Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-02-11

Wnctp We ntSt saw MN, ana " we NAV lNuSt
hy his appearance the last few months have
not been the happicst ot his life. The lines
round his mouth have dccpcnCd aud one or
two crows feet are beginning to show In the
corner OF his eyes he has carcMorn look,
and altogether he seems aged. Opposite to
him sits his one chum, GlsSSdalc, also tar
riStcr, who has Just returned To town, and the
two are talking over the events that have hap
pcnCd To- each in the Long tlaSSdae has
lately fallen a victim to his Cousin MillN
pauNCrS' charms, and i now pouring into
pCrCy'S ear long detailed account of chow
II all happened" Percy allows him to con-
tinuo unintCrruptcdly until he has finished,
and then offers his congratulations. Glass
dale thanks him and then continues, when
| was staying With my uurlc's people lately
at Brighton, | say Miss Linton. She was
down there with her father, and lVor was
with them rs their guest"
"Oh! il all PerCy'S reply, hut an any
iOus, inquirmg look comes into his eyes
which is quite at variance with the careless
air he attempts to assume. 81 spoke To
her once or twice on the pier, aud, do you
know, it struck mo she was greatly altered
for the worse. She seems to have lost all
her spirits and she looks far from we'll
''Poor little darling, mutterS Percy
under his breath, and then aloud, Il sup
pose she's engaged To lNOr by now? Not
that 1t matters to me. though"
"Nu, she isn't at least. | didn't hear any
thing said about H. But he means II If ever
man did and follows her about like dog.
| don't like that fellow somehow"
Il should think not he's a downright
cad. He only wants her for her money;
every one can see that" cNclaims Percy,
very warmly. and then, n If ashamed of
displaying 50 much emotion. he suddenly
changes the subject and inquiries:
"And how did the old scoundrcl, her
father, seem -
Like bear with sore head. lie will
hardly speak civilly to any one. 1t seems
hos got himself into a regular hole over a
law affair, His a. the Iulttpr =
shortly this He got some iubling that
one OF the wdtcrW orks companies were
going to look out tor a piece of land for
new reservoir Somcw here near London. |
forget exactly where he said it was At
any rate he went prowliug about, and found
a piece belonging to a MIR. Boyer that would
just suit them. Thcrrup"u he entered into
negotiations with that gentleman, and, as he
attirms came to terms, and received letter
accepting his offer of E5,uOO for the field.
The very day he received that letter Boyer
was killed i'll railway accident Linton
now applied tu his executors to carry
out the sale, and they laugh at him, be-
| Iiering it to bo a mere 't'y on as no
vestige of anything relating Ia the tranSiC-
ton was found among Buyer'S papers after
| his death, except LintOn's letter making The
| offer In the meantime the water works
| have applied for the land, and offered Il good
| deal more than E6,GO, 80 II isn't very likely
| the executors will let Linton have it, more
| especially, and this il the finest joke. old
| IlltDn can | tlnu Boyer lttttr accepting ms
offer which he asserts he received. You can
! imagine what the old old mflian'S feelings
! are. seeing a good round sum slip through
! his fingers. He has hunted high and low
! for the letter, and declares some one must
| have stolen il, but my own idea is that il
| never existed, save in his Imagination. He
| even goes 50 far rs to describe il, saving il
I was written on a halt sheet of paper only,
| and no crest or monogram on it. All this
| must have happened lust about the time
| gnruppmEnr hrnl pt htPh will
| account Tor your not having heard anything
| about it."
"NeS, | suppose it was about then, for
! remember nc was always talking about buy
! ing some piece of land, and what he was
going to make out of it
" But, ! say. Percy" continued Gla~Sdalc.
"to change the subject, there is something |
want YOU to do for me, and hardly like to
| ask it
"Fireaway, old man, I'll do it if can,
! you may be sure"
| We'll, it's just this, when you were en-
! gagged to Miss Linton believe YOU gave her.
| among other things, lo"kot Of a very pecu-
| liar shape and pattern. | admired it good
| deal one evening when she wa, wearing it,
and she told me you had had il made for her.
| Now, want To know If you would have any
| objection to telling me where YOU got ii, 50
that | might get one made like it for Millie
| OF course, if YOU have, say at once. and
shall think no more Of the matter"
"Not in the least, my dear fellow. 1t is
my presents back when the affair came to an
end, and l.Should think the locket is among
them, and if 80 | shall be very glad to lend it
TO you to get one made like it. Here's the
| parcel put it up on that shelf the day they
were returned and have never touched il
| since
And Percy cuts the string and uudoes the
| brown paper wrapping.
There you are, that's its case, and think
! you'll find it inside throwinga leather-cov-
cred box over the table to Glassdalc.
"Hullo! what's this?' taking a sheet of
writing paper out of the parcel.
Here's something I've never seen, eX-
| cuSe me moment" Percy reads Tor mo-
ment or two and then drops into a chair
and covers his face with his hands, ultering
| not a sound.
My dear fellow, what's the matter -
eagerly inquiries Glassdalc. NO bad news
| hope -
bad news? No, the very best news
| ever had in my life, and it has been hidden
| from me for six months. What will my
| little girl think of me? Just listen to
| this"
Take no notice darling, of theS Setter you
will get with this. Papa makes me write
| it. ! don't mean a word of it, Be true
| to me a. | am to YOU. send "A line to say
| you forgive me. No time for more, he's
| com"
Look at it, all crumpled up anyhow,
| and showed in under one of the cases, so that
| he might not see it. It's a. clear as mud, she
| must nave written mat Wnen ne WASH [ look
ing. Read il yourself, old man and give me
| joy"
And Glassda!e takes the letter, and having
read it through, turns it over.
Why there's some writing on the other
sido, she must have seized on the first piece
of paper she could fluid. May read it ~
"Of course You may, 90 on"
GlasSdale scans the writing for a moment
or two, and then bursts out
BY the holy pOEerS it never rains but it
pours. You are in luck's way tonight just
listen to this -
20 APRIL, lS7-.
DEAR SIR In answer to your letter lust
received, making an offer of G6,OOO for the
Holm Meadow, | beg to say | am willing to
accept that sum, and if you will call on my
solicitors, Messrs. Grayburn and Reeves
RediOrd-row, on Friday morning next at
l2:3O, | will meet you there and a proper
contract can be drawn up. Yours truly,
JAMES BOYER.
There, my dear fellow you've got the
cal letter that old Linton is worrying himself
into his grave about Give him that and he'll
do anything for you / know"
"Oh, never mind that letter, it's the one
from Mabel that I'm thinking about"
I" Yes, that's all very well, but look what
pull the letter on the other side gives you.
Taking the two together, the old ruflian is
bound to cave in. She must have been IN
his study when she was packing up your
parcel, and have taken the first blank sheet
of paper she saw oil his desk probably the
letter was face downward 50 she wouldn't
sec the writing on the other side"
/" Yes fancy you are right, but tomorrow
morning shall explain everything. And to
Al II II ~. Il