Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-11-08

ed when his eye fell upon the pa
pers, and lifting the lantern he pass
ed into the parlor, where Margery
heard him sterring the fire, as she
glided down the steps.
BY and by she saw him seated
before the terminated fire, looking
over the papers which he had late
ly taken from the hiding place, and,
to her joy, discovered that the door,
which he had inadvertently left
ajar, did not squeak.
Margery's heart had never
throbbed so madly before. 1t
beat the bars of its prison like a
captive impatient for freedom, and
she dared not trust herself in the
room with WILDER Armstrong, while
she trembled like a leaf at the
door.
All at once the cold-hearted man
drew q well-known document from
among the papers, and in low
voice, full of sarcastic triumph,
which seemed to afford him much
qualification, he read the long-lost
codicil.
Margery Marx heard several
words which she at once recogniz-
ed, and when his uncle's name drop
ped from his lips, she stood just be-
hind him, with eyes glaring at the
paper and hand half raised to jerk
it from his grasp.
"I'll burn the troublesome thing,
and get rid of it," he said, at last.
at has bothered me a great deal, and
I fear that prying girl, Margery
Marx, may accidentally discover
the hole under the last step. Yes,
into the fire goes the only barrier
between me and future happiness.
Then he leaned foreward, and
this paper, with its precious con-
tents, was nearing the destroying
fire, when a hand shot over his
shoulder, and the codicile was torn
from his grasp.
The next instant Wilbur Arm
strong leaped to his feet, and con-
fronted the victorious girl, on whose
glowing face the crimson freight
fell.
"Margery Marx ~ he cried, rec
ognizing her in the twinkling of an
eye.
"Well, Master Wilbur" was the
response. "What do you want 7"
"That paper which you have torn
from my hand" he said, stepping
forward. you're a mean, spying
woman, and if you do not give me
that paper, I'll fling you against
the wall. Here, hand me that doc
ument."
"No," said Margery, firmly. 81
hold the codicil which you stole
from your uncle, and secreted un-
der the stairs. Stand from me-"
and her right hand disappeared be-
meath the folds of her dress. 81
may be armed, so stand back, Will
bur Armstrong;
He did not advance, and mo-
ments silence followed Margery's
command.
"Margery Marx" he said, in q
milder tone, 'let us compromise.
What will you take for that pa
per y
The little woman smiled deris-
lively.
"What will you give9" she said,
"You are purchaser; | have turned
saleswoman."
"One thousand dollars" he said.
"That is a great heap of money,
Margery, and it would make you
rich woman. Why, it would get
you q stylish husband, and keep
you a long time"
The housekeeper laughed.
"No. no, Wilbur Armstrong |;
this codicil is not for sale. | am
glad that the wind woke me. Let
me bid you goodnight"
Her hand, which was at the d O.,
turned the knob as the last word
dropped from her lips, and as the
portal was shut in the nephew's
face. he heard the bolt that kept
him from following the courageous
girl who had bafiled him.
When morning came, Margery
Marx returned to the house, but
S not alone. Wilbur Armstrong was
{ arrested, and the papers which the
4 party found on the table told the
community that he had discovered
u the wooden pocket during his un'
y cle's illness-that he bad stolen th'
n codicil, and secreted it in the recess
@ under the stairs.
When Margery discovered him
he had Just returned from the clu'
j. house, where he had formed tn
Ie resolution to destroy the codicil.