Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-15
THE MISSING DEED.

Grants in London Alas, tho Grants are q
disinherited race for their granafathCrS, 1t
ssenS alwayS suuandCTed the fortunes which
they ought to have left to their sons At
least | know that il was the casn of my own
grandfather Had he not played ducks and
drakcs with my inheritance | should now
have lp-rn-hut there, | am content to be
what | am. Grant of Tullybardane, and
never a dcarer or iovelier home had Scottish
man To dwell in NY wife often laughs at
me for being 80 fond of the place. But then
the stranl,-st 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 have been sitting
near me, and laughing at the fnllleS OF an old
man as She does
Fiv,-an,i- thirty years ago | was living here
in the grange at Tullyhardan" The place
had come to my father 10y l'equrSt not many
wears before, and he had scarcely learned to
r,lsy the laird before h. died and left IL 10
me. Twas only boy then, and my mother
and wcre quite content with our lives in the
new home. So there livel and grew up Ia
manhood AMI therc in the course of years
fell in love. Accordingly, one winter morn
ing | role acruSS to Glen Levannoch, AMI
aske,l Mr. Fraser to give me his daughter {"
br NV wife. OF Cnurss | had found out b.
farrhani that Miss Fraser was not unwilling
20 bc given.
Well. we had a long interview, and the ne
suits in brief were thcSc. l had left home
tolcrnhly confident, rs one Is wont to Ike at
four -and-twenty, and l returned about as de
j,cted and indignant as any reasonable man
ever WAS Mr. Fraser was an old friend Ho
had been one Of my guardians He was my
futhers executor. Iexpected nv declaration
10 bc heartily welcomed Tullyhariane is a
better property than Glen Levannoch. What
was there 10 stand in our way! But when /
came hack felt like a man who has been
stunned by IA trcachernuS blow. All of IA sud
den, for the first time in my life, learned
that NV title 10 Tullyhardane was not beyond
dispute, heard that certain document had
long loen missing from the title deeds, and
that till that document was found | could
nrver he entirely ss.ure in my own home.
But what was far wnrSe. under the clrcum-
stana=, Mr.. Fraser informed me he could
not encourage my suit for his daughter :
hand
What followed don't quite remember. l
have a haunting fear that lost my temper,
and that on one side or the other good deal
of strong language was uSd- | know l
swnrN would never give Nellie up, not even
il were turned out Of Tullyharllns neck
and crop next day. OF cuurs', il was very
foolish but then the circumstances were ex'
ccptional When got home | sent for the
attorney, and for the next four days did
nothing, | think, except consult lawyers and
hook over papers and rummaSe every hole
and corner of the grange for the missing
ds,d. But what Mr.. Fraser told me proved
u H. only too true
In the week that followed remember three
things distinctly, not that they were them
s,lveS important, hut that they bore upon
that strange event which made a turning
point in my life The first is that | rosie over
T. Glen Lcvannoch and was told that Mr.. and
Miss Fraser had left home, 10 stay with friends
in Eimhurgh. The ssrund is that my man
GoorEe, who acted as f"ntman and valet to
nr', got drunk one night and left the house
door wide oltau-fOr which have not ceased
L. thank Providence over since. Now, as a
rul,, am lenient 10 these failings. Whisky,
regref b. say, has an attraction for men in
t!i,.s, northern climates which few can resist
But, whether it was that was out Of sorts,
or whethor il WAS that my mother was
alarmed, don't know, but resolved 10 make
an example, and turned the man out Of the
house the next day. The third incident
was more important, and shall be told at
knEth-
am "A good sleeper | don't dream much,
don't believe in dream warnings and such
things have no faith in ghosts-thouSh
know Tor fact that my cousins the Mac
Mo- ks have a hanshee in their family-as d
fact, say. But about that time / used tC
try and dream Of a certain lady, and So one
night ] fell asleep and L did dream And thi.
il what dreamed
thought was in Edinburgh, standing in
Princes street and let me find any street il
England, or anywhere els which can company
with that and waiting by the Wave: ly
monument Opposite me WAS u hotel, which
| suppose / Was watching, for out of 1t pres
entity camc, Us clear and vivid as in life,
Nelly Fraser, with n veil over her head; she
came slowly toward me and lifted her veil
revealing face 50 white and miserable that
| scarcely knew it, ami then. rs stepped for
ward. she raised one hand, and, pointing W
ac~oSS the gorge toward the High street hill
vanished into a moving mist. Then tht
shadows began to shift and shuttle themselves
and presently out came another vision from
my dream was there still, standing, but
all the surroundings had changed. l seemed
To L.. in a sort Of shop or Office. A counter
was lrafore me, and all around me were thin
could ssc Only one among these misty
snaps had visible human face. And that
one advanced toward me with a smile which
shall never forget 1t was the face OF d
young man, slightly drooped, as if its Owner
were shy or deferential, with blue, bright
eyes and gentle handsome features, and faiI
hair, and lips that seemed TO be made fol
laughter, and "A smile that shone like CLEAN
uf sunshine there.
And in moment the face and forms had
vanished. The darkness seemed to grow
darker. ! hcarl soft steps walking in the air.
felt as if a cold wind were blowing in my face
Suddenly | saw the chill sUa shining afar of
under the white stars. \ voice that wa,
harsh brriJc out in harsh laughter beside me
and then-l woke.
Two days after l st out for Edinburgh
with thneeobPctS WANTED 10 consult al
eminent advocate. I wanted 10 get new
servant. Aud wanted at least, TO find ou
where the FrIsers were
saw the great advocate. and he cOnfirmeC
my fears ~UnlcSs the missing decd is found
my dear sir" be said in his hlandest accents
your title is defective Us TO be legally
worthless should rival claimant arise"
| did not see the Frassrs. but got their ad
dr,Ss, and wrote one letter TO the father HnC
four TO the daughter.
engaged u new man servant in this way
Our need of servant being pressing,
went. for the first and last time III my life, Il
registry Office The shop lay .n the south O
the town, up beyond the High street, ant
when ! entered it there were several subdue,
looking beings, unfortunate applicants, sup
poe, standing round Behind the counter
were a man and woman, and TO the former
havinga prejudice in favor Of doing busineS