Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-12-01

He gave her his watch and chain,
and she put them in her bosom. Then
he took from drawer a small, brass-
bound, scaIletleather trunk.
els that valuable, grandpa?"
eyes"
He went out of the room with it.
while she knelt before trunk. rapidly
packing it. She filled it with her grand.
mothers clothing, rich brocades and
costly shawls.
Grandsire Lyndon came back.
"What did you do with it, grandpa p
81 gave it to Preston to carry away"
"To whom, grandpa? Are you sure
it will be safer for the engines were
come and the water was beating in
deafening torrents against the plate
glass.
"To Preston. 1t was full of gold
coin. 1t will be perfectly safe. 1 am
afraid they will break the windows, y
said the old man, beginning to grow
bewildered and tired.
Then she led him away from the sad
scene.
The house became ruin. Fortu-
nately the cottage of the foreman was
large and commodious, aud here the
inmates found shelter and comfort.
No one was injured, and much had
been saved, though the beautiful house
was in ruins.
One by one the guests Of that gay
summertime departed. Leah remain
ed with her grandfather; Preston Ath-
erton. too, and Brette Delford, whose
services he needed.
Fortunately am not quite without
ready money" said the old man cheer
fully. "The little scarlet trurk-what
did you do with it, Preston?"
The young man looked up in sur
prise.
81 remember nothing of the kind,
sir?
The good old man had his faults; he
was quick.tempered.
"Tut, tut what are you talking
about? You promised to carry it to a
safe place."
81 saw him take it," asserted Brette.
The young mans bewilderment had
the appearance of dishonesty.
"There was thousand dollars in the
trunk. Produce it at oncel" cried the
old man.
81 remember nothing of receiving il"
was all Preston could say.
He racked his brains; he talked over
every incident of the fire with Leah,
but all to no purpose. He was wretch
ed; they both were.
Grandsire Lyndon seemed strangely
bitter and hard. The catastrophe had
greatly disturbed him. He was not
like his old self, Leah said, sadly. But
- thousand dollars was not slight loss
for anybody. 1t was far too much for
a young man like Preston Anterior to
miss accounting for.
Day by day he grew more detected,
as the old man grew harder, colder and
more suspicious. Leah saw, soon, how
Brette Delford added to those unjust
suspicious.
"Heaven knows would pay him the
amou at of the money, innocent though
| am" said Preston. "But cannot; L
am poor"
Once the old man had been fond of
him; be was mentioned handsomely
in his will. Now the affection once in
spired seemed changed to gall. He
turned on him al accusing confidence.
He would have little to say to him.
He no longer consulted him. Brette
was his chief adviser and assistant.
Preston's cheek was white, but Leah's
was whittier. She was ill; she was near
ly crazed with sleeplessness; yet her
old habit of self-control stood by her
well. Preston, who loved her, did not
see how thin she was growing. But
she had courage, while his had flown.
One night, as she lay thinking upon
a thorny pillow, she heard q step on
the gaavel under the window. She
knew it, She rose instantly aud list
ened.
1t went down the avenue. Brette
Delford paused at the foot of the ave-
nue. and looked back. 1t was star
light night; he could see nobody. He
believed himself perfectly safe, and
the temptation was strong. He went
on-down the starlighted road, under
the low-hanging trees-down the dewy
lane to the wood, where the starlight
dimly illuminated the fragrant, UNI
brageous glade where he had once sur-
prised Leah waiting for Preston Ather-
ton. 1t was full of gloom and damp
ness now. Yet he pressed on, and at
last stopped at the end of a huge, rot
ten log, lying half-buried in the dank
turf, and peered sharply about it. He
bent down, at last, and pressed the
spongy mould with his hands.
AS he did so, ;he shining butt of a
revolver glinted in tie light of twink
ling star. He still stopped, searching
among the debris of former summers.
The rotten leaves sent up strong,
woody odor rs he disturbed them.
At length he uttered faint excla-
nation, and drew forth square, dark
object, with gittering edges-the scar
let, brass-bound trunk He rested it
upon his knee, when he had lifted him
self, and paused a moment to rest.
What white shape was that which
glided to his shoulder? Was it a
spirit? No, only girl in simple,
pale wrap. Her slender jeweled hand
reached and snatched the revolver
from his breast. With an oath, he
turned and saw the weapon leveled at
his head.
"Take the trunk home" cried Leah,
or | will hesitate at nothing"
He looked desperately at that slen-
der hand: but the owner stood at q
safe distance. Weak rs she was, he
could not take the pistol from her
without advancing upon his own peril.
"Home-home," she cried.
He obeyed her. 1t was not far. If
it had been further, he thought he
might have invented a plan for es-
cape; but she pursued him, like an
avenging fate, into the cottage to her
grsndsire's bedside.
"Here il the thief" she cried.
"Brette, did give it 10 your" said
the old man.
"Yes," answered the other, doggedly,
and went out of the chamber.
They allowed him to depart. After
all, it was y family affair. Before day
light he had gone, no one knew width
er. And then the old man could not
do enough to atone to Preston, and the
wedding took place that fall in shower
of geld.
Fraud Rims Him.
A German wine merchant has been
brought to want for selling sdulterated
articles, and his entire stock in trade
condemned to destruction. Some 4 600
casks were in his cellars, and in carry
ing out the court order the officials
proceeded to pump the wine into the
main gutter of the town tGffenburg).