The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-02-09


J 8NN bell-pull. He
~ IN seemed about to
ring again, when
~HT~4 the door opened
and he stepped
quickly in, while graceful form re-
ceded timidly before him. A pair of
moist, dark eyes and troubled face
were averted from his, and there was
O husky tremor in the voice which said
to him:
"You mustn't come in, JEFF.
Madeleine" he bluntly exclaimed,
"what does this mean?"
"Mr. Laphaml Steve Laphaml'
"Old Jacob Lapham's only your
stepfather. He has no authority over
you. His son is fraud! Your
mother"
"Oh, JEFF, dearl that is the troubled
They have made her forbid me to
speak to you! cannot disobey herl
She is dying They have almost made
her make me promise. Oh, JEFF, dear,
I'm almost crazyl'
''I should say you were," he
growled, with fierce light dancing
across his face ''It was time for me
to come. Is your mother really so
low?"
'She may last many days yet; per-
haps not twenty four hours. Stephen
Lapham isn't there, but his father
doesn't leave her for minute. I've
no chance to see her alone. She COM
manded me not to speak to you"
''No, she didn't said JEFF. "She
only repeated something after old Jake
Lapham. What she was forced to say
was no command of hers. Do be
reasonable. She hasno right to do
it, anyhow; aud she really didn't do
it. Old Jake did. AS for Steve. the
young"
Don't l know what he is?" said
Madeleine, hysterically. Didn't l
hear what his father said to him? They
didn't know l heard"
"What did they say?" demanded
JEFF, as she hesitated, and he closed
the door behind him and led her into
the parlor as he added: "What did
You hear? Tell me the whole of it. -
"Oh, JEFF, dear" said Madeleine,
''Mr. Lapham said to Steve that as
soon as mother died they would re-
cord all the deeds, before proving the
will, and then they would own every
dollar of the property. He said they
could make me do what they pleased
then"
"What deeds?" he asked, in firm
but unexcited way, that seemed to
help her.
Deeds that mother made" she
said. Deeds and things that give
them everything there is to give"
"Did you ever sign any papers your
self?" asked JEFF. "She couldn't do
it alone.'
''I don't know what they were," re-
piled Madeleine. 81 signed every
paper they had on the table, the night
they said she would die before morn
ing"
"When was that?" he asked.
'More than a month ago, (" she said
"and they put them all into the safe
in the library"
81 know where it is," said JEFF.
'It's your own safe now. 1t opens
with a combination lock. You know
the numbers, of course, and how to
open it?"
'No, l don't" she replied despair.
ingly. 81 never knew how to open it,
L don't know the numbers, and cant
tell you. They've kept them a secret
Mother said once that it was the Dec,
laration of Independence and the days
of the week"
"Oh!" exclaimed JEFF, with almost
laugh; chats a riddle. Is anybody
in the library now?"
No." said Madeleine. "Nobody
goes there"
Jefl's face was angry and stormy, il
spite of his calm, reassuring manner
as he strobe to the library-door and
opened it. The room had a chilly
deserted look, and its CRATE was empty
A tireproof safe, of medium size
stood in one corner, and in an in
stant the young man was kneeling be
fore it.
'"rhis is your safe, Madeleine
Lane, he said. MAY l open it?"
You may, but you can't, >" she re
piled; but his hand was ON the knoll
of the safe-lock. and her cheeks
burned with feverish excitement al
she watched the quick, though care
full, turns of his wrist.
"Twice this way" she counted
"Three times that way. Once arounC
again-or was it twice?"
Just then she heard a faint click
and she saw the door of the safe swini
wide open. 1t was as if feat 0
necromancy had been performed be
fore her eyes. Those of JEFF wer,
searching the interior of the safe.
''Here they are!" he exclaimed, a
he pulled out of a pigeon-hole
package of long-foided, legal-lookinl
documents, and rose to his feet
"Please examine them with me, Made
leine.
This first lot, he said, turning
! them over, ARE all deeds, of one sor