Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-24
My Heritage.

did not like MaNton Hall nor its
master there was melhing in Ed
ward Nidal's grim, stu face and shift
ing eyes which spoke of an uneasy
conscience. secret guarded. Yet |
determined 10 remain; for why should
/. secretary to this wealthy rccluse,
allow considerations of this kind TO
stand in my way of making "A living,
and in an enjoyable, easy way, too;
for il was pleasant to search through
the time-y ellowed volumes in the wide
library for the notes and references
necessary for the great book he was
writing. and il was easy because | had
my afternoons and evenings at my dis
posal the use OF "A good horse, a gun,
and unrcStrained admittancc to the
library. with It's ineXhauStible treas
ures.
1t was three o'clock in the afternoon.
and the sunshine of a beautiful April
day streamed i'm through the open win
dow sat alone before my desk do
ing nothing Mr.. Vidal had just left
me, and | was free for the rest of the
day. could not take my thoughts
from the man; an ar of mystery en-
shroudcd him. the blight of sin, the
wear OF remorse. together with the
mark which his sixty odd years had
left, were visible on his emaciated,
rugged face What was his secret?
would have given much To know But
conf, ed there was not the slightest
probability of ever learning il. for my
master was my master and nothing
more -uncomnunicative, sphinx Bke,
There was no danger he would ever
bctray himself by an impusiye conf
deucc.
A. sat thu, i'm an idle mood, mus
inc in thi, way. heard a strange
sound. the long drawn, temulous cord
of violin. 1t seemed 10 come from
long distance, and trcmblcd on the
silence ke happy sigh. What did
it mean? No visitor ever came to
MaNton hall. sat spell bound until
il died away. and then ! opened the
door leading into the passage beyond.
where face To face me- Mr.. Vidal.
He passed on without addressing me,
but In the glance he gave. | read an
anxious troubled inquiry, almost
tragic.
Wa, he fearful that had hcarde
Was this connected in some way with
the secret he carried i'm his heart?
Through the weeks that followed
waited 10 hear that strange. sweet
sound again, but in vain
Edward Vidal was becoming distract
and looked fcarfully i'll. Sometimes
he would press his hand convulsively
10 his heart rs if to still its pain. and
once or twice il seemed that he was
going To speak of something that
troubled him, but Immediately his face
would resume its impressive mask. and
the usual routine between us was re-
sumed
Only few of the many rooms at
Maxton Hall were in daily use, and
these were all on the western side of
the house and belonged to later date
than the eastern wing.
Perhaps 1t was a fancy for the mys-
ferrous which drew me TO this deserted
portion of the old house during a
| fierce thunderstorm one sultry July
night. Something impelled me to
visit il, and the crashing thunder, a
made my way through the unlit pas
sagcs, passing my hands over walls
| of cold, heavy stone. was fitting
! accompaniment for the gloomy place
| l.
| and here paused for breath; through
a dusty oricl window ! saw the light
| ming flash upon the black, troubled
waters of the Chesapeake Bay, and at
! the same moment heard again that
long trcmulous violin note, for which
! had listened in vain for months ruflle
| the stiffness.
This time il was 50 faint. so sweet.
so far off, that ! fancicd il was trick
of my imagination. waited, and after
an interval there followed higher
note of stronger tension.
was not dreaming then? Some
where i'm this storied old homestead,
built almost a century ago, was there
hidden some living soul? Or was there
supernatural echo of crime com
mitted in the pastP
did not believe in the spiritual,
and. nothing dauntcd, though my
heart was beating fast and evenly,
| commenced 20 ascend the turret stairs.
Tho higher | went the palmer the
faint music became. until at last
recognized the air as one of Schu-
manns
Reaching the top, | looked around
at circular, solid stone wall
found on close examination an iron
door almost at the extremity Of the
further side, and came 90 the conclu.
sion that the center of the spacious
turrct was circular room, and this
was the only means If ingress TO IL.
This belief was confirmed 0y the fact
that from behind this dense wall came
the sweet faint, music which had
guided me TO the SPOT