Hot corn: Life Scenes in New York IllustratedRobinson, Solon
General
Hot corn: Life Scenes in New York Illustrated
Robinson, Solon
New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Temperance -- Fiction
"I found," said he, "the very man I expected, or rather hoped, it might
be, and it is well that I acted upon the impulse of the moment, for if I
had not, I should have been too late. It is the doctor's opinion, that
he will not live till morning. It seems that he got into some
difficulty with the police last night, and one of them, to prevent him
from stabbing another man, broke his arm."
There was a little start of surprise on my part, and that of Mrs.
Morgan; but we made no interruption, and Lovetree went on with his
story. We thought, though, we could not help that.
"I expect he had been drinking hard, for he tore off the bandage from
his arm in the night, and when the keeper opened his cell this morning,
he found him almost dead with loss of blood and vital prostration. He
cannot live. They had aroused him, and I found him quite rational when I
went in, and was immediately placed beyond all doubt as to the identity
of the man, for he called me by name the moment he saw me."
"I am glad you have come," said he, "I can trust you, and I want to make
a clean breast of it before I die. My wife and child--my last one--are
in this city, and when I am gone, I want you to go and see her, and tell
her, that I shall never trouble her any more; she will be glad to hear
it, for she saw me last night, and I left the old lady somewhat in a
fright. I cannot tell you the exact number, but I can tell you so that
you can find the house easy enough. It is in W-- street."
"Oh, dear, I cannot stand it any longer," said Mrs. Morgan.
"Cannot stand it? I don't see anything that you cannot stand. You
surprise me."
"Not half as much as you surprise us. We know all about it. It was him,"
and she pointed to me, "that knocked the ruffian down; it was him that
he was about to stab when the watchman broke his arm; and it is she,
uncle, Mrs. De Vrai, his wife, who is the mother of Little Katy; now,
you know all about it; we know all about it."
"No, not all, for he told me, that he believed his other wife was in
this city, also, married here, and he wanted that I should look her up,
too; and tell her where, perhaps, she may find her child."
"Tell her," said he, "that I left it with my brother, near Belfast, an
Irish farmer, by the name of William Brentnall."
"William Brentnall!" said Agnes, her eyes opening with wild surprise.
"I do think," said Mr. Lovetree, "that I have lost my senses, or else
some of the rest of you have. First, one, and then the other, fairly
screams out some exclamation as though I were a conjurer, and you could
cot comprehend my words or actions. Have you done now, shall I go on?"
"Yes, yes, uncle; I am dying with curiosity, and as for Agnes, she looks
the very picture of wonder."
"Indeed I feel so."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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