Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-09-11

the sum OF ez0O, UOU. 10 each OF NV
dear nieces $40, 1000 as marriage por-
ton, and TO Kare Shultz, also the son
of my dead friend, $4,000 to start him
in business. Signedl JOHN OWENS.
u.. KARL SHULTZ,
! Witnesses JAKE HINES.
When she had finished reading Olive
broke out wrathfully.
~Ten Thousand, indeed, I'll show
him." Catching the book by the covers,
she shook the leaves loose and before
Karl could hinder her. even had he
been minded too, she had held it in
the blaze of the fire. When the leaves
were shriveled and blackened she fuhg
it from her, and turning, faced her
lover with wicked, triumphant CLEAN
on her lovely face.
Aunt Mercy and are now the only
heirs to John Owens wealth"
And you will be my wife, he as
serted.
yes, when you so desire"
Thus it transpired when the estate OF
the late popular merchant was settled,
and the triumphant Olive entered upon
her rich inheritance, there was a quiet
wedding. and the two set up grand
establishment in another quarter.
Aunt Mercy and Ross continued on at
the old home, both living in hopes that
the mystery of their dear ones fate
might some day be unraveled. A faint,
yet unmentioned hope yet lived in both
their hearts that death had not forever
parted them. So hoping expectant,
they lived on.
Ross had found himself obliged to
take clerkship in order to support
himself, and was still surprised over
such a turn in his affairs. The loss of
his dear uncle and the girl he was learn
ing to love so dearly, was far greater
blow than the loss of fortune, however,
and the work served TO occupy his
thoughts and prevent his brooding.
Time ran on until three months were
gone. Then one evening as Ross and
Mercy Owens sat together, talking as
usual of the absent ones, the door
opened and O white-faced, trembling
servant rushed in.
@Oh, Miss Mercyl" he gasped. Miss
Nell and Master"
Neither heard anything further he
might have to say, for both rushed into
the hall, to be confronted by the two
so long mourned, and-another.
Upon this other Mercy Ovens gaze
fell first of all. She flung up her hands
with gasping cry and staggered back.
A pair of strong arms encircled her in
an instant, however and when the
others had quieted their transports this
is what they saw:
A tall, pearded gentleman of middle
age and digniied bearing was holding
Mercy Owens in a close clasp. His
head was bent, and his earnest, low
spoken words seemed to afford her
comfort, for her face fairly beamed
with happiness. John saw all this with
keenest satisfaction, aud in few words
explained that this was the lover Of her
youth, from whom she had been separ-
ated by the perfidy of his wife.
"Your wife, gasped Nell and Ross in
concert.
John Owens turned blank looking
face upon Ross, and then in few
quickly spoken sentences all Karl
Shultz perfidy was brought to light.
Owens wrath was terrible to witness,
and he swore that the false wretch
should answer for it at the public
tribunal. 1t was ordained otherwise,
however. An excited servant had
rushed across the city to Karl Shultz's
residence, and told of his masters re-
turn. Panic-stricken, the guilty pair
gathered together all the valuables
possible, aud fled, nor were they heard
from again, for which the friends were
not sorry.
Little remains now to be told save
how the two so long missing, had come
to be still alive. On that eventful day,
so long ago, Horace Torgen, Mercy's
lover, had been encamped with party
of friends in large cave just across the
hills from that of our friends.
1t was he and his friends who, COM
ing across what they thought John
Owens dead body, had carried it to
their cave to give it Christian burial.
To the intense satisfaction of his old
time friend, it proved to be no dead
body, and he had carefully nursed the
| injured man back to health, aided by
the fair Nell, who was flung down
dark hole in the side of the mountain
| by her treacherous cousin Olive.
The place proved to be the back door
to the camp of Torgen's party and the
insensible girl was found, and happily,
was uninjured save few bruises.
They had just arrived in Los Angeles,
and John Owens was exceedingly broke
at the way things had gone.
Still all was now well. Ross was
proud and delighted to find guardian
he had so loved was his father, and
when Nell promised to be his wife, his
happiness was complete.
SO one day there was double we'd
ding in the old Protestant Church
around the corner. and that completed
the romance of Burnt Book Spring.