her in less than a month. I remember him well. Pop threatened to shoot him if he ever cotched him, but the wah broke out and pop was killed, and all of us but me, who married a little Yankee girl what brought things to us prisoners in Washington. She's right smart younger than I am, and I've got eight children and five grandchildren, peart and lively as rabbits. And you want me to swear that I seen Eudory married? Wall, I will, for I did, and I'd like to see her girl--Amy you call her. Mabby Mary Jane an' me will come to visit her when I have a spell off.' "All this he said in a breath, and when I told him I was to marry Amy's daughter, he called me his cousin, and asked when the wedding was to be. If it had not been for those eight children and five grandchildren, thirteen Browns in all, which I felt sure he would bring with him, I should have promised him and Mary Jane an invitation. As it was, I did nothing rash. I got his affidavit, and we parted the best of friends, he urging me to call at his shanty and see Mary Jane and the kids. I had to decline, but told him perhaps I'd bring my wife to see them. What do you say? Expect me to-morrow. "Lovingly, "JACK." CHAPTER XI CONCLUSION It did not take long for all Crompton to know that Amy was Col. Crompton's daughter, and that the Colonel had left a paper to that effect, which Mr. Howard had found, and that Eloise had also found the marriage certificate, proving her mother's legitimacy beyond a doubt, and making her sole heir to the Crompton estate. It was Friday night when the travellers returned from the South, and on Saturday morning, Mrs. Biggs's washing day, she heard the news. Leaving her clothes in the suds, and her tubs of rinsing and bluing water upon the floor, she started for the Crompton House, which she reached breathless with haste and excitement, and eager to congratulate Amy and Eloise. "I swan, it 'most seem's if I was your relation," she said, shaking Eloise's hand, and telling her she always mistrusted she was somebody more than com
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   229   230   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   >>  



Top keywords:

Crompton

 

married

 

Eloise

 

children

 
grandchildren
 

daughter

 

cousin

 

wedding

 
Colonel
 

effect


Howard
 
mother
 

legitimacy

 

proving

 

certificate

 

conductor

 

marriage

 

CONCLUSION

 

shanty

 

decline


urging
 

friends

 

affidavit

 

parted

 

Lovingly

 

CHAPTER

 
morrow
 
Expect
 

making

 
excitement

congratulate

 

breathless

 
reached
 

started

 

mistrusted

 
telling
 
relation
 

shaking

 

bluing

 

Saturday


morning

 

returned

 

travellers

 
estate
 

Friday

 
clothes
 

rinsing

 

Leaving

 

washing

 
invitation