The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-08-30

noise with my bare feet upon the
deep velvet of the carpet. / don't
know whom expected to see-certain.
not Guy Sedley, kneeling before q san
dal wood chest, with papers streX
around on the floor. A taper burning
in the silver scOnce upon the wall,
showed his face perfectly cool, as
went on searching for something.
He must have come through my
room to reach this apartment, for it
had no other opening but into my
chamber. was aware that the papers
i'm the chest were valuable-that there
was money placed there. saw that
he was robbing his sister.
saw, too, dirk knife on the floor.
close at his side
L looked at HIM an instxnt-even
then remembered to pity him-then
glided forward, snatcbing the knife,
and Ieaped back TO the door.
was mistress Of the situation, for I
as i'm a flash of Gght-and as he rose to
his feet to close the door, with calm
ness that showed it was my intention
to Immediately arOHse the house.
With presence OF mind equal to my
own, he put the roll of bills he had
been searching for into the fob of his
waistcoat, and with a glitteriDg eye re-
garded me speculatively. Twas petite,
and had not screamed. / know now
that he was not much afraid of me.
You have been robbing your els
ter" said, "but if you will put the
money back will let you CO."
His intense attention of me changed
me to look of wonder.
You, child, are you not afraid of
me?" he said.
"No, " 1 answered truthfully.
"But watched you in sleep mo-
ment ago, debating whether it was ne
cessary to kill you or not. !"
You must have been glad to find
that it was not necessary, answered.
He looked more astOnished than be-
fore, but did not stop to think of that.
"Put the money back, +" said.
"No, he said firmly. 81 will muir
der you first"
"Do not that, +" said 1. clam your
friend. was sorry for you that day.
He did not speak, but q troubled look
disturbed the pale fixedness of his face.
How much money have you thereon
1 asked.
Zone hundred dollars"
And you need it very much. "
Very much, 4" he replied, with
bitter smile.
"Please put it back, said. "She
has been just to you, | would like to be
melciful. l will gi"e you the money"
"You?"
I" / have it-yes-here in my room;
let me show you"
j flung open the door next to my
writing desk, and came back.
"These will give you freely" 1
said, opening the roll. You said to
her aunt it should be the last time, and
hope"
He had taken the bills into his hand,
looking at tEepi in kind, Unbelievieg
way.
You ipay hope that you have saved
me, " Re said I'm a low voice.
w Were silent for moment.
You know now that was sorry for
y ourn l said, with tears in my eyes.
yes, he said, gravely. :" And
love you for it.
He put Mrs. Maltby's money back,
and re-arraDged the chest. 1 began to
listen nervously for voices about the
house, but all was very still. He lock-
ed the chest, and gave me the key.
You know where it is kept?"
ayes, in a drawer i'm her dressing
room," / wondered how he had OBJ
tanned it. "Hurry and get away"
"There is no danger; paved the
way carefully. Pure, brave little girl,
how fearless you are for yourselfv'
He looked at me earnestly, as if he
wished to carry away clear memory
of my features, then wrapped his cloak
about him, flung up the sash, and leap
ed soundIessly out into the darkness.
eXtinguished the taper and crept
back TO bed. L did not hear a sound
about the house until daybreak.
When / arose l saw the dirk knife
glittering in the sunshine near my writ
ing desk, where had laid it. Then /
shuddered.
At o'clock the watchman who
was kept on the grounds was found
gagged and bound, Just inside Red
burns entrance. Yes, Guy Sedley
paved his way cOolly and surely.
A year later I was the mistress of
Redburn; the beautiful house, the
:,
Maltby had died and bequeathed them
to me.
On her dying bed she had said:
''Voilet, you are my heiress. There
is only one living being who has my
blood in his veins; him 1 disOwn."
She paused, and then went on: "You
have seen my brother; 1 loved him,
1 was ambitious for him, but his
natural bent was evil. We had a
cousin Flora, lovely child, who was
brought up with him. They were en-
gagged to be married, but 1 forbade it.
| revealed to her his. dissipation; l
tod her of his debts and deeds of dar
ing. She loved him, she trusted him
but she was delicate and died. He said
/ killed her"
She grew pale, even past her dying
pallor. She went on:
"When | saw him the officers of
justice were after him; he was a de-
faulter; he had stolen money to pay
his gambling debts. He is probably
lying in Jail now; but 1 will have
none of him.
So she died, hard as a flint to the
last. And was mistress of Redburn.
was young; was fond of gayety;
| had now the means at my disposal.
Every summer my house was filled
with guests. In the winter / was in
New York, or abroad. And yet 1
lived only on the interest of the money
bestowed upon me.
Three years passed. 1 had never
heard word of Guy Sedley, when,
one day, the Bromleys, of New York,
who were coming to visit me, asked
leave to bring a friend; extended the
solicited invitation, and Guy Sedley
came.
1t was q shock, but he gave no token
of the past. Reclaimed from his errors,
he was SO refined and manly that he
was the most distinguished of my
guests.
/ loved him, but 1 thought: "He
must hate me, the. usurper of his
rights. He is poor because have his
patrimony. j have no right to Red.
burn, and I will not keep it. 1 will
give it back TO him."
An opportunity came. He was
sitting on the terrace one bright even
ing. / went and took seat near him.
"How lovely this view !" he ex-
claimed, pointing toward the distant