Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-28
CHAPTER ".
THE END OF THE TALE.

THE END OF THE TALE.
 As soon as her father had gone Ida rose and suggested that if Col. Quaritch had done his wine they should go into the drawing room, which they accordingly did. This room was much more modern than either the vestibule or the dining room, and had general air and flavor of the Nineteenth cen tury young lady about it. There were the little tables, the draperies, the photograph frames, and all the hundred and one knick- knacks and odds and ends by means of which a lady of taste makes a room lovely in the eyes of brutal man. It was a very pleasant place to look upon, this drawing room at Honham castle, with its irregular receSSes, its somewhat faded colors illuminated by the soft light of a shaded lamp, and its genuine air of feminine dominion. Harold Quaritch was man who had seen much of the world, but had not seen much of drawing rooms, or, indeed, of ladies at large. They had not come in his way, or if they had come in his way he had avoided them. Therefore, perhaps, was he the more susceptible to such influences when he came in contact with them. Or perhaps it was the presence of Ida's gracious self which threw 8 charm about the place that added to it's natural attractivenesS, as the china bowls of lavender and rose leaves added perfume to the air. Anyhow, it struck him that he had never seen a room which conveyed to bis mind such an idea of gentle rest and refine ment.
 "What a charming room," he said, as he entered it.
 II am glad you think so," answered Ida; "because 1t is my own territory, and ar ranged it."
 "Yes," he said, ''it is easy to see that"
 "Well, would you like to hear the end of the story about Sir James and his treasureF'
 Certainly; it interests me very much"
 "Itpositively fascinates me-" said Ida, with emphasis. "Listen, and will tell you. After they had shot old Sir James they took the Bible off him, but whether or no Col Play fair ever sent it to the son in France Is not known.
 "The story is all known historically, and 1t is known that, as my father said, he asked that his Bible might be sent, but nothing more. This son, Sir Edward, never lived to return to England. After his fathers mur- der the estates were seized by the Parlia- nentary party, and the old castle, with the exception of the gate towers, razed to the ground, partly for military purposes and partly in the long and determined attempt that was made to discover old Sir James, treasure, which might, it was thought, have been concealed in some secret chamber in the walls. But 1t was all of no use and Col Playfair found that in letting his temper get the better of him and shooting Sir James, he had done away with the only chance of find ing the money that he was ever likely to have, for to all appearance the secret had died with its owner. There was great noise about it at the time, and the colonel was de- graded from his rank in reward for what he he had done Is was presumed that old Sir James must have had accomplices fin the hiding of so great mass of gold, and every means, by way of threats and promises of reward-which at last grew to half of the total amount that should be discovered-was taken to induce these to come forward if they existed, but without result. And so the mat ter went on, till after a few years the whole thing died away and was forgotten.
 Meanwhile the son, Sir Edward, who was the second and last baronet, led 8 wandering life abroad, fearing or not caring to return to England, now that all his property had been seized. When he was two-and-ewenty years of age, however, he contracted an imprudent marriage with his cousin, 0 lady of the name of Ida Dofferleigh, a girl of good blood and great beauty, but without means. Indeed, she was the sister of George Dotferleigh, who was cousin and companion in exile of Sir Edwards, and, as you will presently see, my Ineal ancestor. We'll, within year of this marriage poor Ida, my namesake, died, with her baby, of fever, chiefly brought on, they say, by want and anxiety of mind, and the shock seems to have turned her husbands brain. At any rate, within three or four months of her death he committed suicide. But before he did so he formally executed rather elaborate will, by which he left all his estates in England, now unjustly withheld from me, contrary to law and natural right, by the rebel pretender Cromwell, together with the treasure hidden thereon or elsewhere
 FOR SALE