The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-11-22

IL y 5tchgf lCuudlucu Will ulul ultl
five the next morning, when the frs
train took me home.
III.
The next afternoon, my courage hav
ing returned, drove to Millville anC
went straight to the house which / hac
visited the previous night. / wen
boldly up the front steps and was ring
ing the bell, when 6 man at work il
the next yard looked over the fence.
''There is no one at home, sir" hs
said.
"Where are the people who belong
here ?" l asked.
"They are spending the winter in
Southern California, and have been
away since last September" was hi:
reply.
On returning to my Office, l found q
telegram from my sister, who lived in
an adjoining State. In response to it ]
started at once, and on arriving at hel
home the following morning / learned
that an elderly physician, q friend Of
her husband, was about to give up
active practice. Arrangements were
made, and / moved to my
new location.
During the spring and summer was
kept busy and had but little time to
myself, yet often pondered over my
midnight visit to Millville, trying to
persuade myself that 1t might be only
q delusion Of my brain while in some
stage OF somnambulism.
One evening at about 1890, had re-
turned from professional call and was
about to retire, when I picked up my
evening paper, which my thoughtful
sister always left on my table. The
first item / read was notice in the So
eiety column:
"Miss Marguerite Lswton, of Mill
vile, is visiting her grandmother, Mrs.
Stephen Powers Lawton, on College
avenue"
The name of the town brought to my
mind the mysterious cali l had once
answered. / placed the paper on the
tbale at my elbow. As did so be-
came aware OF feeling as IL some one
was in the room.
CHANGING hastily around L saw that 1
was alone, bat as my gaze again fell on
the table saw moving towards me the
figure OF a mans hand, holding in its
grasp the same peculiarly shaped key.
The hand moved over the table until it
rested on the paragraph 1 had just
read, and the key tapped once or twice
on the name Marguerite"
The hand began to fade; already 1
could see to read the letters that were
under it, and as the shape Of the key
began to grow indistinct seized PEN
Gil and made sketch Of it on the mar
gin Of the psper opposite the para
graph.
The key had barely faded from my
view when my bell rang. A man stood
in the door.
"Come at once to Mrs. Lswton's,
College avenue"
In response to my inquiries he repli-
ed, ''She is unconscious. 1t is proba-
bly, stroke Of paralysis"
In few minutes we entered the room
where a slight girlish figure, clad all in
black, was kneeling by the side Of the
bed, whereupon lay an old lady. She
was quite dead, and but one glance was
needed to tell me that she was the mys-
teriOus one who had opened the door
for me at the Millyille house.
"Here is the Doctor Miss Marguer-
ite," said the man.
The young girl rose, and with a sti-
fed sob, held out her hand to ME. "My
dearest friend, my only friend on earth
is gone" she cried.
A few days later my sister and / call
ed to see Miss Lawtcn, who had decid-
ed to close her grandmother's house
and go away.
'The only relative 1 have now is my
mothers half brother, in California.
He has teiegraphed for me TO come to
him. Poor Papa and I were 30 happy
there until his sudden death last
spring"
Then she added, 81 will show you
his picture" and taking photograph
from q case on the table, she handed
me the exact likeness of the man whom
/ had found upon the lounge with the
ugly cash on his head. I did not ques-
ton her at that time, although my Gu
riosity was difficult to control, rs saw
that she vas deeply agitated, and L felt
that she must be kept as calm as pos
sible.
Destiny, fate or what compelled me
to follow Marguerite to California? 1
was not wholly impelled by the desire
10 obtain solution of my mystery, OF
which 1 felt that somehow / held the
key, having been to a locksmith and
had key made from the drawing on
the newspaper margin.
In the latter part Of January placed
my practice in the hands Of one Of my
medical friends, who was not quite
ready 10 settle down, and started out
for six weeks vacation.
Marguerite and my sister had kept
up a correspondence. l had no diff
Guilty in finding the object OF my search
and in less than five weeks was on my
way east with my bride.
Before leaving California / hsd learn
ed the particulars of Mr.. Lawton's sud-
den death. Marguerite's grandmoth-
er, who had been leader in society
until her husbands death, was the pos
sessor Of some valuable diamonds,
which q few years previous she had
placed in her sons hands for safe keep
ing until Marguerite should be Of age
to wear them.
He very seldom mentioned the jew
els to his daughter, and it was supposed
that he carried them around on his per-