Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-07-01

not I suggest that to Harry long agoP
No, indeed, he won't have this hideous
thing removed, because it was his
uncle's dying wish that it should be
kept here. i can't blame him either,
dear fellow. Old Mr.. Van Schenck,
with all his eccentricities, was very
kind to him, and in his will left him
his whole fortune, but the wretches
who murdered him took everything,
stocks, bonds, and all-it was one of
his peculiarities to keep his property in
n portable form-and the will was
doubtless among them. The law gave
Harry the house."
rupted Elsie. "You know | only had
the bare facts while I was abroad, none
of the particulars, and the three days /
spent ut home before coming down to
you"
"Were filed with descriptions of
travel, displaying your finery, etc. Yes,
know. There isn't really very much to
tell; but, to begin at the beginning
I'll inform you how my bette noire came
to be the bane of my life. 1t seems that
thirty years ago old Mr.. Van Schenck-
then rich bachelor of fifty-fell des-
perately in love with a beautiful girl,
whose father he had befriended. She
engaged herself to him, and he began to
remodel the house to suit her taste
fancy the taste that would destroy a
lovely carved oak mantelpiece to make
way for that monsterl-when an old
lover appeared on the scene; and she,
probably fearing that her father would
force her to keep her promise, ran away
with him. 1t was a terrible blow to
Mr.. Van Schenck, an excessively proud
man. He stopped the repairs just where
they were, dismissed all his servants
except one old woman, and, in spite of
the entreaties of all his friends and rela-
tives, persisted in living alone up TO the
day of his murder. This was the room
he always occupied. The bed stood in
that corner, facing the mantelpiece.
The mnrderers entered by one of the
western windows, aud had doubtless
been hiding in the wood, watching their
His eccentricities were
well-known in the neighborhood, and
he was reputed to be. immensely rich.
Only a week before Harry had been
here, represented the danger, and beg
ged him to have at least trusty man.
servant on the place. He obstantly re-
fused, and the next news we had was
summons to his death-bed. My hus-
band reached here few minutes before
dusk, and found his uncle still alive, but
unable to speak-the principal wound
was a deep cash in the throat. The old
man seemed terribly anxious to tell him
and made a motion of writ
ing on the coverlet, but his strength was
failing, the room growing dark, and
Harry could not understand. At last,
to sitting position in bed,
he pointed to the mantelpiece, gasped
Kept, kept then the blood gushed
from the wound in his throat, and he
sank back on the pillows-dead."
Horrible! horrible" cried Elsie.
'' Poor old man. how he must have
loved the girl, to think, even on his
teath-bed, OF preserving the one thing
she had given him time to prepare in
his home for her sake! Doesn't il lend
he ugly old nantelpiece a touch of
No wonder Harry won't
allow it to be removed | should feel
Is If it were sacrilege."
don't want it removed either" re-
1lied Kate, slowly. But with sud-
len animation" how l should like to
over it up, every inch of It'll"
Elsie looked at her inquiringly.
I'm half ashamed to tell you," con-
.inued Kate, lowering her voice, "but
believe shall actually grow afraid of
hat thing unless / can find some way
% change 1t. OF course il sounds silly
enough to say so now, sitting here in
his broad, bright sunlight; but it's
quite another matter when the dusk
zones stealing in, casting shadows in
very corner, and the wind howls and
'hrieks around the old house. A week
lgo sat yonder at one of the windows,
for Harry, who was n little
ater than usual. 1t had been n gray,
'aw, chilly day, like a forerunner of
with one of those dreary,
winds signing through the
rees that always do make me dismal,
md was troubled, too, about Harry's
business. | can trust you, Elsie. I know
,f old, so | will tell you the whole story.
He is on the brink OF ruin. Hard times
nave sorely crippled the old firm into
which he was admitted when he married
ne, and Mr.. Van Schenck was to have
advanced 100000 the week he died to
AIRY them through to the first of Janu-
lry. Harry has always reproached him
Ielf for his carelessness in discussing
,he arrangements while walking with
lis uncle in the wood behind the house.
He thinks the murderers may have
overheard them, and killed the old man
% obtain the money, for he was TO have
it to him the day after the
and not a trace of that or any
)ther property could be found. With
his amount the firm would have been
'afe; now, it is very uncertain whether
hey can hold out. That's the reason,
Elsie dear, why we are obliged to stay
lere this winter instead Of going TO
New York. We must either live on the
,lace or sell it-for since the murder no
,ody will rent it-apd the old mansion
las been in the family ever since Long
.sland was settled, so of course Harry
won't part with it until the last cent is
rome.
But to return to the reason why
nm more than ever anxious to alter the
I'D mantelpiec e-don't laugh mt me
Elsiei just week ago I sat here
linking of Harry's troubled face when
ne left me in the morning, wondering
Why he was SO late, and listening TO the
wind y,ano.,tr~ ox,l H.