The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-02-17

found, stolen it, deciphered it's meaning
(perhaps from u mere verbal slip on her
fathers parU, passed it to me, and
had passed it to Duncan's ther.
AS we walked through the town we
saw body being carried along on a
stretcher
Here is the man who blurred thy
fair name, lassie! Rest sure, they've
found him at last, and he hath no mind
to escape the coward! See, here is a
! note for thee!'
Yes constable was thrusting note
| into my hands. | stood tongue-tied
and, glancing from the constable to
Mr.. McTavish. with trembling fingers
| ] got the envelope open:
DEAR MISS CAMERON: am shooting my.
| self over Nairne's grave My child tells me
that piece of blue ribbon is in your hands. lido
not wish to recover it. You may be able 10 de-
cipher the letters with a little ingenuity or the
| truth may fash before your eye at once How.
| ever that may be have decided not to live an.
other year in disgrace. l cannot endure my
| present mental state and the stings of my con-
science There is nothing but prema ture
grave for me. Yes, it was / who poisoned
| Nairne Cameron. did the deed few minutes
| after you had left her that night in Coodie
| Haugh. Deed did the deed 1t was done suhtly
| in draft of brandy. My sole reason for taking
| this step was that she tormented me once too
| often by saying that Duncan Mcravish would
| be better matrimonial speculation for her
| than Henry Deed Dicconson. the widower.
| While she lay dead wcpt over her l carried
| away piece OF blue ribbon she WORE 1t be.
| came more permanent and valuable keepsake
| after had perforated on it the clew of the
| crime, which ! should not have objected to be.
coming patent to the world after my death.
For present safety, however, secretcd it in
my little Bible.
| Now ask your pardon for all the damning
| evidence that gave against you three years
! ago. You have suffered; bur you will soon be
| popularity acquitted by the most scrupulous of
| those who think murder never sufficiently
atoned for, and you may yet gain your golden
crown in the world that is to come. AS proof
| that you to some extent forgive me- will you,
| being now of age execute my affairs on behalf
OF the child of my predeceased wife? To her,
| TO my Oracle, through you send the message
| OF farewell. Yours etc.
| "HENRY DEED DICCoNsoN."
| After had recovered from the brunt
Of this two. faced surprise Roderics said
| to me:
My missis is dead. Robina, and thou
shalt come to keep my house for me,
and thou shalt be Gracic's mother, and
] will be her father"
Dear Mr. McTavish," | said then
if that is to be my lot, no longer is my
liberty "A loveless one.
1t was spreading like wildfre in
quaint Dummersbra' that ! had no
more to do with the death of Nairnie
Cameron than had either the late Dun
can NJ. lavish or his present father
was besieged now by old enemies turned
suddenly into new friends, by all those
who condemned crcumstantial evil
dence, by all the town who had the
gift Of commiseration. There was Miss
Mounsell among them; and notably,
the local patri irch and the pedagogue
who shook hands right affectionately,
proclaimed Dummersbra purified and
turned their mOralizations off into the
direction of the imported Englishman
who had just been found struck dead by
| the hand of conscience in Dummersbra
cemetery After this rcendearment to
the natives of our own dear little town,
the philabegs and the pipes surrounded
my champion and myself, and do not
think that | ever felt mnch Lappier in
my life.
les, reader, went TO Roderick
McTavsh's as his housekeeper, and
Oracle has since come TO MS.
He wants me to marry him, but I
have not yet forgotten Duncan. am
quite happy to remain single, since
Duncan is no more. Little Grace IL
the crown of all my earthly hopes.