The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1904-07-02

| insisted that we should sing for him. and
| Ormond and took our places by the pia-
| no just We had done so many times
| before. In vocal music our uncle had
| preferences, and we sang what pleased
| linn. old fashioned trios such as we had
| long since outgrown, though they were
| the same to him as they had always been.
| | watched Ormond out of the corner Of
my eyes. He was a perfect automaton, to
| whom the music meant as little as 1t
| meant to the piano. Suddenly, at the
| close of one of the songs. he turned away
and dropped heavily into a chair
| ITS time to go to bed" said Mr.. Greer,
| shutting the case of his big watch with
| loud snap Ring the bell. Ormord like
good fellow. You can reach it."
| Ormond seemed to awake with a start,
as from a bad dream. He touched the
| bell and then resumed his seat Through
| out the absurd. familiar scene that fol-
| lowed he watched Mr.. Greer with eyes
| like two burning Goals.
A servant entered with a small tray
| upon which We're four very beautiful COB
| lets and a silver pitcher containing pure
| water. When these things had been set
| before him Mr.. Greer took from his pock-
| ct a gold box. The lid flew back as he
| pressed the spring.
| "Will you join me tonight, Ormond?'
said he mo? Nor you. Jack? Gladys.
my dear, allow me to persuade you?
| ittSlly, SDu tHlluTtH uDH kIDW WHAT 3
good. have plenty" he continued with
| laugh. 81 filled the box today. To-
| nights nghtcap and nineteen more are
| here. 1t has no more medicinal quality
| than Adams ale. rs anybody can see by
reading our circular and yet l don't be-
| leve that | could sleep without it
He filled one of the goblets with water
| and dropped into it a bronze hued tablet
| about the size of Il five cent piece. which
| he took from the box. 1t dissolved with
| amazing suddeNness filling the water with
| bubbles and imparting to it the color of
| pale amber, In fact. keen eye would
| have been needed to distinguish this
| fraudulent liquor from champagne. and
am assured that there are palates which
| detect a Close similarity
| Il have given to the world true tenn
| perance drink" said Mr.. Grrnr. ASSISTS
| the stomach; doesn't harm the brain.
| This is my lack" he continued. rl!sing
the delicate crystal in which the myriad
| bubbles rose with faint linking and
| the luck of every man who drinks it and
| let's stronger drink alone 1t has made
| one man rich; it will make no man poor.
| Gladys. my dear, your health"
| He drained the glass. not at a draft. but
| with prolonged enjoyment, and set it
down The servant removed the trav
with one moist goblet and three dry. as
| always for it was an unvaryins joke to
| offer "Grecr's nectar" to us.
| These ridiculous tablets are the founda-
| ton OF unCl"'s great fortune He was a
poor man when he invented them. They
| have had an enormous sale in many lands.
| and several factories are always busy
| with the making of them. Mr.. Greer who
could fill his cellars with the choicest
| product of the vine, limits his drinking to
| this chemical imposture | am convinced
that he really likes it. though he never
| overindulges One glass before retiring
DOR 40. Hon,
| taking of it has long been attended with
| such mock solemnity as / have just de-
| scrbed
| The gold box for the tablets was fam
cy of Gladys. She gave 1t to him as a
| Christmas present. He had used a cheap
| silver plated box of his own purchasing
| before that time, but he would never car
| ry 1t afterward. 1t was put away with
| the twenty tablets which it happened to
| contain at the time, and my uncles valet
was sent across town to the factory a
| Christmas day for a fresh supply in hon
| or of the little golden casket
Mr.. Greer always held 1t precious The
| breast pocket of his ample waistcoat is its
| dwelling place, Upon this evening |
| thought he put 1t away with an especial
| ly caressing gesture Then he kissed
| Gladys upon the red gold curls above her
| temples kiss upon each side. as has
been his custom since she a child.
tou Help Her, one is only a enid now.
| Shall she not have her youth and the
| roses of romance whatever thorns they
| hide?
| When Mr. Greer had withdrawn to his
repose | found myself alone with Gladys.
Ormond had left the room | know not
how. but there was something in the ST.
lence and the mystery of it that inspired
me with foolish alarm My nerves were
on edge. would have started at a
shadow.
GLADYS" said |. checking her at the
door. do you know which way we are
drifting"
mo two of us the same way l fancy"
she replied. But let's not speak of it,
There is no engagement, no PROMISE
between whom she asked. smiling
And then with a far different manner: Il
will not pretend that do not know what
you mean. | am going to tell you Sc
cret which is between ourselves absolute
ly. Uncle Henry wants me to marry him.
| and l shall do tiff can. | love him.
Who could help it? He Is a very noble
steadfast, honorable man"
This is no secret" said l. THE very
servants know it.
Let us pretend that 1t is secret" she
replied. land for it's greater security we
will not mention 1t even to each other
Good night"
l remained alone in the room. Present.
lights. not perceiving me. for I had walk
ed to window and was shielded by one
of the long and heavy curtains When
the man had gone | flung myself into a
great chair and lost all track Of time in
the depth Of my meditation.
The opening f the outer door startled
ne. | heard stealthy step in the hail.
and. turning, saw Loren, my uncle's
valet. He had token some late excursion
without leav" and was stealing in secret
ly There was no harm in this fellow, and
so / shut my eyes to his little mystery.
Ton minutes later I followed him up the
stairs.
To NY Svrn:!s', Loren was lettering
near tic door of my room. AS | was
about to speak to him he made a gesture
81 caution and then passed into the apart
ment ahead of me.
~ don't quite know what to make Of II.
sir said he. 81 was in the hall a few
minutes ago, and | saw Mr.. Ormond COM
ing out of Mr.. Greers room. He didn't
see me. sir, for | stepped out Of his way
but he passed quite close and | saw that
he had that gold box in his hand"
go on" said |, seeing that he had
more to tell.
II looked into his room, through the
keyhole," continued Loren. "He had taxi
en- the little tablets out of the box and
seemed to be painting one of them sir
with a brush no bigger than a match that
he dipped into bit of glass saucer like
watch crystal Then he put them all
back-the one that he had painted with
the others. What do you make of It.
slr?"
II make this of it," said I, that you
must not repeat one word of this story
to any one. You have done right TO tell