Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-08

II locked them myself from the Ii
brary side," said Mr. Braddock chat
teringly. II did not want any one to
intrude here without our permission OF
knowledge" He glanced toward the
casket.
''Then we must go around by the
middle parlor," said Tom CURLY.
He led the way hurriedly. The older
men kept pace with him valiantly.
With their own scandalized eyes they
had corroborated the boys startled
announcement that his fathers desk
was being tempered with.
A dim light showed through the
ground glass doors. A stopping figure
was plainly discernible in front of the
large table in the center of the study,
the table at which Tom had seen his
father sit through what seemed to his
childish fancy interminable hours of
pen work.
A smaller. door to the study was
reached by the circuitous passage of
the drawing room suit. 1t yielded to
Toms impatient touch upon it's knob
and opened inward-upon room wrap
ped in utter darkness!
Have any of you matches? ~ he ask
ed sharply.
Three matches were responsibility
struck against as many boot heels, and
the room was soon well lighted.
Scattered in reckless confusion over
the open desk were papers that had
been hastily drawn out from the pi-
geonholes for inspection, by whom and
for what purpose were the mysteries
that confronted Thomas and his
friends.
This passes comprehension said
old man Braddock, with tremulous ut
terance and protuberant eyes. '"The
study was in perfect order when I
locked that door on this SIDE Rufus
would turn in his coffin at such dis
array. He was so very orderly"
Some one has been tampering with
my fathers papers for purposes of his
own. Will you help me search the
house for the miscreant, my friends?
I should like just to discover the place
of ingress and egress. After we have
found it we can search the house in
side thoroughly"
An hour later he stood alone on the
low fight of steps that led down into
his mothers flower garden. The first
gray tints of dawn were resting pallid-
~ on the trees of the lawn and upon
the tangled riot of blossoms which
sweetened the cold chill air of early
morning. Baffled and fhumiliated, he
had left his companinns in futile
search to watch by the master Of the
house while he wrestled alone with his
perplexity.
The circuit of Broxton Hall had been
made carefully by the four men. Its
lower eXpanse of broad veranda, pierre
ed by numerous doors and windows as
capacious, had been found guiltless Of
one derelict lock or bolt. Securely fas-
tened and untampered with, each had
shown itself intact. The upper story
of the rambling old mansion had re-
peated the same story-not the swing
ing Of a shutter nor the yawning Of the
smallest door to admit an intruder!
At the end Of the search the mystery
of that crouching figure and disorder
ed desk was greater than at its begin
ming.
Weary Of conjecture that only con-
fused, of suggestions that did not sug-
gest, Tom had withdrawn himself and
now stood drinking in great drafts of
fresh air. 1t cooled the hot feverish-
ness of his body and spirit. The
phantasies of the night seemed to quail
and shrivel before the pure, calm radi-
ance of the morning star that >still held
sway in the slowly flushing skies.
Peace came to the boys troubled
spirit as he stood there accepting heal
ing at natures benignant hands. The
night just gone was one he should new
er forget but 1t had not put him fur
Their away from that noble proved
sleeper, from. whose silent lips had
seemed to fall gentle rebuke for his
craven nerves.
Then the sun rose above the horizon
in his chariot of crimson and gold, and
new day was fairly installed, the
last day for him to be privileged to
look upon his beloved's face, He was
glad that the unnerved watchers had
availed themselves of the earliest sun
rays to take their departure.
AS he stood there alone on the broad
steps of the house, overlooking the
beautiful expanse of the Broxton lawn,
SO he stood alone in all the wide world,
not one creature to call kindred. Small
wonder that he. chung with ravening
tenderness to the silent sleeper in the
house behind his back
He retraced his steps and re-entered
the room where his father lay. He
flung open the windows and moved
resolutely toward the casket. The ut
ter peacefulness, the majestic repose
of the sleeper filled his soul with a
strange quietness.
At that moment he remembered the
seal ring which his father had always
impressed upon the wax of his letters.
1t was on his finger when he died. He
should like it for his very own. He
drew the white draperies from the
broad chest to secure the ring. In the
paliid clasped hands a single white
cosmos flower had drOODed tn ifs death