Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-09-27
CHAPTER NXNIL.
Copyright
Continued.

Continued.
A deadly faintness came over me,
md a sudden dimness of sight pre-
vented me from properly examining
the letter. without doubt my dear
father was dead, and my one remain
ing wish coulu never be realized upon
Earth. I handed the letter to my wife.
who stood at my side, her little hand
affectionately laid upon my shoulder.
and motioned to her to read it, which
she at once proceeded to do; and she
had not read many words before our
mutual fears vanished like mist In
presence of the morning sun.
Holdenhurst Hall,
Bury st. Edmund's, April %, 1S-.
NY Dear Boy-Come home. I shall
know no rest until l see you here,
and learn from your own lips that
you are willing to forgive my errors
Of judgment. Consideration Of the
strange circumstances in which those
errors were made, if not Of the fact
that you are my son whose welfare L
have never ceased to desire, should
induce you to afford me this gratiti-
cation.
The treasure for which you so indus
triously sought in face of so much
encouragement has been accidentally
discovered by your grandfather, minus
only the three sequins you used to
carry in your pocket; and not only
this, but also q quantity of peculiar
Turkish jewelry and precious stones Of
great value. Your grandfather and I
have together carefully examined the
whole of the vast treasure and have
placed it in safe keeping, secure from
further accident, to await your return;
Cor have determined that If YOU will
but come home to me. the disposal
Of the treasure shall rest entirely with
you. You deserve it. and declare it
to be yours, and yours only. subject to
the one condition. of your coming to
Holdenhurst to take possession of it.
Some time ago your grandfather pro.
,posed that the old gabled granary at
the back of the stables should be
pulled down. and Il more cOmmodiOus
granary built in another place. /
agreed to the proposal. and last week
The work of demolition was begun. AT
The north end of the loft, separated
10y wooden partition from where the
winter fodder has usually been stored,
The treasure was discovered. That it
In the granary hy Adams there can
be no doubt for the Venetian coins
were in the black chests which you
iound empty in the crypt one memor-
hat the treasure had been quite other
wise distracted, | ordered Adams 10
remoye the empty chests from the
@rypt and use them for tirewood. but
instead of Obeylng mo. he appears to
lave conveyed them 10 his hiding
place in the grauary. and retilled them
with tho coins, which he must have
taken from them not long before. 1t
- ioJ uiltdSoIlhbit W SuDBOSc tlIdt
The man with the lamp whom You
saw in the crypt was Adams, and that
the occasion was his visit for removing
therefrom the last of the coins,
Amongst our discoveries in the gran.
nry Is Il leather bag containing six
hundred pounds odd in modern Eng
iish money, which I am unable to ac-
count for except by supposing that
It represents the lifelong savings of
the extraordinary miser who was my
servant
| address this letter to your uncle's
house. not knowing certainly that it
will find you there. Let me beg of
you to take the first opportunity to
Hcaualnt my brother with the discov-
fry of the sequins. If you can con-
veniently do SO perhaps you had bet
Ter show him this letter And In any
Ease be sure to impress upon him my
very great regret for what transpired
Ihen he was last here, and what hap
tiness it would be for me Il that in
,ident could be buried in oblivion.
Your grandfather, who on the very
Gay of his daughters rash act re-
reived from her q long letter taking
Upon herself great part of the blame
Of her past life, and entire response
bility for her tragic death, has no
longer any cause for contention with
your uncle, who, were he to come here,
would be received with uhrestrained
friendship. Each member Of our
small family has been wonged by
some other member; no one of us
stands Dlameless-not even yourself
Shall recrimination end only with our
lives? Is it presumptuous to hope for
peace. OF must existing divisions be
permitted to widen with the lapse of
years? o Ernest, my boy, If only
you could bring about the termination
Of feuds for which all concerned are
the worse, and no one the better, you
would then have found a greater
treasure than that which awaits you
at Holdenhurst!
/ have heard that you are about to
be married to Miss Marsh, but the in
formation reaches me very indirectly,
and I am not assured of its truth
Should such happily be the case for
[ have long perceived the disposition
ST your heart, congratulate you, and
wish you and your intended bride all
possible human happiness.
Your affectionate father,