New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-15

boarded keepsakes % a century and a half OF
womsns lives Last OF an was Ieathern case
which 7 had cisinrerred from the bottom OF a box
ottoman fun of lowered silks and stiff MORE an
tques and ropiins. uncut materials IN the very
papers in which they came from Norwich a hundred
years ago The thing vas octagoneI. banded and
hasped with furnished metal and might De Afteen
inches across BY FIVE IN depth Il contained nine
largish. whitish egg-sheEs streaked and spiashed
with brown and black like ink marks upon old
bIotting pad suppose there are people who can
see the beauty o. such things; T cannot These
were not glossy and handsome like ostrich eggs but
rougish to the finger and shared like pears. They
were packed In oakum and sneled family OF ship
Upon them lay three Old love letters. weak IN thu
creases. faded and yellow. written from RISs
Awick and two from ConnesberE wherever those
lands may BEL beginning Daring PoIT' and signed
Elijah" a word which pretty nearly made ne jump.
but conveyed no meaning 70 the rest With them
lay cutting from The Kings Waterbeach Ad-
vertser' for July .. 1850 telling OF the loss with
all hands o: the brig Northern Trader. Of Boston.
on Sherringham. while a voyage from Riga 70
Great GTimsby. Upon paper pasted inside the Ia
written IN the formal sloping hand that
grandmothers learned in their senlinaries Pen
This was all I have described the things partic-
Ulariy. tediousy. you may think. for reasons.
out At the moment no one AZ the table
bit OF out-of-date family lumber. and the last: 50
Tar we were IN a way glad 70 see them for some OF
nad 70 % done yet ana time was running on .
What's here?'' said Mr. Samuel. hose turn IL
hold my spoons. Here Isabel. these are more I'm
your boys J. . than mine; you shall have en- for
He roughly reversed the box turning the con-
tents upC1 the tablecloth- The eggshelis rolled
hither and thither in rings clicking and 1ostLlnS
One went over the tables edge. but was caught oy
Penguin he remarked abstractedIy turning the
would have thought thar a native OF the southern
abruptly, g quick flush mounting from his eheess
through tho glazed doors OF the and overheard
There's an encyclopedia in here-Iocksd. Who
has the key Of this2 All. thank you. Miss Fannlns-
dant in southern istitudes' and 50 forth No catch
breathsd softly. He replaced the volume. locked
Mr.. Iaidlaw sitting with his Back 70 the books.
must have seen something IN the mirror upon the
opposite wall He rose. turned. glanced az SAP
IN the TOP shelf and. overtaking Mr., Thomas wno
was moving away, tapPsG MN Hsnt4y ug2n e IN
breast shining straight INTO MS eyes, a very u4I
smile There was something which sounded hard
Miss Tanning, a moment II you please.
1 was az MS elbow; stiiL smiling ne vas noIdlns
frightened Then 1 realized what had haDDsnedi
the rest packing their things with much tearing AMI
Il cannot permit this sir / doubt II 7 ought TO
eondone it. That is first edition OF The Pilgrims
I'm pay. lit WIS only to lock at I swear
idly as thieves always do: I've seen two or thres
caught IN time and they all had plenty to say
Mr.. LaIdlaw. still fast 20 his button, read him
through IN silence. You viii write your chequs
for this book, now, this very minute. Tor Two hun
..,TvvD7 SI5nst-ousf sa, avs-ans-tvertvr'
Leave the house under the forfeiture clause
The culprit twisted- Nj Laidlaw sun nolaIE L,
'h 92a,! Ii I III 70 r s2eaN
Two hundred. you take mel No fencing. IL you
please; It is your last chance. kindly take care OF
those eggs he whispered. as he lei his captive 70
a writing table whence ha presently returned stil
smiling, sud remarked 70 ne in an undsrtons ,:
flaming. for you remember the books are excluded
| Then YOU oouIdn't2"
PRECISELY ] could not" ITS ewes tvfnkIed with
/ enjoyment although his voica was 50 rodulated
that Il would not have carried yard Then, IN his
clear business pitch. ne said 20 Mr.. Samuel: Mrs.
srd win swift warning gIsrcs at the lady who
/ had not spoken half-crowns were too scarce with
I her TO spend lightly He pushed the coin across
the table her brother and obtalnsd his initials to
a receipt. "Fussy2 say formal, sir mine IS a
/ formal profession And now. my dear madam and
/ gentlemen, am about 20 verify with you the Isl
/ OF curIos with the names OF their new owners. 20
WuLcH tlst ~ W. at--o- J-' .. - ~,
/ OF receipt ana N toHen Or your aeIseLi!ehL- Iol
are then liberty % remove your property as soon
\ you like What remains here remains at it,
the usual precautlo1s."
lawyer, me. and last At one another. Him they
could trust, they could trust but one another
They took themselves or at last IN cabs with
and we two women with Mr. Laidiaw b-eathsd
more easily round cOsey little supper table, very
The lawyer lvho eats as eenteely IS LADY, said
little until dismissed the red-eyed, ySvnlns maids
to bed and undertook TO close up myself He looked
white and must have felt tired. but with food and
and he began. so to say, to sparkIe he turned 10
Mrs. Grey: Did you ever break the Tenth Com
rnandmeut. madam 90 said he.
The demand was not quite 80 starting as Il looks
TT me 80 -. -, az, s,1-s f- -ys,s- r-1Sss9
her mind that he was joking. for she answered
that she feared she must have done 50 az sons
3
ooh. often, ofte1, says she I've lived tor Jh.Tty
hquT have had sPoGsh q G5 siiSd her arm %,
feared little scene. she was smiling so trsmu-
madam and go streuuousIy, madam. that tho temp
tation almost stopped your breath. and came within
his tone had grown s. earuest that we looked upon
I been tempted" ne went or, and only Once-
old connection OF my fathers before me. among
some OF the best people around here, have had
my opportunities. Yes. We lawyers see slngQI3r
thiugs-surprisiug lapses OF memory. overslghts,
needed bJlt one uttie touch to tumble into NV mouth
yes. into mine; I've seen derelict real estate
bsfore sG ayv: bI,I tbanE NV MAKE isi{ss Ibas
not only have I never suCcumbed 70 them. but that
I cannot recoLect ever being seriously tempted
We sat bolt upright n our chairs Mr.. Laidlaw
you are making fun Of u.s.
Possibly Miss flaming is ursuscegtibIe. out Ito
me. ladies'. the atmosphere OF the library was
oppressive almost ule7h!tic, certainly infectious
Dear, dear! but would nave opened q sash:
why didn't YOU speak2'
That was IL. I nearly had spoken-nearIv. not
quite. laus DeO'i he bent his head over his hands
FOR grace after meat. Mr.. Thomas Barn
wells interrogation saved ne. I shan always think
kindly Of NJ Thomas His eyes met mine. and
I learned TWO things. that this my grave.
precise little neiChbOr's way Of joking and that
was 10 breathe no syllable about tbs adventures OF
John Bu1yan
But what Il that took your fancy so7 For
I suppose that ia what YOU are going to tell Is.
II 10 is anything Of mine dear Mr. Iaidlaw-and
I do hope Il isl am sure you are only too wei