The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-26
RIGHTS RESERVE
MQ0UQ'S Fortunes,
FRANcIsu-AulOro .n North Country Village etc


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quite pleasantly 'You certainly are
thorough O'Neill. and 1 ought to hav
known better than to suspect you. Come
III take it all back-you can kiss me, m,
dear little terma CANT"
No, thank you, answered Molly, q
would rather mott don't feel inclined
to kiss you just no7y."
Tut, tut. nonsense-you mustn't bea
malice, you know" said Miss O'Neill, ra
diant with good humor. ct is all tn
fault of that meddlesome old aunt o
yours. Why on earth couldn't she leav
us alone? We were quite happy, weren'
we? and she must needs come, dropping
hints and making mischief, till she quit
upset me- [ was wrong, I own it, and
am sorry-there, will that do?"
Seeing that Molly still hesitated. She
skipped out Of her chair and taking the
girls face in both her hands, kissed il
repeatedly. The latter, not being proof
against this unwonted display of affcc-
ton, and understanding the state OF
the case better since the allusion to
ner aunts interference, warmly returned
the careSses, and presently fell a-laugh-
ing too-with laughter in which there
was a suspicion of tears.
Now, as you have been so candid. |
thing l will be candid too said the
old lady, still holding Molly's hand fast
land confess to you the dilemma [ am
in with regard to the disposal of my
property. No. you incident take alarm
like that-I will exonerate you from
all interest in the matter, but it will
be a comfort to me to speak plaialy
and have done with it. Now, I like you
amazingly, Molly, though it is not my
way to be demonstrative, and if [
were quite sure that no one with a bet
ter claim to the estates were in exist
enCe, 1 should leave them to you with
a happy heart and clear conscience.
But suppose there should be O'Neills
of the elder line somewhere in the
world, suppose one were to turn up
some day and find himself debarred
from the succession, I don't believe, -
said Miss O'Neill solennly, 81 don't be-
lieve L could rest in my grave"
Molly was silent, being totally at loss
what to say.
From the time of Elizabeth down
wards, there have been O'Neills eXiled
for faith and country" continued the
other. MANY of those may have left
descendants, and the maddening thing is
that cannot trace them. You see there
was till my fathers time no dearth of
direct representatives of our line, and,
therefore, what with that. and what
with the disturbed times, little trouble
was taken to keep up relations with
more remote scions of the race. But
in the rebellion Of '9S, not only was the
best blood of our house split, but what
was worse, our family archives, our val
liable documents, and many ancient rel
les of bygone times, were lost or de-
stroyed. / am perfectly convinced that
descendants of our dispersed kinsmen
are in existence somewhere, yet how am
I, deprived of the links that connected
US with them, to prove their Identify"
lit does seem Erather hopeless, said
Molly.
And yet, whenever I try to make up
my mind that such is the case, the
thought will keep recurring that there
must be O'Neills in the world still, and
that by failing to recognize their rights,
l Shall be committing gross injustice;
and so I keep hesitating and hesltatlng.
Every now and then, just as have come
to a definite conclusion, something hap
pens to upset me again. When L look
at this bracelet that 1 am wearing, for
instance, you see there were originally
three miniatures, set in it, but the CEN
trail one is gone, and l have had 1t re-
placed by the enamel heart. If the miss
ing miniature were found in the posses
sion of anyone calling himself O'Neill,
T should consider it likely that he be-
longed to our family. You see the
mounting is of very curious design.
and these queer little arabesques round
the monograms at the back would make
1t easily recognizable.
But then it may have been sold, sug-
gested Molly, efficiently.
Eyes, that is true''-with sigh. MY
dear, it gives me the nightmare to think
of it. At this moment that precious, rel
ic may be hanging up in some jeWeler
shop, among a lot of horrid, modern
baubles, or, worse STILL 1t may have been
bought by some manufacturer, or shop
owner or other, to be worn on gala days
by his odious common wife. Heign-ho!
Well, to go back to what l was saying.
I have also two or three packages OF
old letters upstairs-lOve letters some OF
them-such yellow, worm-eaten records
Of by-gone hopes and joys, Molly-but
most Of them are signed with initials,
and some not signed at all, and of what
use are they? Apparently none; and yet
one day something may happen to throw
light on them, and so 1 am afraid of do
ing anything rash
There was a somewhat awkward pause
after this; Miss O'Neill gazing question
ingly at Molly, as though expecting her
to say something.
"Wel," said the latter, at last L
should like to make one remark, as we
are on this subject. To be quite frank,
dear friend, when I came here L knew
that YOU had an idea of-of perhaps, DO
ing something for me in the future, but
I do assure you, nothing was further
from my mind than to try and curry
favor with you on that account, and, in
deed. after a time, I forgot all about 1t.
1 was as happy as l could be, simply III
being here, and in being with you"
The sincerity in her voice, the pleading
look in her ewes would have carried con-
viction with them, even if her kinSWom-
an had not already dismissed her DOUBTS.
But, please-please do just what YOU
like with your money continued MOI y:
81 really think l should feel happier II
YOU left it to somebody else. l could
come here sometimes on a visit, you
"You must live here" said the other
mo, i must not do that. could not
forsake my poor aunt, to whom owe
everything. 1 will go back with he1> and
get to work again there came a
stifIed sigh-"and then later on, perhaps,
you will let me come and see you
After much discussion a comp comise
was effected, Miss O'Neill reluctantly
consenting to allow Molly to return with
Mrs Mackenzie, on the condition CT her
promising to spend a long summer hon-
day at the castle. She was anxious to
make Molly such an allowance as should
Encouragement, but the latter was firm in
her resolve to remain independent.
"And about the future, said Miss
O'Neiu 81 must think seriously, and try
to come to some definite conclusion.
She apparently succeeded at length in
hitting on a satisfactory plan, for few
weeks after Molly and Mrs. Mackenzie
had left Mr.. Burke was summoned to
Castle O'Neill for no less a purpose than
TO make its owners will