The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-04-23

| aoAJ iic ShU tGSNe LiClC h3lUHS ltlClT fWOIEQ
Bur, as | say, I left the tile parlor I'm.
changed, even from the cobwebs and
yews growing against the windows But
it.is the only unpleasant place in the
house, andits neighborhood to the bright
little sitting room 1 have made has never
troubled me. &1
"One chilly, rainy night less than a
week ago, and after wrote you to come
sat reading by the bright hearth fire OF
my 'sitting-room until nearly twelve
O'Clock. Patty was asleep in 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 soil.
tude of the great house weighed on me a
little, and I felt 10th to go 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. I had lain
there but a moment, think, when I
heard a voice in the room say, Look
under the hearth of the parlor' IT was
so distinct a voice that the room seemed
to echo with it, I don't know why
did as I did do; should thought
would have been afraid; but sprang
up, caught light from the table, crossed
the hall and opened the door Of the par
lor. -. 5s,as - .... .
"Poor little Queeniel You had over
exerted yourself, and your brain had
grown excited and unsettled"
"But, Guy, I knelt down in that dark
room by the hearth and passed nay hand
over the smooth tiles. Almost instantly
L found that one was loose. It was small
and I pried itup with a hairpin. Here
beneath lay small, yellow, folded pa
per. I stared at it a moment, then TOOK
it out, and seeing, as I expected, that it
was covered with writing, I only stopped
to look once more around the silent Black
parlor, then hurried back to NV sitting
room. #s*. -. Il. ..'" T.:
Oh, Guy, it was no coincidence, my
finding paper in that place! The pa
per is of the utmost importance. You
may see 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 cbirography
quaint, the ink faded; but 1t was the
written confession of one Gilbert st. Ed
gar that the estate of Deadwood had been
wrongfully obtained, and that he had
wrongfully defrauded the rightful owner
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 safe pres
ervation few days before his death, to
restore the ill-gotten estate of Deadwood
to its rightful inheritors. Guy Blonde
scholarly face grew grave and trife
paler as he read. Anticipating what it
BODIED for him, he mada 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 paper2' d.
''Deadwood is not mine, Guy"
ooh, Q1eenie, don't plunge yourself In
to after-poverty and separate us for this
unsubstantial ideal"
II will not, if it is unsubstantial, Guy.
/ hope 1t 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 encouragement. 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:
''Deadwood must be mine, Guy. IF it
is not mine, do not want it. It 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. f..
ooh, yes, my dear; your great-great-~
uncle. I never saw him, of course, but
my father remember him" IT,. -.
II have q reason for wanting to see his
penmanship, Mr.. Quill" said Queenie.
''Do you think there is any in .existence2"
"Oh, yes; know there is. My uncle,
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 90 home, and
send you specimen of the old mans
chirography. Very interesting, these old
relics, Miss st. Edgar"
And Mr.. Quill partook of delicious
tea and rode back to town, never dream
ing Of the strained and anxious Young
hearts he mad left behind him.
Two days later, inclosed in facetious
note inquiring when the wedding was to
he, arrived from Mr.. Quill a bit of vel
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 if was identical, and
the same penmanship. There could be
no doubt.
"And now, Queenie2"
"Now all hope is at an end; at least
for long years, Guy. But we may get
rich by-and-by, and them
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. Nc
more anger or reproaches. He realized
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