The record-union., 1896-05-31

WOIheu ana transacted WndI business i
had to do.
You will pardon my taking such a
liberty, Mr. Gilman" he said. you
have no doubt been taught to hate any
one or anything connected with the
tower"
"At any rate, I have not taken the
trouble to learn the lesson" answered.
Then you do not hate me?"
why should I?''
Your father did, and his father be-
fore that. You know the history?"
"Yes"
1T is time the quarrel ended" he said.
That is why 1 am here now. This re-
vengeful spirit is a mistake. I touch
far enough back to have a sympathy
with the days when men got up early
in the morning and settled the previous
nights quarrel before breakfast
[ smiled, wondering very much what
he was driving at.
''We'n end the quarrel, Mr. Gilman"
he said.
What, early tomorrow morning?" 1
laughed.
mo. Now"
He spoke so sharply that for
moment 1 really thought he meant to
call me out to mortal combat.
Il have here a letter." he went on,
taking a sealed packet from his pocket.
Il want to leave it in your possession.
1t is addressed to you, but it must be
distinctly understood that the seal is
not broken until after my death. Will
you undertake to promise this?''
Really, Mr. Gilman bege1.
Let me finish first" he interru ,1ted
me. Il am an old man, you are young
one You can therefore afford to listen
tc my plain speaking without taking
| offense. You are not rich, Mr.. Gill
man.
II am not, certainly"
'I am. Old Miser Felix they call me,
don't they?" he said, with a chuckle
And then he abruptly changed his tone
''It is true. I am a miser. have heaped
myself round with gold until l am utter
| ly wretched. My nephew is anxiously
awaiting my death, and half Roston
wonders what am worth. You know
Mark Gilman is my heir"
Yes"
And that he is going to be married ?"
Eyes"
And that you are in love with the
woman he wants to marry?"
''Mr. Gilman" I exclaimed, coloring
deeply, and half rising from my chair.
stay. 1 do not think either of you
will marry her. It is nothing to do with
our business. Mark is my heir-good.
But there is also the quarrel between
your family and mine to settle. 1t
pleases me to settle it in my own way.
This letter, if you follow the Instructions
contained in it, will place in your abso-
lutte possession more money than you
ever thought of having. You will be
robbing no one, since it is mine to be-
queath as / will. You have only to fol-
| low my instructions, and to give me
your solemn oath not to break this seal
until I am dead"
The oath l will take and keep"
answered. But supposing 1 should not
conscientiously be able to fulfill the in
structions contained in you letter?'
Then you cannot have the money
You must fulfill the instructions before
you can even know how much you are
to receive. I have provided for that.
| Win you take charge Of the letter?'
Yes"
He handed it to me and watched me
| lock it in a small safe I had in my room.
began to thank him, but he would have
no thanks.
"It is my eccentric way Of taking re-
venge," he said, that is all. You will
probably find the money a curse, but
you will not be alone in that respect.
You may experience some qualification
in that thought"
Still, 1 thank you all the same" 1
said
wait until you come to die. You will
see then whether 1 have done you good
or ILL.,"
CHAPTER II.
I never saw Felix Gilman alive again.
1 may as we'll say so at once, although
the time between his visit to the Hall
and his death, six months later, was a
period of considerable excitement to
me- I was naturally very curious about
| the letter the old man had given me,
| but its contents were sealed with an
oath, so 1 put the thought of it away
from me as much as possible. I must
| confess to building castles upon my
| expectations, in which Ethel was en-
throned. but l do not think that l ever
actually wished for the old mans death
| I do not state this as exactly credita-
bic a point in my favor but it is rather
| difficult to decide honestly whether
you wish a man dead or no, if he hap
pens to be old, and practically a strang-
er, and from him you have great expec-
tations.
l saw a good deal of Ethel Holroyd
for my part / went wherever / thought
I was likely to meet her; on her part
believe the meetings were purely acci-
dental A certain amount Of confidence
sprang up between us. 1 treated heI
pretty much as / might have done a
sister, and she sometimes asked my ad-
vice Mark Gilman was seldom men
toned, and when he was only in the
most casual way possible
During the last few months I had
contracted the habit Of taking a walk
in the evening, usually past the Tower
to a little inn called the Ball House.
usually turned in there and had a glass
of whisky 1t amused me to hear the
old fellows talk One often gets strange
ideas from these primitive country
yokels.
/ went into the little sanded parlol
one evening, sat down in a corner which
was partially concealed from the res
| OF the apartment, and had not beer
there many minutes when trap ratified
UP to the door, and Mark Gilman cam,
in There was nothing curious in this
as he was living at the time in Sibley
a village about five miles from Roston
and his direct road lay past the Bal
House. No doubt he often came in OF
his way back from visiting his uncle ol
the Holroyds, but / had not chanced t
see him there. Tonight he could hard
ly have been to the Tower or to SET