Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-03-15

Lady Charnleigh looked round with
some curiosity; she placed the silver
Candlestick on the tOilet-tabe, and
glanced with wonder at the beautiful
ancient room; and while she stood
there quite silently the sound of the
distant music seemed to float nearer
and nearer.
There were four large, lofty windows
in the room, and they were hung with
dark velvet, bordered with golden
fringe The bedstead resembled u
huge hearse more than anything else;
the furniture, all made Of solid oak,
was heavy, massive and magnificent;
the great wardrobe reached all across
the room. This last was wondrously
carved and had huge wings; and near
II stood large mirror in an antique
silver frame.
She went to the wardrobe, but stood
for few minutes before the mirror;
she still wore the royal dress Of Marie
Stuart, robe Of violet with q long
train, and the famous Charneigh dia-
monds, which had been formed into q
crown. AS she stood before the mir
rOr the light seemed to center on her;
the dark, gloomy oalsen room lay all in
deepest shade. She was like a vision
Of light and radiance, every inch a
queen" She looked at her image
shining there so fair and bright, and u
pleased smile at her own loveliness
rippled over her lips,
at is good to be fair" she said and
her fancy amused itself by picturing
life as 1T must be for queen. Perhaps
that was the browning moment of her
life; she never again knew one so
cloudlessly happy. She could hear the
sound of music floating around her;
her lover, impatiently waiting for her,
was not far Off. She was pleased with
the charm Of her own loveliness, and
she turned from the mirrCr with
sense perfect content.
She unlocked the wardrobe. 1t was
one Of unusual size and on the shelves
lay wonders of dress, antique jewelry
and ornaments
"On the very first wet day that comes
| will look at all these things, thought
the young countess to herself.
She saw dresses of damask, silk vel
vet trains, ostrich feathers, all the
grandeur that had delighted the dead
Ladies Charnleigh, and then her at
tention was attracted to what seemed
to be old-fashioned court suits, such as
gentlemen might have worn,
81 shall find some buckles here" she
thought, lifting up Il velvet coat rich
ly embroidered. She was right; there
were several pairs of silver shCe buck
les of great value, and she chose the
prettiest. When she had done So she
replaced some of the velvet garments,
and there fell from amongst them an
old dressing-gown made of quilted
crimson satin. 1t fell to the ground,
and Lady Charnleigh, with little
murmur Of Impotence, stopped to pick
it up. She held it carelessly in her
hand, and as she did 50 there dropped
out of one of the capacious pockets
large parchment carefully folded and
sealed.
There was no warning, no foreboding
of the truth as she bent her fair face
wonderingly over the document. Pres
emily her eyes grew dim with an untold
horror, her face grew white even to
the lips, as she read what was written
there.
She tore open the parchment-he
lips trembled-her hands shook. This
was the missing wll-the will to find
which that old mansion had been
searched and searched in vain. With
dim eyes, full Of horror, she read;
81, Uric, Earl of Charnleigh, beir
of sound mind make this my last W
and testament. | give and Dequeath to
Captain Paul Flemyng, son of Charles
and Alice Flemyng, my estates and for
tune. | bequeath to him ali the prop
erty of which am possesscd-them man
sion and estates OF Crown Leighton,
together with all the other estates be-
longing to me, furniture, plate, jewell
ry, carriages, horses, books, without
reserve; and this do not because he
is nearest of kin, but because he is the
son of the only woman | ever loved;
and | wish him to give suitable lega-
cies to all my servants, but | absolute
ly forbid any division of the moneys or
lands left to him."
The witnesses to the will were Har-
riet Simmons and James Mccarthy.
The parchment fell from her trem-
bling hands to the floor. 1t was scene
that would have attracted the notice of
an artist-the grand, gloomy room,
with its magnificent carvings and fur
niture, lying in deep Rambrandt-like
shadows; the silvery light of that one
taper falling on the jewels and the
shining queenly robes. The will had
fallen from her hands, and she was
half crouching, half bending over it,
wall of unutterable misery issuing
from her white lips.
lTo BE CONTINUED,