The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-11-13

Maud had opened tho two drawing |
room windows and let down the Veno-
tians over them. so that the room should
be cool and shady. How cool and sum-
merry 1t all looked! Ladies' fingers can
so easily give simple decorations an air
of grace and refinement Then she left
that room and went into the one be-
hind; those two had been dear old Mr..
Hnrbutt's rooms, and also those Of the
tiresome Miss Paynes. This back room
was shady. and at once the blind was
drawn up to the top and the window
thrown open as high rs ii would go.
There was in the room an old chest of
drawers, the piece of furniture that Mr..
Harbut had once said was worth more
than all else the room contained put to-
gcther.
1t was beautifully made. the dark old
oak was of tho finest grain, and how
delicately were tho jennings and corners
fitted A rccded line was carved or
tur ,ed at the frontage of each drawer;
on its top too. making an artistic bor-
der or finish to its level polish, there
was the same rcedcd decoration running
four-sanarc. Each drawer had two
pendant and triangular brass handles.
They copy these old things nowadays,
but this was vcritablc antique. Five
drawers in all. and in the top and most
shallow one q key protruded from It's
keyhole. Maud remembered the whole
thing as long as she remembered any
thing. for in olden days it had stood
in the nursery. In those days the top
shallow drawer was just ns exactly
level as the other drawers had been;
fancy methodcal nurse allowing
that rght-hand corner to project in that
uns ghtly way! II the pieco Of furniture
had not been so seasoned by age one
might have supposed that the wood had
warped at that one corner. Maud was
bent upon strengthening it. All tho
four lower drawers were provided with
their fresh white paper lining. and now
somehow, some one had locked tn s top
the key.
"Wcll have you straight" was
Maud's cry to herself, rs she worried
the old key. Never bit would it move,
except indeed to fix itself more firmly
within the intricacies of the lock.
"I'll physic you" Maud cried.
A moments run downstairs for some
oil, and "physic" was tried. Some few
more wrigglings and turnings, and hey,
presto!-the magic is done, the lock is
ioosened. the drawer is opened!
However, opened does not mean q
simultaneous cure of its uneven corner
Oh! no. Pushing and dainty humorins
are neither of any avail, the drawer
simply will not work to its pristine
level. But Maud had strong will, ant
mind that probed to the reason o
things. In trice she had the rebellion,
drawer out of its groove and ignomini
ously laid Mt her feet, while suppl
white arm was barred to the elbow ant
| went on search within the shallow
space. From end to end arm and fin
gers went seeking then, the sinner wa
captured! The girls pretty fingers, al
covered with dust and flue, met the crisl
crackle OF firm paper.
| "Ah" was Maud's quick little cry.
: The paper was out before the light @
, the summer sun. Thin, grey-hued pa
, per, tightly pressed once, but now, b.
. some inherent strength surely, loosen
, ing from Its pressure and elasticall
, unfolding itself. One fold--some pr nj
0 ed words and figures. Bah! How dust
e it W as! Another fold undone-some fol
eign words quite clear. "D'Itala.
What was tp
Had the thing really some magic j
0 it? Maud's face became scarlet; then q
Q the color fled from it, and, leavin
/ drawer and dust and white paper j
confusion on the floor. the girl ran
: the staIr-head and called:
Mother! Kate! Come, quickr'
1 Both were busy, but such voice {
: alarm-yes Maud really was terrified
was not to be disrcgarded They wer
> upstairs in few seconds.
l "Ive opened the drawer" she sale
l $50 we perceive. Have you found
> dead mouse behind itP'
r Kate, seeing Maud unharmed, WE
t naturally bit rufiled at having bee
$ unnecessarily excited by the cry.
"No; have found this"
Now Maud was preternaturally still
: She held out the strange paper, by tn
n time yet more unroled. AS Kate too
d it, il resolved itself into not one papc
:, only, but four papers, of which the corr
ers shook themselves apart. One ha
r had square bits cut out-ycs, decided
J cut out.
h "Bonds mother" Kate gasped.
Q Don't talk nonsense, childr'
d Kate was not listening. She had ha
g to become acqua' nted with many bus
ness matters, but she had never see
quite such papers rs these. She locke
/ ut them, and fingered them.
1.-Two hundred and fifty lire; seve
3 hundred and fifty lire.' she deciphere'
@ "What are lirep"
p "Iknow," Maud put it. "a lire
| tho CANA 80 a franc-Itolan MONEY!
n "These are money. mother" An
~ again Kate was reduced to gaspin
cOndit' on.
.s Whose are thcyp They are not our
I'm sure" Poor Mrs. Boyle presst
IS her hands together. How glad 81
d would have been to think they wei
hers Let me look at them, Kate"
le "Finding is keeping" cried Mau
II shall appropriate them"
j. her tremor to face tho actual. "Tht
N are simply Mr.. Harbutt's. The Mi
1t Paynes, you may be sure, never lie
Of any thing SO valuable behind Them"
IS '.Perhaps it will pay their debt.
,e Maud by this time had lost her terro
70 she had passed II OH to her mother III
Q; sister, and she herself only saw Il
70 amusement on the thing. "My enerl
Or has done some good this time at u
Id rate"
l. 1T must be hundreds of pound
ne mother"
IL Kate was standing with her hands
70 the pockets of her holland apron, al
r was watching her mother look at 4
DC discovery. Mrs Boyle's pale face hi
l. S. Il