The La Jara chronicle., 1906-05-18

TO swing round with faint cry Then
te lowered the axe with amazing gen.
ueness.
Another figure had appeared upon
the scene-the figure of a woman, clad
in a cloak of fur that hid the contour
Of her form.
"Damaris." The word fell from the
young mans lips like a caress.
IL.
So you've come" he said softly.
You see l am as good as my word.
Tie Kingscote Oak must go. 1t is the
last link between me and the work
hIuse-for it almost comes to that"
1t was evident that the relationship
between these two was something
more binding that the ordinary ties
existent between casual acquaintances
Of opposite sex. Each seemed to ac-
Calt the situation as inevitable. Then
the girl went on, hurriedly:
You'll catch cold, Alaric, dear, If
ygU stand still without your coat in
this bitter cold. Let me hold the
lantern for you while you work"
She snatched up the light. He.
C1edient to her Injunction, applied
b weapon with renewed vigor. The
lgmplight threw a warm glow over
his weather-tanned face and muscular
arms.
For time he labored on, his whole
being concentrated on the performance
Of his herculean task. After a space
h. paused to rest. A great wound on
The mighty bole of the oak showed
hos sure had been his strenuous
enieavors.
When he ceased she broke iAto
quick speech.
"lt seems Incredible" she murmur-
el. that you, Kingscote, of the same
race the same blood as ourselves,
should be forced TO toll like this-like
common laborer," The man came
quIoslv forward, and flung his arm
around her waist Their lips met in
Kiss that could not be mistaken for
a mere cousinly salution.
"Damaris Kingscote," he said.
steadily enough. "let us be frank one
with the other. What are the facts?
IN the poor relation-the blot on
the family 'scutcheon of the squire,
YOUR father. He resents my proximity;
loathes the very idea of our love;
therefore he has brought his batteries
10 bear upon me and mine. All that
he could do to ruin me he has done.
successful enough.
The girls eyes brimmed over with
ears. Alaric was quick to note her
ready sympathy and. he gripped his
IKE anew, the silence vibrating once
more with the ringing cadence of his
rhythmic blows.
Presently he rested once again.
"Damaris," he said, did you ever
near the legend that runs in our
branch of the family, that but for
5ome strange whim of chance | should
nave been in the squire's place today,
he ruler of the destiny of Kingscote
Glebe Farm? From father to son the
radition has been handed down that
Nigel Kingscote, the cavalier, juggled
n some unknown way with the laws
If succession-that it was not the son
# the eldest son who was your own IA
hers ancestor, but mine; that could
he truth only be known Alright l should
ne reigning at Kingscote Manor in
cad of being what | ANA pauper,
rated TO cut down the family tree to
-aise a pitiful sum of money that must
be procured"
Damaris stood speechless and Alaric
once more resumed his heavy task.
Finally, after long and weary toll,
The end came. With cry to the girl,
Nlaric flung down his axe and leaped
bacllward. His hand sought hers.
side by side drawn apart from the
offering giant, they stood as though
aDellbound, the only spectators of the
md of so many hundred years OF
sflent, strenuous majesty.
And even as the mighty tree went
shuddering to its tremendous fall,
rack as OF a pistol shot, foreshadow-
.1 its overthrow The noise came
rom the one rotten bough that the
roe had possessed a huge limb some
nalf-way up its stem, which now de-
aching first from it parent crashed
down at the very feet of the wonder
ing couple.
Nor was that all A metallic tinllle
3ccompanied the crash. Damaris was
the first to recognize the solution of
The puzzle.
II was metal canister-a long,
rrme-stained box of rusted tin, closed
at both ends-a thing of mystery, of
untold possibilities. She picked it up,
md as she did so one end fell away.
The canister contained nothing but
stained yellow piece of parchment,
non which something was written
In n close and grabbed caligraphy,
archaic, hard to decipher.
Alaric swung the lantern up from
the ground. ,,