The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-03-13

Probably no one about here knows their
worth. But. as / say, l left the tile
parlor unchanged, even from the cob.
webs and yews growing against the win
dows. But it is the only unpleasant
place in the house, and its neighbor-
hood to the bright little sitting-room 1
have made has never troubled me.
"One chilly, rainy night less than o
week ago, and after wrote you to come,
L sat reading by the bright hearth fire
of my sitting room until nearly twelve
o'clock. Patty was asleep in O 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. had told Patty not to sit
up; yet when it grew midnight the SOL
itude of the great house weighed on me
a little, and felt 10th to go up to my
chamber. Finally wrapped myself in
my dressing-gown and lay down on a
couch before the hearth, knowing that
the great wood fire would keep the
room warm till morning. 1 had lain
there but a moment, think, when 1
heard a voice in the room say, Look
under the hearth OF the parlor.' It was
80 distinct a voice that the room seemed
to echo with it. 1 don't know why I
did as did do; 1 should thought 1
would have been afraid but 1 sprang
up, caught light from the table, cross
ed the hall and opened the door of the
parlor."
"Poor little Queenie You had over.
exerted yourself, and your brain had
grown excited and unsettled"
"But, Guy, I Bnelt down in that dark
room by the hearth and passed my hand
over the smooth tiles. Almost instantly
L found that one was loose. It was
small, and ! pried it up with q hairpin.
Here beneath lay small, yellow, folded
paper. stared at it moment, then
took it out, and seeing, as I expected,
hat it was covered with writing, I only
tipped to look once more around the
,ilent black parlor, then hurried back to
my sitting-room.
ION, Guy, it was no coincidence, my
finding paper in that place The
papt r is of the utmost importance. You
may see that for youSself. 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 had wrongfully defrauded tie right
full 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 few days
before his death, to restore the ILL
gotten estate of Deadwood to its rightful
inheritors. Guy Blondel's scholarly
lace grew grave and trife paler as 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 Deadwood and all our hopes for this
old scrap of paper9"
"Deadwood is not mine, Guy"
"Oh, Queenie, don't plunge yourself
into after poverty and separate us for
this unsubstantial idea |"
81 will not, if it is unsubstantial,
Guy. Ihope it may prove so. Let. us
both hope SO, and be happy, at least un-
til we find out" said the girl, making
in 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
overcame 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:
net Iaa
it is not mine, 1 do not want it, 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,
us quietly as possible, as to the exist
ence of Gilbert st. Edgar.
ooh, yes, my dear; your great great
uncle. I never saw him, of course, but
my father remembers him.
81 have q reason for wanting to see
his penmanship, Mr.. Quill" said Queen
ie; "Do you think there is any in ex-
"Oh, yes; I know there is. My un-
Gle, who was friend of his, left
quantity of old papers and letters,
among which are written bills of this
same Gilbert st. Edgar. I'll look when
60 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 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 a facetious
note inquiring when the wedding was to
be, arrived from Mr.. Quill bit of yell
low paper signed by Gilbert ST. Edgar.
With the color ebbing from cheek and
lips, Queenie and Guy compared it to
the parchment taken from the hearth of
the tile parlor; for it was identical, and
the same penmanship. There could be
no doubt.
"And now, Queenie ?"
8" Now all hope is at an end; at least
for long years, Guy. But we may get
rich by-and-bye, and then -
Tried beyond endurance he flung the
slender hand from his own. The next
moment he turned with bitter cry of
remorse, and snatched the girl from the
floor. She had tainted. =
He never gave way after that. No
more anger or reproaches. He realized
that Queenie, too, suffered, and tried to
comfort and susta n her.
The sad days went by. Queenie hid
the dainty wedding garments even from
her own eyes.
At length one evening-the last even
ing-a carriage whirled up the drive.