The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-03-20

dows. But it is the only unpleasar
place in The house, and its neighbol
hood to the bright little sitting room
have made has never troubled me.
Zone chilly, rainy night less than
week ago, and after wrote you to come
I sat reading by the bright hearth-fir
of my, sitting room until nearly twelv
o'clock. Patty was asleep in a ittl
room leading from it which is directl
beneath my chamber, and the other tw
servants, housemaii and man, wer
asleep in their rooms in another part o
the house. I had told Patty not to 81
up; yet when it grew midnight the sol
itude of the great house weighed on M
q little, and felt 10th to 90 up to m,
chamber. Finally I wrapps ayself il
my dressing-gown and lay down on .
couch before the hearth, knowing tina
the great wood fire would keep tn,
room warm till morning. 1 had lair
there but moment, I think, when
heard voice in the room say, 'LooE
under the hearth of the parlor.' It was
80 distinct voice that the room seemed
to echo with it. I don't know why
did as did do; should thought ]
would have been afraid ; but I sprane
up, caught light from the table, cross.
ed the hall and opened the door Of the
par1or. I" -.
"Poor little Queenie! You had over,
e1erted yourself, and your brain had
grown excited and unsettled"
"But, Guy, I knelt down in that dark
room by the hearth and passed my hand
over the smooth tiles. Almost instantly
I found that one was loose. It was
small, and I pried it up with q hairpin.
Here beneath lay small, yellow, folded
paper. I stared at it a moment, then
took it out, and seeing, as I expected,
hat it was covered with writing, I only
topped to look once more, around the
silent black parlor, then hurried back to
my sitting-room.
"Oh, Guy, it was no coincidence, my
finding a paper in that place The
paper is ofthe utmost Importance. You
may zee. that for yourself. Here it is, "
and rising, Queenie took it from one Of
the corner cabinets secured to the wall,
and placed it in Guys hand. A bit of
coarse, yellow parchment, the chirog-
raphy quaint, the ink faded; but it was
the written confession of one Gilbert
st. Edgar that the estate of Deadwood
had been wrongfully obtained, and that
he ehad wrongfully defrauded the right
ful line of inheritance; and he further
more besought and instructed the find
ers of the paper, which he declared
hidden under the hearth of the tile
parlor for safe preservation a few days
before his death, to restore the i'll.
gotten estate of Deadwood to its rightful
inheritors. Guy Blondel's scholarly
face grew grave and trifie paler as he
nim, he made, q strong errort Tor -seif.
preservation.
"Oueenie, dear Queenie, you surely
don't mean that you are going to give
up Deadwood and all our hopes for this
old scrap of papera"
"Deadwood is not mine, Guy" :.
"Oh, Queenie, don't plunge yourself
into after poverty and separate us for
this unsubstantial ideal"
"I will not, if it is unsubstansial,
Guy. I hope it may prove so. Let US
both hope SO, and be happy, at least un-
til we find out" said the girl, making
an effort to stave off her own discourage
ment. She was full of pity, too, for the
pain of the young heart all hers in its
freshness and strength. Yet nothing
oyercame the power of that honest
blood which had come with the strong
blue eyes. She held firm day after day,
only replying to Guys pleadings:
"Deadwood must be mine, Guy. Ii
it is not mine, I do not want it. 1t
would never be home else."
At last Mr.. Quill, who had been sent
for, came.
Oueenie withheld the story of her
dream, as Guy called it, but inquired,
as quietly as possible, as to the exist
ence of Gilbert st. Edgar. :,
"Oh, yes, my dear; your great-great,
uncle. 1 never saw him, of course, but
my father remembers him."
"I have a reason for wanting to see
his permanship, Mr.. Quill" said Queen
lie. "Do you think there is any IN OK
istencea" .........,.
"Oh, yes; I know there is.E Ny an
Gle. who was friend of his, left 9
quantity of old papers and letters,
among which are written bills OF this
same Gilbert st.. Edgar. I'll look when
I I 20 home, and send you a specimen Of
the old mans chirography. Very inter
esting, these old relics, Miss st. Ed
gar"
And Mr.. Quill partook OF a delicious
tea and rode back to town, never dream
ing of the strained and anxious young
hearts he had left behind him.
Two days later, inclosed in q facetlou
note inquiring when the wedding was y
be. arrived from Mr.. Quill bit of vel
low paper signed by Gilbert st. Edgar
With the color ebbing from cheek ant
lips, Oueenie and Guy compared it II
the parchment taken from the hearth o
the tile parlor; for it was Identical, an
the same penmanship. There could b
no doubt.
"And now, Queenie ?"
"Now all hope is at an end; at leaE
for long years, Guy. But we may &c
rich by-and-bye, and then -
Tried beyond endurance he flung th
slender hand from his own. The ne1
moment he turned with bitter cry {
remorse, and snatched the girl from To
floor. She had tainted. -
He never gave way after that. N
more anger or reproaches. He realize
that Queenie, too, suffered, and tried
! oon,fort and anaSp.s her
The sad days went by. Queenie RI
the dainty wedding garments even frol
her own eyes. sr
At length one evening-the last evel