The Osceola times., 1879-04-26

all my pleasant hopes, Guy-something
strange and unexpected, yet none the
less conclusive" Then Queenie told
her story.
lone of the rooms, Guy, l have not
touched or sltered-an apartment on
the ground fJor, facing the north, fin.
ished with tile, and so cold, dark and
gloomy that found 1t quite hopeless
matter to make it healthy and pleasant.
Yet it is handsome room, with inlaid
floor and tiles of such great worth that
] wonder the old mansion has not been
broken into and pillaged Of them. Prob
ably no one about here knows their
worth. But, as l say, / left the tile
parlor unchanged, even from the cobwebs
and yews growing against the windows.
But it is the only unpleasant place In
the house. and Its neighborhOod to the
bright little sitting room | have made
has never troubled me.
Zone chilly, rainy night less than a
week ago, and after wrote you to come,
J l sat reading by the bright hearth. fire
OF my sitting room until nearly twelve
O'Clock. Patty was asleep in a little
room leading from it, which is directly
beneath my chamber, and the other two
servants, housemaid and man, were
asleep in their rooms in another part OF
the house. ] told Patty not to sit up;
yet when it grew midnight the solitude
of the great house weighed on me little,
and felt 10th to go up to my chamber.
Finally | wrapped myself in my dress-
ing. gown and lay down on couch before
the hearth, knowing that the great wood
fire would keep the room warm till
morning. had lain there but moment,
/ think, when l heard voice in the
room say, Look under the hearth In
the psrlor.' 1t was so distinct voice
that the room seemed to echo with 1t.
dor't know why did as did do; !
should have thought l would have been
afraid but | sprang up, caught light
from the table, crossed the ball and
opened the door OF the parlor"
Poor little Queeniel You had over
exerted yourself, and your brain had
grown excited and unsettled"
"But, Guy, / knelt down in that
dark room by the hearth and passed my
hands over the smooth tiles. Almost
instantly found that one was oose. 1t
was small, and pried it open with a
hsirpin. Here beneath lay small,
yellow, folded paper. stared at it q
moment, then took it out, and seeing, as
l expected, that it was covered with
writing, only stopped to look once
more around the silent black parlor, then
hurried back to my sitting room.
ooh, Guy, it was no coincidence, my
finding q paper in that place. The
paper is of the utmsst importance. You
may see that for yourself. Here 1t is,"
ant rising, Queenie took II from one of
the corner cabinets secured to the wal,
and placed it in Guys hand. A bit OF
coarse yellow parchment, the chirogra-
ply quaint, the ink faded but 1t was
the written confession of one Gilbert st.
Edgar thst the estate of Deadwoed had
been wrongfully obtained, and that he
had wrongfully defrauded the rightful
line OF inheritance and he furthermore
be sought and instructed the finders of
the paper, which he declared hidden
under the hearth of the tile parlor for
preservation few days before his death,
to restore the ill'gptten estate of Dead
wood to its rightiul inheritors. Guy
Blond rs scholarly face 3 'ew grave and
n tnfs paler ss he read. Anticipating
what it BODIED for him, he made strong
effort for self preservation.
"Queenie, dear Queenie, you surely
don't mean that you are going to give
up d sdwood and all our hopes for this
little scrap OF paper 2"
"D-adwood Is not mine, Guy"
"On, Queenie, don't plunge yourself
into after poverty and separste us for
thi. unsuhstantisl idea F"
81 will not, il it is un,ubstsntial,
Guy. l hope it may prove so. Let us
both hope so, and be happy, at least
until we find out" said the girl, making
an effort to stave off her own discour-
sgement. She was iull of pity, too, for
the pain OF the heart ali hers in its
freshness and strength. Yet nothing
overcsme the power OF that honest
blood which had come with the strong
blue eyes She held firm day after day,
only replyi0g to Guys plesdings
"Desdwood must be mine, Guy. II
it is not mine | do not want 1t. 1t
would never be home else"
At last Mr., Quill, who had been sent
FOR, came.
Queenie withheld the story Of her
dream, as Guy called it, but inquired,
as quietly as possible, as to the existence
OF Gilbert St Edgar.
ooh, yes, my dear, your great. great
uncle. never saw him, of course, but
my father remembers him."
Il have a reason for wishing to see
his penmanship, Mr. Quill, said Queenie.
"Do you think there is any In exist.
ence ?"
"Oh, yes; ] know there is. My un,
Gle, who was friend his, left guam
tity of old letters and papers; among
them are written bills of this same Gil
bert st. Edgar. I'll look when l 20
home and send you a specimen Of the
old mans chirography. Very interest
ing, these old relics, Miss ct. Edgar"
And Mr. Qaill partook Of a delicious
tea and rode back to town, never dream
ing Of the strained and anxious young
hearts be had lett behind him.
Two days later, inclosed in iacetious
note inquiring when the wedding was to
be. arrived from Mr.. Quill bit Of yellow
paper signed Gilbert st. Edgar.
With the color ebbing from cheek and
lips, Queenie and Guy compared 1t to
the parchment, taken from the tile par
lor; for it was identical snd the same
penmanship. There could be no doubt.
"And now, QueenieY"
"Now all hore is at an end at least
for long years Guy. But we may get
rich bye-and bye, and them
Tried beyond endurance he flung the