Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-09-04
THE MISSING DEED.

There are the Grants Of Grant and III
Grants Of Dalyey; there are Grants il
Edingburgh and Grants in London. klas
the Grants are disinherited race, for thei
grandfathers, it seems, always squanderet
the fortunes which they ought to have lei
to their sons. At least know that was tn
case With my grandfather. Had he no
played ducks and brakes with my inherit
ance. should now have been-but there,
an content 20 be what | am. Grant 0
Tullybardane, and never a dearer o
loyelier home had Scottish man to dwell in
My wife often laughs at me for being 81
fond of the place. But then the stranges
event of my life IS bound up with ny
possession. And surely ! may well re
member and be thankful for that event, fol
without il yonder lady with the silver hail
would scarcely have been sitting near me
and laughing at the follies OF an old mar
as she does
Eiye-and-thirty years ago I was living
here III the Grange ut Tullybardane. The
place had come 70 my father by bequest moi
many years before and he had scarcely
learned 10 play the laird before he died and
left it TO inc. | was only a boy then, and
my mother and l were quite content with
our lives in the new home. So there
lived and grew up to manhood, and there
in the course Of years | fell in love. Ac-
cordingly, one winter morning rode across
TO Glen Leyannoch, and asked Mr. Fraser
to give me his daughter to be my wife. OIL
course l had found ont beforehand that
Miss Fraser was not unwilling to be given
Well. we mad long interview. and the
results in brief were these: had left home
tolerably confident, as one is wont to be AZ
four-and-twenty, and l returned abOut as
detected and indignant as any reasonable
man ever was. Mr.. Fraser was an old
friend. lie had been one of my guardians.
He was my fathers executor. | expected
my declaration to be heartily welcomed.
Tullybardane is better property than Glen
Levannooh. What was there TO stand in
our way? But when [ came back I felt
like man who was stunned by a treacher-
Gus blow. All of 4 suddec, for the first
time IN my life. / learned that my title to
Tulybardane was not beyond dispute l
heard that a certain document had long
been missing from the title deeds, and that
till that document were found could never
be entirely secure in my own home. But
what was far worse, under the circum-
stances, Mr.. Fraser informed me he could
not encourage my suit for his daughter 5
hand.
What followed I don't quite remember
| have haunting fear that lost my tenn
per, and that on one side or the other a
good deal Of strong language was used. !
know ! swore | would never give Nellie up,
not even if | were turned cut of Tullybar-
dane neck and crop next day. OF course
1t was very foolish, but then the circum-
stances were exceptional. When | got
home I sent for the attorney, and for the
next four days I did nothing, think, ex-
cept consult lawyers, and look over papers,
and rHmmage every hole and corner of the
Grange for the missing deed. But what
blr. FraSe- had told ME proved TO be only
too true.
In the week that followed I remember
three things distinctly, not that they were
in themselves important, but that they
bore upon that strange event which made q
turning point in my life. The first is, that
rode over to Glen Levannoch, and was
told that Mr.. and Miss Fraser had left
home, to stay with friends in Edinburgh.
The second is, that my man George, who
acted rs footman and valet to me, got
drunk one night and left the house door
wide open-for which l have not ceased to
thank Providence ever since. Now, as a
rule, am lenient to these failings. Whisky,
! regret to say, has an attraction for men in
these northern climates which few can re-
sist. But, whether it was that was out of
sorts, or whether it was that my mother
was alarmed. don't know, but | resolved
To make al example, and | turned the man
out Of the house next day. The third in
oident was more important, and shall be
told at length.
] am q good sleeper; / don't dream
much; don't believe in dream warnings
and such things. l have no faith in ghosts
though my cousins the MacMocks have a
banshee in their filmily-as a fact, ! say.
But about that time l used to try and
dream Of c certain lady, and SO one night |
fell asleep and l did dream. And this is
what dreamed:
I thought was in Edinburgh standing
in Princess street land let mo find any
street IN England or anywhere else which
can compare with that, and waiting by the
Waverley monument. Opposite me was q
hotel, which | suppose | was watching,
for ont Of it presently came, as clear and
vivid as in life, Nellie Fraser, with a
veil over her head. She came slowly
toward me and lifted her veil, reveal
ing face so white and miserable that
[ scarcely knew il; and then, as
stepped forward, she raised one hand,
and, pointing up across the gorge toward
the High-street HUI, vanished into moy-
ing mist. Then the shadows began to shift
and shufie themselves, and presently out
came another vision from my dream. |
was there still, standing, but all the sur
roandings had changed | seemed TO be in
Il sort of shop or Office. counter was be-
fore me, and all around me were thin phan-
tom figures, with no features that | could
see. Only one among these misty shapes
had visible human face. And that one ad
yanced toward me with smile which
shall never forget 1t was the face of a
young man, slightly dropped, as if its
owner were shy or deferential, with blue,
bright eyes and gentle, handsome features,
and fair hair, and lips that seemed TO be
made for laughter, and smile that shone
like a CLEAN of sunshine there.
And in moment the face and forms had
vanished. The darkness seemed to grow
darker. l heard soft steps walking in the
air. / felt as if cold wind were blowing
in my face. Suddenly saw the chill sea
shining far off under the white stars. A
voice that was harsh broke out in hoarse
laughter beside me, and them woke.
Two days after l set out for Edinburgh
with three objects. l wanted to consult an
eminent advocate. l wanted TO get new
seTNallL. Anu Wduleu III least 10 una out
where the Frasers were.
saw the great advocate and he confirmed
my fears. Unless the missing deed is
found. my dear sir, he said in his blandest
accents, your title is so defective as to be
legally worthless should rival claimant
arise
did not see the Frasers, but l got their
address, and | wrote one letter to the father
and four to the daughter.
engaged new man-seryant, in this
way
Our need of a servant being pressing ]
went. foI the first and last time III my life,
to a registry office. The shop lay in the
south of the town, up beyond High street
and when l entered it there were several
ued-looking beings-unfortunate ap-
plicants, I suppose-standing around. Be
hind the counter were q man and woman,
and to the former-haying q prejudice in
favor of doing business with my own sex,
begotten perhaps of shyneSs-I applied
He kept me waiting long time. Then be
looked over prodigious ledger, and read
me out numerous applications which were
perfectly useless. At length, however, be
came to one which thought would do.
told him go and he thereupon invited me
10 wait q little longer, as the young man
in question was likely to call shortly. A
first I refused, but on consideration | de
cided 20 go out and have my hair cut, ant
then 10 return and see if the young man
were there.
When l came back some twenty minutes
later, the small Office was full OF people. Al