The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-08-14
Select STORY.
THE MISSING DEED.
From, Beldrdpid.

LbOHt @(OtJfUCtN
| am Grant I know there are other
Grants. A clumsy Englishman once told
me that Grant was very common name.
There are the Grants of Grant and the
Grants of Dalyey; there are Grants in Ed
inburg and Grants in London. Alas the
Grants are disinherited race, for their
grandfathers, it seems, always squandered
the fortunes which they ought to have left
to their sons. At least know that was
the case with my own grandfather. Had
he not played ducks and brakes with my
inheritance, 1 should now have been-but
there. | am content to be what am, Grant
of Tullybardane, and never dearer or
lovelier home had Scottish man to dwell in.
Ny wife often laughs at me for being so
fond of the place. But then the strangest
event of my life is bound up with its pos
session. And surely l may well remember
and be thankful for that event, for without
it yonder lady with the silver hair would
scarcely now have been sitting pear me, and
laughing at the follies of an old man as she
does.
I1fC-duu-bhilgJ JCdlo dSo l. WAS AItiHS
here in the Grange at Tullybardane. The
place had come to my father by bequest
not many years before, and had scarcely
learned to play the laird before be died and
left it to me. 1 was only boy then, and
my mother and were quite content with
lived and grew up to manhood, and there
in the course of years / fell in love. Ac-
cordingly, one Winter morning I rode
across to Glen Levannoch, and asked Mr..
Fraser to give me his daughter to be my
wife. OF course | had found out before
hand that Miss Fraser was not unwilling
to be given.
Well, we had long interview, and the
results in brief we're these: 1 had left home
tolerably confident, as one is wont to be at
four-and-twenty, and | returned about as
detected and indignant as any reasonable
man ever was. Mr.. Fraser was an old
friend. He had been one of my guardians.
He was my fathers Executor. Iexpected
my declaration to be heartily welcomed.
Tullybardane is better property than
Glen Levannoch. What was there to stand
in our way? But when l came back l
felt like man who has been stunned by a
treacherous blow All of sudden, for the
first time in my life, 1 learned that my title
to Tnllybardane was not beyond dispute
l heard that 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 circumstan-
ces, Mr.. Fraser informed me he could not
encourage my suit for his daughters hand.
What followed | don't quite remember.
| have haunting fear that lost my tenn
per, and that on one side or other a good
deal of strong language was used. | knew
swore I would never give Nellie up, not
even if I were turned out of Tullybardane
neck and crop next day. OF course it was
very foolish, but then the circumstances
were exceptional. When l got home
sent for the attorney, and for the next four
days did nothing, l think, except consult
lawyers, and look over papers, and rummage
every hole and corner of the Grange for the
missing deed. But what Mr.. Fraser 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 turn
ing point in my live. 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
as fpotman and valet to me, got drunk one
night apd left the house door wide open