New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-07

| is half ruin and would require money to be
laid out upon it TO make 1t habtable than aahlh d
CarLuthcrs would care TO spend i know the olu
| gentleman tried TO let II many years ago, DnC
no one would take it. for 1t Is far from a , ,pwh'
has no near ncighbors save the family at Sietn-
void. and has neither hunting nor fishing 10
recommend it. . ,
:" DO you know, how the property is left and
" May / ask if you are lawyer yourself?'
| asked he shrcwdly.
NO. repred, am an agent am sent 70
| investigate matters by a gentleman who mas MS
| eve upon that house."
e" All law matters arc now in the hands OF
| Mr. Grmshaw, of Methwod Hail.
| " Indeed said, " who is he?'
| lie is. believe, a relation say nephew,
of the old lady
A SOLICITOR
| so il is reported
His answers were so guarded that 1 could not
very well ask more questions, therefore, thank
| ing him, took leave.
Dwarrs was surprised at my news-all docu-
| monts TO be in the hands of relation to Mrs
Carruthers confirmed his suspicion of unfair deal
i" No wonder the poor fellow hid his will,' cried
| he but they are clever enough to have manu-
featured another to their own advantage Now
! what is to be done p
After celebrating, we aEanged to drive ten
miles in hired vehicle, then to walk the re-
manning five to Bertoft small village, s sleeping
there that night After dismlssing the trap we
| easily found our way by straight road with
deep drains las they call what seem more Ike
canals full of water on both sides OF 1t. BE
yond were fields, then dreary hat oil waste OF OF
fens stretching away to the horizon which it
| met-in fact giving the effect OF the sea as the
red sun dipped behind it. The so-called village
consisted of an inn, post Office ana general shop
a smithy, cluster of cottages, and an old church
| on the outslIirt: the one street was paved WIN
| knobby stones, like a French town. The inn
| keeper opened his eyes with amazemcnt at the
entrance of two gentlemen with valises-it was
| quite an event in that Out-Of-the-way place. TIC
was q very large, heavy man, OF true Lincoln
shire build, but, in spite of an expressionless iace,
| ox-1an lv xoPx Pio Ia
us; therefore Dwarris took out sketch-book
in the evening and began to draw which ne ana
badly ali This banied him heard the bar
maid say, So they're hartsses ?" We slept in
bedrooms clean and fresh as daisies, and, after
an excellent breakfast, sailed forth to commence
church. where lay the deceased members OF the
Carruthers family; a venerable building; there
is county full of interesting specimens or
ecclesiastical architecture as Lincolnshire. The
door was locked, but an old gravedigger In the
churchyard went to the vicarage to fetch the
key. A curious church never saw the
spirc springng at once from the ground, not
based on a square tower as usual
The Carruthers monument was handsome one
of high elevation, inlaid with many-colored mar
blcs the apex bearing shield with the arms of
the family Four generations lay there. New
gold letters announced that Philip Carruthers, gen.
tleman, of Methwod, and Wodney, near Grimsby,
died June l4th, 1886, aged So. lie had been
dead four months.
Dwarris gazed at the names of his mothers
names to him.
On returning the key to the gravedigger I
asked him few questions.
You have fine old church." said l. Where
is Methwold which the CarrutherS family owned
lis it near herc?'
The road over the field is gamer nor the
ramper high road; it's boot three mile, master"
The Carruthcrs seem TO be on old family
:" They wor-the Squire be the last on en-
Indeed, who has the estates nOw?'
Madam Carruthers I've heard tell-the ovid
devil!'
The widow, suppose she does not seem to
be favorite of yours The old man grlnned;
:" If she's favOrite of anybCdy's it's the ovid
un's. She never comes TO church, she grinds
the poor, she never gives nothing; but tho
she's ninety, if she's day, she's got a her wits,
and active like a lass they do say as she's out
a meets, and ligs j. bed i tn morn" He nodded
his head sgnifcanty-what he meant we could
not guess We rewarded him for his, trouble,
way over the fields to Mcthwold, the other
side of which lay the iointure-house.
1t proved pleasant walk, and the country
gradually became more wooded; there were fine
was surrounded by elms and frs 1t was APP
preached through massive iron gates, guarded by
a lodge, up a long drive through park We
did not venture to enter, therefore only saw the
pointed gables and quaint chimncys rising above
the trees but it was certainly fine place. .,.o
that MS'''' the old ''i Manor 10y House lay a
mile further on, we continued our ex-
ploration along an unfrequented road down a
long solitary lane, ana presently came 10
broken fences ovcrgrown with briars and tall ferns,
then gate hanging on its hinges the avenue all
weeds; neglected trees, stretching out long
branches intcraced and matted together, touching
ones head. The stone paving III front OF the
house damp and slippery, through being over
grown by thick moss. The hall door was pad
locked all the easements cracked or broken the
building was long and lOw-built, with monasrc
quaintness about IT. Making our way to the
rear through thick shrubs, we entered what had
been the garden, all overgrown with weeds, tall
grasses, thistles and brambles. amidst which ne
elected fiowery plants, remnants OF It's former
cultivation, had struggled into bloom; at Its
foot WIS the remains Of a mOat, fun OF stagnant
water and covered with duckweed. Birds flew
up alarmed on all sides, and a huge thing with
apping wings passed over heads with a loud
scrcech-it was drear, most uncanny place. Inc
building even in worse state at the back
than the 'front.' side door so broken that a
panel was easily pushed in, enabling us to enter
1t is difficult to describe such an interior originally
old thick with the dust and cobwebS of thirty
years neglect the floorings were full Of holes
as TO be almost unsafe the fine old oalcn stair
case rarity fallen down. What with the dust on
the diamond pancd windows and the ivy and
crecpers outside the interior very obscure, but
after opening several doors we found the room
indicated in old Mr.. Carruthers's letter-a long
apartment, oak paneed, with groined ceiling.
| each point terminating in carved mitre above
the dado. which was a very tall one.
all these ornaments but failed to find even a scrap
of paper in the hollow within them Again and
again we scrutnzed them-walled the twelve
PAGES northeast counted nine mtres, but no result
| " Look here" cried Dwarrs, just as we were
giving up. thoroughly dishcarcned, does not this
one look as if tools had been used under lt-See,
here is the mark of "A chse and declare strong
nail has been driven IN, recently too. tor 1T shines
as nothing else does in this wretched hole!' Yes,
he was right. but we could do nothing without
proper implements.
Il tell you what Gamer said Dwarris, " let
| ne hurry back to Bertoft | will hire n horse and
ride over to Boston and buy what tools we require,
and some candles and come back here this very
night. | shall not rest until have taken down
that mitre and panel
We replaced the plank in the outside door very
carefully, then rctraced our steps to the front OF
the house
"IIallo!" cried l. 4" here comes a mana rough
looking fellow too-carryins gun. Out with
your slIctch-book."
| In moment Dwarris was pencilling away
| vigorously. The man came strldlng the
| brambcs from the side of the avenue calling ont
something in a loud voice; but when he came
near enough to inspect us, stopped, evidently
making up his mind what to do
! Nou is frcSDasSng" he cried: