Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-21

LlIDurn went out, hoping to investigate
that matter of the crypt. He knew the
spot; it was where the old wall of Lady
priors bordered on the village green.
There was good deal of green and COM
mon just about the village, with old walls
that inclosed nothing in particular; and
massive barn of such dimensions that you
might have put good sized church inside
1t, steeple and all. The level of the green
rose abruptly against the wall, forming a
smooth, turfy bank, and Charlie, scaling
the wall at this point, found that the level
of the ground was much higher outside
than within the grounds. Thus while the
wall was easily enough scaled from the
side of the village, deep drop was re-
| quired to reach the surface of the sward
without.
Charlie dropped down lightly enough,
and, fastening the Toulouse door behind
him, began his Investigations The lock
OF the oaken door was rusty and hard to
turn; the massive oaken door chung to the
Jambs as if held by something within, but
yielded at last and swung slowly back,
grating on its hinges. Yes, here was the
crypt, COOL silent and solemn A soft
| light filtered in through some unseen
| opening, revealing round massive arches
sustained by still more ponderous columns.
All was plain and simple, and there was
| nothing inside but an oaken chair and old
| carved table, and in one corner an ancient
stone coffin, with cross deliberately carved
upon the lid. Upon the table stood vase
| with the remains of faded flowers, a book,
| ut was old Montaigne,) and open at the
| passage: " Miserable, according to my
| opinion, is a man "a feminine hand had
annotated in the margin, in pencil, "or a
woman "-"who has not at home place
to himself where he can make much of
himself, where he may hide"
Charlie breathed sigh of relief There
was no mystery here then; this was his
mothers summer-house that she had dis
covered and kept to herself. 1t had been
a hiding place, perhaps, in the troubled
days Of civil wars, and before then the last
resting place of the fathers of the Priory.
He looked about for other relics of his
mothers former presence, and found in one
corner little ivory tatting shuttle, with
| thread still attached TO it. He let it lie
there, and then he picked up little diary,
| evidently the repository of his mothers
secret condolences. Looking over the pages
he caught sight of his own name repeated
| utIt anu lutIC Will SOllS llllit 1llClucDl
recorded of his childish development. One
passage, 10 which his attention was at
tracted, ran thus:
| II am unhappy at winning all this
money, and yet | can't help going on.
| What shall do with it? If | give it to
George he will spend it. should like to
build church with it, Or perhaps a hos
pital, and yet, after all, l should like to
keep it for Charlie; to say to him some
day when he is overwhelmed with youth
full troubles: Here, Charlie, here is plenty
of money; dip your hand into it, go,
spend it and be happy For it is so easy
to be happy when we are young, alas~
'The poor mother p said Charlie, soft
ened, and then, after a pause; "Well, l
suppose the dad spent the money. Never
| mind, I've got youth and health and the
best sweetheart in the world, and Way
land Smith to make the running for me-"
Charlie locked up the place, leaving
everything as he had found it. But all he
had seen strengthened his resolutions of
keeping the Priors, if by any means he
could clear off its membranes To have
a stranger cropping about the place and
Transforming it, would be dissertation.
| Then he went to look for Dell, and hap
PLY found her coming across the rose gar
| den, that was now in its full beauty. Dell
was looking for him, in fact, having Il
budget of news to impart.
The stepmother had just confded to her
that she was going to marry again-to
marry Mr.. Paddock, who had made her a
most eligible offer. Mr.. Paddock might
| be Il self-made man, but he was of the most
| distinguished presence, with the entree to
the very best society, and of great wealth
| Issuing from her present retirement, Lady
| Richards intended to take her place in the
| fashionable world, and, under such auspi-
| ces, Dell might expect to be settled ad-
vantageously before long. Lady Richards
had not failed to remind her stepdaughter
that she was entirely dependent upon her,
and that upon her dutiful conduct and
obedience depended all her future pros
| poets.
Charlie was highly indignant at the
news. He went at once to his aunt and
demonstrated with her on what he called
her infatuation. The man was well
enough, he said, as a chance acquaintance,
but neither his character nor his breeding
was of a kind to warrant him in seeking to
enter his (Charlies) family. And his OBJ
ject was evidently merely to get hold of
the revenues Of the Combe property and
| apply them to his own uses. Lady Rich
ards was, of course, indignant at Charles
| interference, and the climax was reached
when he asserted that he would not allow
Dell to remain under her stepmother's
roof for single hour after Lady Richards
marriage to that man. Nor would he
have the wedding celebrated at the
Priors. Lady Richards must leave before
that event took place. He would send her
a formal notice unless she would promise
him as much as that.
In all this Charlie was very high
handed and perhaps unjust, and his threats
clearly went beyond his powers. For
what voice had he in the disposition of
Miss Richardson's future? And as for
Ladypriors it was doubtful whether he
could call it really his own.
81 don't intend to leave the Priors,"
cried Lady Richards, Indignantly. at is
you who will have to leave not /. | have
some one to protect me now, sir, and he
will see that you are put in your proper
position"
"And what is that, pray?" asked Char
lie, with forced calmness.
'The gutter, sir" cried Lady Richards.
''Son of a disgraced gambler, what better
fate do you deserve?'
After this declaration of war there was
nothing more to be said. ave shall have
to run away, DELL" said Charlie, as he
took his leave of his sweetheart, for
you shall not live under the same roof as
paddock for an hour"
| There was no time to be lost in making
arrangements to face the storm that was
impending. Lady Richards held a mort
gage upon the Priors, and it would be
hardly possible for Charlie to regain pos
session till he paid her off. He must get
somebody to stand in her shoes, but that
was difficult, under the circumstances
However, if he won the Jubilee Stakes,
hope whispered in his ear, he could man
age the business himself; if not, he would
have to go a-borrowing.
The days flew past for Charlie in a whirl
of business and pleasure. The reports
as to " Wayland Smith were all "couleur
de rose and yet Lilburn noticed with
some uneasiness that the horse was more
freely laid against than backed by the
knowing ones.
Another disquieting symptom was the
| sudden favor into which Mr. (Irowfoot,S