The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-09-27
THE PRESTON TREASURE.
EY FRANK II. CONVERSE

was named Dorman-Charles II. Dor
man. He was a good-looking. mild.
hammered young man, reticent of speech
and given to solitude. He had briefly
explained on his arrival that preferrine
comfort to style, he had chosen the
quiet sea board village of Covert, in
preference to Mt. Desert, which laws a
few miles further east. rs a place in
which to spend his summer vacation.
Pretty Polly Preston had an idea of her
own, that money considerations might
also have Influenced his choice. For
Polly had decided that young Mr.. Dor
man was not over burdened with this
worlds goods, for the reason that he
habitually wore suit of tweed which
showed marks of hard service, and also
smoked brier pipe in his long strolls
Oh the beach. And Polly considered
shabby clothing and pipe-smoking, the
inevitable concomitants of genteel
poverty.
Mrs. Preston and Polly we're not, them
selves, Astounding in riches. They owned
the quaint old square.roofed house
built in revolutionary days, and lived
on the interest of the life insurance of
Captain Preston, the deceased husband,
who had been lest at sea soneyears be
fore. They had COW, some LENS, and
a small vegetable garden cultivated ION
shares" by Joe Millner, who regarded
pretty Polly with admiring eyes, as in
deed. did all the eligible young men in
Covert. For Polly was as good as she
was pretty, and as apable as she was
good-whlch is saying considerable.
The young lady in que ,tion was poking
about the pansy bed, on particularly
bright June morning. about a fortnight
after Mr. Dorman's arrival. The young
man, himself, was standing irresolutely
about the porch in sort ofbrown study.
Before him lay the harbor with its an
chored vessels, and beyond the far.
reaching sea-. whose distant sounding
voice filled the summer air like the
murmur Of a shell. The soft south wind
rustled the syringa and ilac bushes. end
whispered unutterable suggestions in
Polly's little pink ear, as she bent over
the quaint faced flowers.
ooh. isn't j. lovely" Involuntary ex-
claimed Polly, standing upright with a
great sigh o. enjoyment. Polly E,eans
the mornIng-her surroundings, and the
pleasure of feeling that one is in exist
ence on a charming June day.
But Mr.. Dorman. who answered Gin
deed it isl with such fervor as to quite
surprise the young lady, meant Polly
herself. For instead of having been Ell
joying the beauty of seu and sky, this
impo!ite young man had been secretly
studying the more attractive pict ire Of
Polly, whose soft dar< eyes and pi-
quante face were shaded by most be-
coming garden hat, fashioned and
trimmed by her own def fingers.
And Polly, who at his reply mad looked
up rather wonderingly, blushed like a
tea rose, as she caught his respectfully
while Mr.. Dorman colored like peo1.y.
at being thus detected.
"l.a.beg Your pardon-what, a-a-very
old house, this seems to be-" he stan-
mered with hasty irrelevance, as he
glanced upward at the old time building
with its small windows and one enor.
nous chimney at the very apex of the
roof.
And Polly, who had seen something
in the speakers eyes that caused a cur
ious futtering in the region of her heart.
sal yes-it had been built more than
100 years, she believed. And then, to
cover her mOmentary confusion of face,
she hurrid)y went on to relate the tam.
lily legend, devoutly believed in by gen.
era'ions of bvgone Prestons, which was
briefly, to this effect: Old Arnold Pres
ton, the original founder of the house,
had been man Of great wealth and mis-
erIy habits. He was a sort of local money
lender in colonial days, AMI kept large
store Of money by HIM. But one nigut
Covert was attack ed by Indians under
the leadership of King Philip, and Old
Arnold, who in dire apprehension had
concealed his gold somewhere about the
premises, was shot through the heart by
an Indian arrow, while his family were
taken away into captivity. Every sue
ceeding generation OF Prestons had
made vain search throughout the
old building. but the hid
den treasure had never been
discovered.
Such, in substance, was the story lis.
tened to by Dorman with eager intent
ness. not so much by reason of its OBJ
sorbing interest, as for the sake Of the
fair narrator who stood resting ner slim
hand on the rose trellis, as she talked
the fairest flower of all the garden-so
said the young man to his own heart.
"Oh, dear, wish we could fad it," re.
marked Polly with frank simplicity as
she concluded her recital, lit must be so
nice to have plenty of money. Don't
you think 80, Mr.. Dorman?' she added
unth,nkingly, as she lifted her clear ayes
TO her listene, g handsome face, Instant
ly regretting her needless question, as q
slight flush crossed his cheek.
sometimes" was his rather en-
igmatic answer, and then he changed
the subject. by saying that if the Wave,