Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-12-26
MY INHERITANCE.

Messrs Pounce Parchment & Co. Old
Square, Lincolns Inn, he will hear something
TO his advantage" This brief note in a legal
hand astonished me- the above named Frank
heathcote, one morning on sitting down to
modest breakfast To hear of ANYTHING to
my advantage vas surprising and delightful,
as | was unfortunately one of the unem,
ployed, with little expectation of something
turning up.
An hour or two later saw ne searching in
Lincoln's Inn for the Offices of Pounce &
20. On finding the house | duly presented
myself Mr.. Pounce had not arrived; but
wr-,1aiG f step in and see Mr.. Parchmentl The
: rsyyer did noE belle his name, for have
= sa,de.n seen 50 dry and yellow looking man.
1a)opresenting my note, Mr.. Parchment sur
\ eyed me in silence for a few minutes 80
you are the nephew Of the late Mr. Horace
OldcaStle, young gentleman, presume9'
replied had that honor
! "Allow me to congratulate you on your
good fortune" said the lawyer with Turk
ing smile. Opening n desk, he produced the
sopy Of a will, by which my larnented uncle
; sftne Hernmers Place, an old hall in Sus-
I Va, pn condition that | should occupy it.
y =
spnation respecting this propertyr
"TLe hail." replied the lawyer, sis an in
teresting Place from an artists point of view,
a but the situation Is just a tribe secluded; and
| the building is, | am afraid, little out Of
\enair; but small outlay would render it
Nabitable, and doubtless you Will soon get
her the loneliness
iei 9 furnished with the necessary creden-
NJ
- Hsome five or six miles from the nearest
rahAay station; so. having my effects packed
in knapsack, thought I might as well
walk that distance. The way lay along a
beautiful bend of tho South Downs After
climbing a long gradual ascent that wound
round a spur Of the Downs. | reached the
summit. The view that opened out was wild
and splendid. Long slopes Of flower span
gled turf alteruated with dense patches OF
furze, while on every side the ground rose
and fell in wave like sweils
soon came to the rusty gates of Hernmert
Place. The house was of brick, in the Tudor
style, from the signs Of decay, evidently OF
great age. A moss covered buttressed wal
extended on both sides of the gate and shut
In the frout Of the house completely.
Entering, l came to what had once beer
the lawn, but was now wilderness Of weeds
The path leading to the hall door was danny
and grass worn, and the aspect of the who'll
place was picturesque, but melancholy
There was no sign Of life or welcome in tn.
old house, many OF the window shutter
being closed The walls were blotched anC
lichen covered, and in some places lonI
struggling br inches Of ivy hung in neglecte,
festoons. Going round the house, came t,
tangled and overgrown garden, at the far
ther side OF which. through an omen wicket
could make out an old man busy with
small patch Of vegetables On presenting
myself TO this venerable person, who was tn
custodian, Grlgss by name, l was welcome,
in a somewhat peculiar manner. My new
acquaintance first runmsged in the pocket o
his coat, which lay on a wheelbarrow, ant
produ I'd an antique pair Of spectacles. whiel
he presently adjusted. Looking me yer,
attentivaly in the face for soma time, he a
length said: ''Nou be main loike old Music
Oldcastle. l moind him well when be was a
young as you But walk in, sir, and IN
missus will get you a bit of summat to eat.
Putting on his coat, the old fellow hobble,
up the steps leading to the garden door Of tn
house
Inside the signs Of age were, if anything
more apparent The old wainscoted pasSag
was hung with cobwebs, and our footstep
echoed loudly along the stone floor Passin
up a twisted staircase We entered a slna
room Oh the first floor.
This was the room in which your incl
spent most Of his time, and it was here h
died, said Griggs.
| ga2ed around and felt a sense of drea
creep over ne The walls were paneled wit
dark oak: along one side was an old cabine
black with age, and on a shelf above it wa
arranged a small collection Of ancient lool
inS books Close TO the window was a wri
ing table, on which stood an old desk.
few high backed chairs were placed by Il
walls, and some ancestral portraits locke
down with eyes that seemed to follow n
every movement By the fireplace stood
ca7acious arm chair, shut in with an 0
screen covered with stamped leather
Meanwhile Mrs GrIEgs, an ancient dan
of guarled and Enotted aspect, was endea
oring to make fire blaze in the rusty graf
Accomplishing this in course OF time pla
meal was set before me, and l was left
peace to discuss it. When | had finished
made closer inspection Of the contents
the room A cupboard in the wall was fill
with old lumber of various description
Opening the cabinet with one Of the Ike
given TO me b. the lawyer, | found drawt
filed with old accounts done up in a methC
zeal manner, a pair Of silver mounted pist4
OF bygone date, some odds and ends of Z
riosities, but nothing Of any special inter
or value. Al length opened a small draw
with the smallest key Of the bunch and to
1Nl 4-bia nh aTI
me- christening it eagerly, | found it
contain miniature Of a lady and child, a
- 'o a short letter, which ran as follows;
NEPHEW FR4SK-I leave to you the old hot
which has been IN our family since 1t was b.
Though it is dcsoate enough now. it once ech
the voices Of those very dear 10 me, See that
do not suffer anything to be destroyed l par
In anger with your mother, my only sister;
now would prove if you, the only remaining
scendant Of the old house. are worthy to br
back IT'S former state. Patience and persevera
are necessary. but II you strive you will In the
be rewarded Ny blessing rest on you. II J
obey Horace OLpcAsTLi
After reading the letter several time
rang for old GrIsgs to try to get some inf
nation about my uncle.
He were close man, were Muster Q
CASTLE said he, Giving here by himself sill
his wife and child died years ago. He
the old place exactly as it was when Il
were alive, ami could not bear to see str
gers. Ny idea is that the trouble made bin
ut queer he caused the west wing to
shut Up, and they do say as somo o! the
castles walk there Incver see any Of ;,
tut there's strange noises o uoghtsn
| made an Inspection OF the house,
h.I taIy 70 1uC
study as being most convenient Mrs. Gri
liz fire there and bringing in some
clothes, made the room in a little while
comfortable as circumstances would PERI
The wind had now increased to a gale
heavy droTs of rain dashed against
window. Returning to my uncle's stud
settled myself before the fire to enjoy a 81
evening before turning in for the night.
old couple, who orcuplfd some rooms /
distant part vi To- 'u,..5, having retired
felt myself cut off from the world. a pal
candles flickered on the table, and the char
full light of the fire lit up and threw
gloom the dark walls and furniture. TAX
book, was soon deep in its pages. 1t
an old collection of legends and romance
Spain One tale took my fancy. 1t rels
how certain Don Alphonso made sea
In the Alhambra In Granada, and how, a
many strange adventures, at length was
cessful in breaking the charm that he
great treasure guarded by enchanted Mo
and became possessed OF the whole.
came deeply interested in the Old w
legends. After a while ! closed the b.
and leaning back in my chair, fell I'M
brown study. Suddenly became awar
strange thing An old man, whom k
to be my uncle, though had only seen
once was standing by the cabinet, iool
iutentlv ut the books on the shelf stare