Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-11-25
ALEC TILTON'S FIND.
ey esrHER vANpevEsR.


Alexander Tilton. young American
~ twenty-five with an Inherited for
tune estimated at from seven 10
twelve millions, after being graduated
az college went abroad for travel One
day while walking alone in the fa.a.
iouable residential portion OF london
ne stepped TO witness an auction OF
household furniture in one eof the
fashionable houses. During the sale
he cspicd n lady's writing desk that
struck his fancy, one OF those spindle
Shankcd affairs that our great grand
mothers regarded very pretty and
which one prizes for their age Triton
I'D on the desk. and 1t was Knocked
down TO him.
Among those who attended the sale
was young man who evidently took
d great interest in the proceedings.
Whenever a bookcase, cabinet a Ia
Die indeed, anything with even n sim
gle drawer in twas put up he eX-
lmined IL closely, ana several articles
Of the kind he bid in. When Tilton
bought the lady's desk this man was
out of the room. When he found that
IL had been sold dnring his absence he
went TO its purchaser aud offered him
fine profit. Tilton didn't Hike the
mans looks and was suspicious Of his
reason for wanting the article, and
when the would he purchaser offered
him a bonus OF tlOO for his bargain he
felt sure there was some especial rea-
son why the man wanted IL. AS mon
cy was no object 10 Tilton he would
listen To no offer whatever Indeed,
fearing that ne might he surreptitious-
ly deprived OF his purchase, he had
the desk packed ut once and superin.
tended its removal TO his hotel
There he made "A thorough examine.
tion Of 1t Every drawer was empty.
lie took a little hammer and tapped
all over IL To discover il there was
any compartment that was not appar-
emit No sound indicated such n space
lie Pulled out every drawer and turned
it upside down on the floor; then cX-
aminrl the wood against which tho
back OF the drawers rested when shut
His next move was To unscrcw tho
back OF the desk and take Ii of. Out
fell several papers yellow with age.
All but one were love letters. and that
was a certificate of marriage between
Reginald Leighton ana Eugenin Booth.
What had impclled Tilton 20 pursue
This hunt he could not explain even to
himself Nor could he now explain
what prompted him To start on anoth-
or hunt I'm search of Reginald Leighton
ana Eugcna Booth Inquiry told him
that the house containing the desk had
belonged TO Sir Spanord Leighton, the
father Of Reginald Leighton. and that
Reginald had died I'm America. Regi
maids older brother, SU Arthur Leigh
! ton. had recently died childlcss, and
the tile and estate had passed to Dig
| by Moore, a distant connection OF the.
| Leighton family. This Digby Moore
was the man who wished 10 possess
! the desk Eugcnia Booth had been
! Iady's companion to Reginald ana Ar
! thur LciGhton's mother. When Reg
| maid went TO America Eugena had
J left the service OF the Leighton family
Reginald being dead, Tilton's search
was for his wife. But rs 1t did not
appear that she had ever passed under
| the name of Leighton hc concluded
To hunt for her as Eugcnia Booth.
After n long Investigation he found
that fifteen years before she had Conc
To- America Tillon took the next
steamer for home. one OF the letters
lac found i'm the desk was from Rcgi-
Maid TO Eugenia from u ranch i'm Ida
no Thithcr nc went and discovered
hat Reginald Leighton had been dead
Mftnan of a IA,
death woman appeared who claimc1
to be his wife; but having no evidence
TO prove her marriage with him, her
claims had not been admitted.
After spending much moray on
STAFF OF assistants hc cmployel To in
vcstigatc every woman by the name
VI Leighton living in America Tilton
at last traced the widow TO a western
city There ne found her. broken I'm
health, supported by n daughter. Boa
tTicc "a teacher In the public schools.
They lived in ramshacklc cottage
ana IN a narrow street. when Tilton
went thcrc he was admitted by Bea-
lricc lie asked 10 see her mother and
was admitted to- room where she sat
u an easy chair proppcd up with Pill.
lows
Mrs. Leighton me said, twenty
Two years ago you were secretly mar
ried &c Reginald Leighton
81 was said The lady. wonder stricS-
en- ot This coming from a stranger
Where did you put tbc certificate
Of your marriage"
ia Lady Lclghton's desk 1t was