Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-03-29
An
Heirloom
1t Once Served a.
a Hiding Place
By SADIE oLcoTr
By SADIE oLcoTT

IL
ITO whom has uncle left his proper
typ asked Flora.
II can only speak for that enormous
mahogany bedstead by which he set
SO much store-the gargoyle bedstead."
Did he leave it to me?"'
"Of course he did. Don't be foolish,
my dear. Listen:
Il, William Gray, being Of sound mind,
etc., do give and bequeath to my grand
niece, Isabel Gray, her heirs and assigns
forever, my Sheraton sideboard and the
sum of 5000; to my grandniece. Flora
Gray Winchester, her heirs and assigns,
the mahogany bedstead which stands in
my own chamber and which is known as
the gargoyle bedstead, together with the
sum of $1,000"
where shall we put it, Harry"
interrupted Mrs. Winchester breath
lessly.
Put it? You don't expect to get it
into this fat?"
I'VE must have it here. l wouldn't
examine it there with Isabel looking
on. And, besides, it is such a journey
down to Richmond. Anyway, you can
not spare the time to go down now,
and we must examine it together. l
want to get it here as soon as posi-
BILE. Who knows but Isabel or some
of the others might find the diary of
Nancy Gray and learn the secret? My
inheritance would he northeast" Mrs.
iWinchester's voice trembled.
"Oh, all right" said Winchester trac-
tably. But how the deuce you expect
to get it in here l don't quite see. It's a
very large piece of furniture, isn't it?"
Now, Harry, DEAR" she cried, with
one plump hand upon his lips, that
bed must be got into this fiat some
how! First 1 will finish my letter to
Mr.. Chesley and let Nora post it at
once. can hardly wait to see the bed
stead, Harry, and l don't dare dream
of what will be ours when the secret
of the bedstead is disclosed. Do you
think, dear, l was wrong not to tell
Uncle William about the diary of Nan
cy Gray l found in the garrett"
We'll, truthfully speaking, I'm afraid
1t wasn't treating the old gentleman
quite on the square,"
Two weeks afterward, while Mir.
Manchester was engaged in a most
important business transaction, he was
summoned to the telephone.
Yes, this is Winchester. What?
Oh, the bedstead there! l can't pos
sibly leave at present. l can't help it.
Tell them to send it up tomorrow. 1
know it's ~important-the bedstead!
No, l didn't speak. Yes, 1 will come
home early. Goodby."
When he reached the Etruscan apart
ments hat evening Winchester was
fortified with a box of candy and a
huge bunch Of violets. He stepped to
the elevator and pressed the button.
A faint tinkle responded from some
depth below.
Presently the %janitor emerged from
an obscure doorway and surveyed him
with an unpleasant eye.
1T amt a-runnin'," he said grutiy.
poor management" Commentary Win
chester as he prepared to conquer the
eight flights that barred him from
home and dinner.
"Huh! exploded the man. What
with the freight elevator out er order.
and people breakin' windows movin' in
big stuff, and them chumps a-tryin' to
put the feet board in my passenger
q and a-tearin' a lady's dress, and
her the landlords sister-in-law''- He
glared %wrathfully at the vanishing
form of Winchester.
Opening the door of his apartment.
rampant disorder met his eye. A huge,
dark form almost covered the floor Of
the tiny parlor, which in it's chaotic
disturbance looked strangely unfamil-
lar to the master of the house.
In the library Flora reclined ON IA
couch before the bright gas log, while
sympathetic Nora applied wet cloths
to her mistress aching head. Wreck
age from the parlor impeded progress
at every step.
MY dear girl!' he uttered.
She turned a woebegone face to his.
Such a time as they had trying to
get it in the window! They We're
saucy because the window was too
small, and one of them pulled it in
with a jerk, and it struck the chande-
lier. The pieces of glass fell ON my
Wedgwood vase, and that is broken!
IL am quite discouraged"
With a restless glance toward the
parlor, where the gigantic bedstead lay
like some dark shadow on his little
home, and with an unpleasant recol-
lection Of the snorting janitor below
stairs and of the generous tip it would
require to reduce him to his customary
state of %patronizing familiarity, Win
chester e%ndeavored to soothe his wife's
shattered nerves, and together they
obeyed Morals summons to a belated
dinner.
AT table Mrs. Winchester drew a fold
ed paper from her gown.
This is the page l copied from the
diary Of Nancy Gray, Harry" she
said. spreading it open before her. II
thought | would refresh my memory
as to the exact location Of the secret