New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-02-13

as the text related to legal mat
tiers, about the possession of land.
Having no more relish for reading
that night ] retired TO my bed in the.
next room, and soon forgot my
| uncle in a sound sleep In the morn
ing Irose early, greatly refreshed,
and strolled out to view my domain.
The sun shone brightly, and it was
impossible to feel gloomy under the
clear, fresh sky, with thesWeet breeze
| playing over the peaceful hills. Re-
turning, after a short walk, to break
fast, | then sat myself to consider
my position and arrange matters to
my new mode of life. l had beenleft,
some few days back, with an allow
ance which barely sufced to keep
me, but had unfortunately been put
to no profession. The outlook was
not promising, and | did not feel
| very hopeful regarding the future.
To try and cheer myself up, I made
a tour over to the old house. The
rooms were mostly in state of de-
cay; but the furniture and decora-
tions, in spite of the ravages of time,
We're handsome, and showed that
my ancestors kept great state
at one time. Ny uncle was reputed
| to have been very rich, but what he
| did with his money was a mystery,
for he had only left some paltry Legal
scies. The west wing ofthe house had
been shut up for years, in consequence
OF some dreadful occurrence which had
happened there. / did not care to in
vestigate the gloomy chambers.
AS time went ON, | became more re-
signed to my new home, but still
found it very dull; and my occupa-
tions being SO limited, the days
dragged slowly by. made a few &C
quaintances, but found no congenial
companion to ELI up myempty hours.
| Spring blOssonled into Summer, and
Summer, with all it's beauty, mellow
ed into Autumn, when an event oc-
Cured which turned the current Of
my life.
One morning in September I re-
ceived a letter from Tom Saxon, an
old chum and schoolfellow, saying he
would like to spend a few weeks with
me in Sussex, if agreeable | was de
lighted for tWoreasons: because Tom
was a good fellow, and because
TOMS pretty sister Clara and / were
waiting till my prospects would
entitle me to hope for a favorable re-
ception at the hands of Mr.. Saxon.
senior was in "a fever of i'm patience
to meet Tom. / went to the station
long before the train was due. and
4 when it did come inI could have
rushed into his arms. After dinner
our time was taken upwith questions
and answers on both sides.
"By-the-by, Frank said Tom sud-
denly, you mentioned something
strange about your first night here
connected with your uncle Tell me
about it.
He listened attentively while I re-
lated my dream. When had finished,
he arose, and going to the cabinet
took one of the books from the shelf
He looked over it carefully, and then
inspected more Of thevolumes When
he haG spent some time in this way,
he came backto the fire with a disap-
pointed look
Cant make anything out of the
books, said he, standing with his
back to the blaze and with his hands
thrust deep IN his pockets, Except
that the old boy had a peculiar fancy
to letter the backs of the volumes
with the alphabet instead ,ofnumber-
ing them. Some of the pages are
marked with a red cross, but the mat
tiers on them don't appear to throw
any light on the subject"
After giving vent to his feelings in
vigorous pulls at his pipe, Tom fixed
his eyes thoughttully on the old desk
on the table. tsThis seems a curious
desk. Perhaps you may have over
| looked some clue to the mystery con-
tanned in it. Would you mind me
looking into itT'
| | opened the desk, but we could
Ifind nothing of consequence init.
You haven't looked in the secret
drawer said Tom. All desks have
Lone. Let me try my hand. Suiting
the action to the word, he gave the
bottom of the desk such blow that
a small compartment which had es-
capped my notice few open, and some
thing fell with ringing sound on
the floor. Tom uttered a satisfied
sound, and picked upa key of curious
and antique workmanship. ssThis
will most likely unlock the mystery,
since your uncle seems to have put it
away SO carefully"
We started on a voyage OF diseov-
erY over the old house MANY Of tho