Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-12-02
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER NV.
John Hanbury hardly knew how he got
home, his mind was so bewildered from
his interview with Dora. He pulled him
self together on learning from a servant
that his mother wished to speak to him.
A few minutes later he entered his room.
He led her gently to a chair and took
one in front of her by the side of the din
ing table. He took her thin, white hand
in both his own and looked into her calm.
beautiful face, radiant with that tranquil
light of maternal love justified and full
filed.
"You have something to tell me, moth
er? Something pleasant, l hope. about
yourself"
II have. my son. 1t does not concern
me. or IL it does, but indirectly. Indeed.
l do not know. 1t has to do with you,
dear"
with me, mother? And how?"
II do not know exactly, John. Your
father gave me in trust for you, as you
know. a paper, which 1 was not to give to
You except at some great crisis OF your
life. II no harm Of any particular mo-
ment threatened you until you were thir-
~, you were never to see this paper"
And you never read the paper!
mo. Nor have the least clew to its
contents. l only know that your father
was sensible man, and attached great
Importance to it."
She handed him the paper of which she
had spoken. He said goodnight to her
and entered his own room.
After John Hanbury had closed and
locked the door of his own room he pull
ed down the blind, turned up the lights
over the mantel, and standing with his
back to the chimney piece. examined the
packet in his hand.
1t was a large envelope, tied in a very
elaborate manner, and the string was
sealed in three places at the back. On
the front he read his own name in his
fathers well-known large legible writing.
He cut the string and the envelope, and
drew out of the letter d long narrow par
eel. This he opened, and found to consist
of half dozen sheets of brief paper close
ly covered on both sides with the writ
ing. He saw at a glance that the docu-
ment took the form of letter to him. 1t
began, MY dear and only son, John,
anu finished with, ''Your most affection
ate and anxious father, William Han
bury"
At last he came to the final line, to
his fathers signature. He read all and
then allowing the manuscript to fall from
his hands and his arms to drop to his side,
sat in the chair motionless, staring into
vacancy.
For an hour he remained thus. Beyond
the heaving Of his chest and his calm.
regular respiration, he was perfectly still.
At length he sighed profoundly, not from
sadness, but deep musing, shook himself,
shuddered, looked round him as though
he had just wakened from sleeping in a
strange place. He rose slowly and going
to the window drew up the blind. No
lights were now to be seen in the rear Of
any Of the houses, and complete silence
filed the MINDLESS air.
"How peaceful" he whispered, "how
calm. Graeedieu in Wisconsin? I seem
to have heard of that place before, but l
cannot recollect when or where"
Suddenly he struci- his thigh with his
clenched fist, calling out in a whisper: "Of
course, l now remember where l heard
of Gracedieu. What a stupid fool have
been not to recall it at once! It's the
place that beautiful girl the dwarf intro
duced me to comes from! My head must
be dull not to remember that! His Palias-
Athena, and L"
He turned out the lights and began
undressing in the dim twilight; there
were already faint blne premonit;ons OF
dawn upon the blind.
81 wonder" he muttered in the twilight,
"will his figures Of time include Cophetua
and the Beggar Maidi That old story
! read this night was not unlike Cophetu3
and the Beggar Maid
TO be coutinued)