The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-08-07
THE MISSING DEED.

that Grant was very coHhon haitic ih'io
are the Grants OF Grant and the Grants OF
Dalvey; there ore Grants in Edinburgh and
Grants in London. Alas! the Grants are
diSinheritcd race, for their grandfathers, IL
seems, always squandered the fortunes which
they ought to have left to their sons. AT
least, know that it was the case of my own
grandfather Had he not played ducks and
brakes with my inheritance | should now
have boen-but thore, / am content to DO
what | am, Grant of Tuilybardane, ana
never dearer or lovelier home had Scottish
man to dwell in. My vile often laughs at
me for being so fond of the place. But then
the stransest event OF my life Is bound up
with its possession. And surely | may well
remember and be thankful for that event,
for without it yonder lady with the SILVER
hair would scarcely now hove been sitting
near mo, and laughing at the folllos oil an Oh
man as she does
Five-and.thirty years ago was living here
in the grange at Tullybardano. The place
had come TO my father by bequHSt not many
years before, and he had scarcely learned to
MAY the laird before he died and left 1t to
me was only a boy then, and my mother
and were quite content with our lives IN the
new home SO there lived and grew up to
manhood, and there in the course Of year, |
fell in love. Accordingly, one winter morn
ing | rode across to Glen Levannoch, and
asked Mr. Fraser TO give me his daughter 70
be my wife. OF course | had found oUt be-
flrchand that Miss Fraser was not unwilling
TO be given
Wei, We had n long interview, and the re-
suits in brief were these. ! had left home
tolcrably oonlllent, as one is wont to be at
fduI-ani- twenty and ! returned about rs lie
jccted and indignant rs any reasonable man
ever was. Mr. Fraser WAS an old friend lie
had been ono Of my guardians, He was my
fathers executor. IcNprcted my declaration
10 be heartily welcomed. Tulybardane Is
better property than Glen Ieyanno,h. What
was there 70 stand in our way! Bat when |
came back felt like "a man who Ia, been
stunned bv a treachrrouS blow. All of sud
den, for the first time in my life, learned
that my title to Tully barlane wa, not beyond
dispute | heard that n certain document bad
long been missing from the title deeds, and
that till that document was found | could
never be entirely secure in my own home. !
But what was far worse, under the clrrun- !
stances, Mr. Fraser informed me lac could
not encourage my suit for his daughter
hand
What followed don't quite remember l
have haunting fear that | lost my temper /
and that on one side or the other a good deal .
Of strong language was U~ci. ] know |
sgore would never give Nellie up, uot even /.
II ! were tnrnel out Of TUllyharlaue ug'k /
and crop mex. day OF course, it was very /.
foolish, but then the circumstances were cI- /
Cap..onal Whcn got home sent for the /
h, Il I q. I
nothing. think. except consult lawyers and /.
LOOK over papers AMI rummase every hole T.
and corner * the grange for the missing .
d.-d Bat what Mr. Fraser told me proved /,
20 T., only to tTT-a
In the week that followed remember three
things distinctly, NJ, that tAay We're them
-lve, important, tut tina; they bore upon |
tt-. strange event which made a turning F..
l..1, in my life. The first j., that role over /
'n Glan Layannocb ami was told that Nr. and !
Ms Fraser bad re-, home, 10 stay with friends !
III Eilrlu--h The second is that my man !
Gorge. who artel aS footman and valet 10 .
ra. got drunk ono night and lett the house
door wide open for which have not ceased !
q. -lank Providence syer since. Now, as a
rude. | am lenlent t. these fallngS Whisky, J
I 81 grrt 10 say, has an attraction for men in !
these northern climl'eS which few can resist |
Flt. whether il was that | was ont Of sorts |
or whether il was that my mother was
alarmed, / don't know. but resolved to make !
au example, and turned the man out of the |
house the next day. The third incident .
was more important, and shall be told at !
length.
am cool sleeper, don't dream much, | !
don't believe in dream warnings and such !
things. have no faith in ghosts--though | !
know for fact that my cousins the Mac !
Mucks have "A banshco in their family-as "A
tact say. But about that time | used TO
try and dream Of IA certain lady, and SO ono
night fell asleep and did dream And this
is what dreamed.
thought ! was in Edinburgh, standing in !
Princes street laud Let me find any street in
England. or anywhere else which can compare
with that and waiting by the Wayc'ly
monument Opposite mo was hotel, which
J suppose was watching, for ont Of it pres
entity came, as clear and vivid rs in life,
Nelly Fraser, with "A veil over her head; she
came slowly toward me and lifted her veil,
revealing a face 80 white and miserable that
scarcely knew it, and then, as stepped for
ward sh" raised one hand, and, pointing up
,,
vanished into a moving mist. Then the
shadows began to shift and shuttle Themselves,
and presently out came another vision from
my dream ] was there still, standing, but
oil The surroundings had changed. | seemed
% bc in a sort of shop or Office. A counter
was before me, and all around me We're thin
phantom figures, with no features that |
could s,e. Only one among these misty
shapes had visible human face And that
one advanced toward mo with "A smile which
/ shall never forget 1t was the face of
young man, slightly dropped, as il its owner
were Shy or drfercntial, with blue, bright !
eyes and gentle, handsome features, and fsr
hair. and lips that seemed to be made for |
Inn"hter, and a smile that shunc like a gleam |
Of sunshine there.
And in "A moment the face and forms had |
van. he'd The darkness seemed to grow |
DARKER heard soft steps walking in the air | |
felt rs II cold wind were blowing inmy face. |
Suddenly saw the chill sea shining alar Off |
under the white stars. A voice that was |
barsh broke out in harsh laughter beside me, |
and them woke.
Two days after ! set out for Edinburgh, |
with three objects ] wanted TO consult an |
eminent advocate. | wanted TO get now
servant. Aud wanted, at least, ~ find out
whore the Frasers were
saw the great advocate, and he confirmed |
my 'ars "UnleSs the missing decd is found, |
INV ilpar Il Ia said in biG hlnpIa.t u,...,t.