The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1899-01-27


had been locked up for so many years.
The room was about twelve or four
teen feet square, with but one window;
opposite to the door stood the chin
ney and Fireplace, with high buffet
OF dark wood on each side. On table
near by was a bunch of keys. With
one of these he opened the wooden
doors of the buffet, revealing an iron
safe.
A second key on the bunch opened
the iron doors; and Philip found him
self in possession of q considerable
sum of money, amounting, as near as
he could reckon, to ten thousand
guilders, in little yellow sacks. Philip
replaced the sacks, and locked up the
cupboards, after having taken out of
one, already half emptied, a few pieces
Tor his immediate wants. Then turn
Ing and gazing at the table again he
beheld partly concealed under some
embroidery, the sealed letter which his
mother had declared had been left
there by his father seventeen years
ago. He dashed forward, seized the
letter, and burst out of the fatal room.
Il cannot, dare not, read it here"
exclaimed he; mo, no, it must be I'M
der the Vault OF high and offended
Heaven that the message must be re-
ceived." Philip took his hat, and went
out Of the house; in calm despair he
locked the door, took out the key, and
walked he knew not whittier.
Philip looAed about him for some
spot where he might be concealed from
observation-wh he might break the
seal, and read this mission from a
world of spirits. A small copse of
brushwood, in advance of a grove OF
trees, was not far from where he stood
He walked to it and sat down, so as
to be concealed from any passers-by
Then he broke the seal, which bore
the initials of his fathers name, and
read as follows:
ITO Catherine:
"One Of those plying spirits whose
eyes rain tears for mortal crimes has
been permitted to inform me by what
means alone my dreadful doom may
be averted.
Gould l but receive on the deck of
my own ship the holy relic upon which
l swore the fatal oath, kiss it in all
humility, and shed one tear Of deep
contrition on the sacred wood, l then
might rest in peace.
NIIou tbio ,,,oy he L..
whom so fatal task will be under
taken, know not. Oh, Catherine, we
have a son-but, no, no, let him not
hear of me, Pray for me, and now,
farewell.
81. VANDERDECKEN."
"Then it is true, most horribly
true" thought Philip; land my father
is even now in living judgment. And
he points to me-to whom else should
he? Am l not his son, and is it not
my duty?"
Eyes, my father" exclaimed Philip,
aloud, falling on his knees, you have
not written these lines in vain. Let
me peruse them once more"
Philip raised up his hand; but, al
though 1t appeared to him that he had
still hold of the letter, it was not there
he grasped nothing He looked on
the grass to see if it had fallen-but
no, there was no letter; it had disap-
peared. Was it vision? No. no: he
had read every word. Then it must
be to me, and me alone, that the mis-
sion was intended. l accept the sign"
Hear me, dear father-if thou art
so permitted-and deign to hear me.
gracious Heaven-hear the son who,
by this sacred relic, swears that he will
avert your doom or perish. To that
will he devote his days; and having
done his duty, he will die in hope and
peace. Heaven, that recorded my rash
fathers oath, now register his sons
upon the same sacred cross, and may
perjury on my part be visited with
punishment more dire than his! Re-
ceive it, Heaven, as at the last trust
that in Thy mercy Thou wilt receive
he father and the son; and If too bold,
oh, pardon my presumption
Philip threw himself forward on his
face, with his lips to the sacred SYM
Dol. The sun went down and the twi-
light gradually disappeared; night had
for some time shrouded all in dark
ness, and Philip yet remained in al
teynate prayer and meditation!
But he was disturbed by the voices
of some men, who sat down upon the
turf but a few yards from where he
was concealed. The conversation he
little needed; but it had reused him.
and his first feeling was to return to
the cottage, that he might reflect over
his plans; but, although the men
spoke in low tone, his attention was
soon arrested by the subject Of their
conversation when he heard the name
OF Mynheer Poots mentioned. He lis
tened attentively, and discovered that
they were four disbanded soldiers, who
intended that night to attack the house
of the little doctor, who had they knew,
much money in his possession.
What have proposed is the best"
said one of them; che has no one with
him but his daughter. IL value her