The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-12-05
CHAPTER XIV.

John Hanbury hardly knew how he got
home. his mind was so brwildcrcd from
his interview with Dora. He pulled HIM
self together or learning from Il servant
that his mother wished to speak to him.
y few minutes later he entered his room.
lie led her gently 10 Il 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 fu!-
filed.
You have something to ten me, moth
or? Something pleasant, l hope. about
yourself"
Il have. my son. 1t does not concern
me-. or if 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. Il paper, which ! was not to give to
you except at some great crisis of your
life. If no harm of any particular mo-
ment threatened you until you were thir.
ty. YOU We're never to see this paper.'
And you never read the paper"
Nv wv ItNt 1 tIt as tiNN w u
contents. ! only know that your father
was Il 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 Hamburg had closed and
locked the door Of his own room he pull
cd down the blind. turned up the lights
,-n, tJ, ,,ytA ,,,t ,,n,li,~ ,+;tJ ht-
back to the chimney piece, examined the
packet in his hand.
1t was Il 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 W name in his
fathers wcl!-known large legiblc writing.
He cut he string and the envelope. and
| drew out of the letter Il long narrow par
eel. This he opened, and found to consist
of half a dozen sheets of brief paper close
ly severed on both sides with the writ
ing. He saw at q glance hat the docu-
ment took the form of Il letter to him. 1t
began. MY lear and only son, John"
ANA 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 ard
then allowing the manuscript to fall from
his hands and his irms to drop to his side,
sat in the chair motionless, staring into
vacancy.
For an hour he remained thus. Beyond
the heaving of lis chest and Ms calm,
regular respiration. he was perfectly still.
At length he sighed profoundly. not from
sadness, bur deep musing, shook himself,
shuldcred. looked round him as though
he had just Weakened from sleeping in a
strange place. He rose slowly and going
to the window drew up the blind. No
lights were now to he seen in the rear Of
any of the houses, and complete silence
filed the MINDLESS air.
How peaceful" he whispered. "how
calm. Gracedieu in Wisconsin: I seem
to have heard of that place before, but !
cannot rccollcct when or WHERE
Suddenly he strlci- his thigh with his
| clenched fist. calling ont ia a whispers: "Oi
course, | now remember where | 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
duccd ne to comes from. Ny head must
be dull not t. remember that. His pa!las-
Athena. and L.
He turned out the lights and began
undressing in the dim twilight: there
were already faint blue premonitions OF
dawn upon the blind.
Il wonder" he muttcrcd in the twilight,
will his figures of time include Cophetua
and the Bcggar Maid! That old story
! read this night was not unlike Cophetua
and the Rcggar Maid"
TO he continued.j