The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-01-26

secretly to find him tool fashioned go
ready fer use.
.''lha Fontaines have held the prop
erty, as you know, but for short time. ;"
81 know. We bought it from the In
dians. said Len, sitting erect.
Bought or stole-what rnatter2 Here
is the point: it was but younger branch
OF the Hcaths that came TO the States.
Edward, the first TO emigrate, brought
with him title deeds to a large tract of
waste ground near Liverpool. on which
he ard his descendants paid taxes by
their agents. The Heaths, as you know,
during the rebellion Of the colonies,
were Tories. John Heath, the owner of
this ground here, went to France at the
beginning of the troubles, and remained
abroad for many years, leaving the
house in charge of housekeeper He
married French girl of family, and
died suddenly in Lyons. About the
same time the homestead here was
burned to the ground. When the war
was over his widow, with her infant
son, came to Philadelphia and made
search, secretly, for certain valuable
plate and papers, which she affirmed
had been hidden in an underground
vault somewhere on this property.
Among them were the title deeds to the
Liverpool ground. Whether she had
mistaken her husband as to the precise
spot, or whether the falling ruins had
completely blocked up the entrance, |
don't know. But do know that neither
plate nor papers were ever found, and
that they are here now. Probably under
our feet
Probably under our feet" muttered
Len, with long breath.
'.You know the story Of the Heaths
after that better than do. How they
have gone down, down, for lack of
money, until the old stock has ended
inn-
"A blacksmith's shop"
"In two young men, one of whom
has strength enough TO bring back all
the fortune of his race" cycling him
shrewdly.
'sYesl' standing up. His hollow cheeks
burned: .'You do not deceive yourself in
Leonard Heath
II hope not. propose that you under
take this search as quietly as may be. /
would not trust even your brother with
the secret"
Certainly I shall not trust joe There
would be no surprise in that case. Ill
disappear out of their sight. They shall
think me Winny and all. Some
day III come back and bring the keys of
fairy land. Eli shower gold on them"
"There's no doubt of it, taking snuff.
"Your first aim must be the title deeds.
Remember"
''The ground is some of the most valu-
able in Liverpool, you say:g
mo, but it has great value. It is close
" built over with dwelling houses. owned
generally by their occupants. Thatclass
Of people viii be more readily ousted than
large corporations would have been"
But Leonard stood up, shocked and
startled-"if 1 succeed, Ludlow, these
people will be homeless. I"
ssIandreds of them. The more the
better for you. That's their business
What right had the cursed beggars or
their grandfathers to squat on your
ground:''
"That's true-that's truel"
"You are homeless. If you can afford
to give away your property to them it's
sort Of generosity can't appreciate"
II don't mean to give it away. And yet
these men probably paid hard money
or labor for that ground, and thought
they bought it honestly, while 1 never
heard of it till last week. 1t looks like
wholesale robberyF' He spoke with a
sort of gusty vehemsnce which evapo-
rated with the words The Englishmans
cool sheer .cowed him. He ended with
feeble, "What do you think, eh?"
81 don't understand such gentesl SEN
tinlents. I'm a business man, am. You
throw the venture up, them"
''By no means. 1t was only passing
idea of mine. We owe you too much for
discovering the facts to throw them UP
now. By the way, we will reward you
handsomely, Mr.. Ludlow. You may de-
pend on Joe and me-"
"I'Il take one-third as my price when
the claim is established" dryly.
you'll take--one thirdF' his jaw fall
ing.
Eyes. The finding of the deeds is but
beginning. My work begins then. You
blacksmith boys could as easily set the
machinery of English law in motion as
you could work steam engine by the
breath of your mouth"
II suppose that's true"-stroking his
thin whiskers vaguely.
you'll find how true when you try to
work without me. You'll make the ven
ture, then?"-picking up his lantern.
Eyes; l will be here tomorrow night
Leonard got up, looking around him into
the damp shadows. Il will not leave
this house until have dragged my luck
out of it. Other men kneel and pray to
Fortune, but mean to take her by the
throat; hey, Ludlow"
'sBy the throat, eh? To be sure-the
throat. Well, I'm for some punch now;
will you come? No? Tomorrow night,
then, we'll GUST the Internal beggars. The
throat, ehS'-with an approving nod and
chuckle.
II.
"Just call them of, uncle, win your
Ben stunped on his wooden leg across
the kitchen for his spectacles and a slip
Of paper, then back again, turn about,
right face, into position behind the clean
skinned, roly-poly little girl who, with
=