Nevada County picayune., 1890-10-02

A StEduSe cNpciichSS Ie ""o ouieiy but after pondering over it awhile, 1 decided to dismiss it from my mind and to retire.
 In the morning the affair seemed more applicable than ever, and l found myself constantly thinking of the words l had seen traced by the mysterious hand. They were mean ingless to me. ''Search for the box in the old we'll" l knew of no box that had been lost and certainly 1 knew of no old well. The affair had a flavor of "Lady Auxley's Secret about it, and 1t was not hard to pie ture a grass-grown well concealing in It's depths some ghastly secret.
 If I could have laughed the mat ter off as dream l should have re- galed Tom and Constance with the story at breakfast, but l could not bring myself to speak of it.
 By the way, Lester,' said Tom, i've are expecting another guest to- day, Miss Mabel Saunders. Charm ing girl, too.'
 And the grange's rightful mis- treSS ' said ConStance
 looked up in surprise.
 thought you bought the place, Tom, so who could be the rightful mistress but Constance?"
 "Only leased it, old fellow, The owner, Lee Harcourt, would not sell, though he IS ashamed to show his face about here. It is my opinion he hopes to come back and marry Mabel when the feeling against him has died away"
 "Tell me the story, Tom," ask ed, "for that there is story is evi- dent"
 Easily told Lester. Mabel Saunders is the daughter of an old army comrade of Colonel Denison, the late owner of the Grange, and when her parents died, in her infan- cy, Colonel Denison and his wife took the child to their home. She was not legally adopted, but as they had no children of their own Mabel was looked upon as their heiress, and the Colonel's attorney ayers that he drew up will four years ago leaving the property to her. Two years ago Colonel Denison was brought home dead from the hunting field, and his wife, who had been for years an invalid, survived the shock less than month. When the Colo nel's papers were examined no will was found, and Lee Harcourt, the next of kin, came into possession. Many of the coloneps friends were not slow to express their belief that Haroour, had destroyed the will, as he had been visiting at the Grange at the time of the Colonel's death, but there was no proof He wanted to marry Mabel, probably to end the gossip, but she refused his hand, and for more than year now had been governess for Mrs. Stanton's three unruly boys. Now, these precoclous youngsters are to have vacation so Mabel comes to us. Indeed, we would gladly give her home. but she is too proud to accept it There is the story, and now for our drive. Here are the horses"
 A glorious gallop it was in the bra cing autumnal air, and visit to the stables followed, so that l did not see Constance again until l came down to lunch. Meeting Tom in the hall, we entered the room together, to find Constance awaiting us, and by her side tall straight girl with the sweetest face had ever seen.
 Tom greeted her warmly, and then Mss Saunders was introduced to me, extending her hand with some pleas ant remark.
 What she said l do not know, for on the hand that was laid in mine glistened a ruby, a ruby held be- tween two golden serpent's heads.
 must have seemed strangely em- barrassed for a moment, But l saw Constance look at me oddly, and with a determined effort put aside all speculations for the time be- ing.
 That evening in the drawing-room as Miss Saunders and l were locking oyer a hook of engravings, seized upon an opportunity to comment up- on the ring, saying l had never seen that design before
 The sweet face grew sad as she