Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1870-10-05

uTullnllleu Ill his ears, willie
every atom Of blood in his body
seemed rushing to and fro in
the widest confusion,
After a little hesitation he
reached down with his broad
bladed pallette-knife, and gin,
gerly and daintily, with thrills
Of reluctance running through
his eagerness, fshed up the
burning coal, and blew from it
the ashes, the ashes Of the dead.
The coal was q large ruby
It was without setting, but
had been cut and polished by
a jeweler. 1t was as red as
fire, and as lucid as sunshine.
Oliver rubbed it with his
handkerchief, opened his almost
empty purse, and dropped the
jewel within for safe keeping,
Then he examined the chest
farther. There were more gems
glimmering and quivering like
live things amid that human
dust.
1t was not long until the
young man forgot to be too
particular. The pallette-knife
was no longer swift and certain
enough. With his trembling
fingers he pushed about the
poor bones, finding plenty Of
treasure now; and there, right
under where the heart must
have been, small gold locket.
With something of awe and re-
verence overcoming the greed
which had taken possession of
him, he opened the case.
A woman's likeness, young
and sweet, smiled out upon
him, as brightly as if it had
not lain in that dark prison.
house for fifty years. Tears
came into divers sharp eyes
as he met the laughing glance
of the soft blue eyes shining
beneath the ripples of yellow
hair. But those tears soon
dried in the exultation of his
new posscssions.3
When certain that the chest
had yielded the last of its jew,
els he emptied them into his
handkerchief, and tried to
compute their value. The hor-
ror of his first impressions gave
way to triumph.
The treasure was his own by
right of discovery. There was
no clue to the name of their
long-perished owner. He
would keep the gems; and he
would say nothing, even to
George, Of his adventure.
Thinking thus he again look
ed at the miniature; and this
time observed n name, formed
by a setting Of brilliants around
the inside of the case, in Ger
man teXt-ETIIELDA.
An old-fashioned English
name. Oliver did not reflect
that the poor cousin Of Camilla,
dependant on her uncle Gather
wood, bore the name, unusual
as it was.
Burying the strange coffin
again in the shifting sand, he
rowed back to the little land.
ing at the foot of the lawn in
front of the Poplars, his heart
burning with intense pleasure
at his unexpected good fortune.
A group Of three awaited him
as he sprang out upon the beach
his friend George with his
sister and cousin.
After an eager glance at
Miss Catherwood, the artist
darted a look of surprise at the
young girlin white, just behind
her. 1t only then occurred to
him that Miss Ashleigh's name
was ErIIELDA.
He put away the singular
feeling which arose at this coin.
cidence, and at breakfast was
the life of the party. All that
day he was gay, brilliant, WV
acious. Not even the appear.
ance of Mr.. Lytton, Camilla's
most favorite suitor-a fop Of
the first water. rich, aristocratic,
and egotistical al-who drove out
from the city in the morning,
and idled away the long, bright
summer day at the Poplars,
could disconcert him. He had