The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-12-09

A. is as certain as that stand here 7"
And what If he refuseY'
My dear cousin" smiled the indigo
Diandly, the alternative is his con-
nnement for the remainder of his life
IN public asylum for the insane"
You cannot mean itr' cried Hester.
Dut the Judge only shrugged his Shout
ders and said: "Time flies. Bid Cgif.
ford come to me-" and Hester turned
ana went slowly up the stair and
knocked at her brothers door, and
called. None answered. After long
waiting, she knocked again; then she
undid the door and entered-the cham
Der was empty.
Back she ran down the stair, calling
frantically:
Clifford is gonei Help, Jeffrey
Pyncheonl Some harm will come to
him J" She ran through the hall. call.
Ing and searching for him. When she
approached the parlor door again, Cliff
ford stood in the door, coming from
within. He pointed his finger back
into the room.
"Come Hepzibah" he cried with a
Wild gesture. 1.-THE weight is gone
from us We can sing and laugh, now.
Ayel we can be as 1ight-hearted as
little Phoebe herself"
Horror-stricken at his looks and mo-
lions, Hepziban slipped past him into
the parlor. Almost Immediately she
returned-a cry choking in her throat.
MY Cod" she cried, "What will be-
come of usp
Come with meP' cried Clifford,
still with that wild gayety. PUT on
your cloak and hood, take your purse
with money In 1t, and comet"
Still with that wild gayety so foreign
to him, Clifford led the way. first to the
depot-Whers he made her take the
train-when they left 1t at an out-of-
the-way station, still leading, he drift
ed away with her into the cold, sullen
mist.
With the day came many people to
the cent-shop; but none gained admit
lance; but when Phoebe came, the gar
den-door opened for her. A hand
clasped hers and she was led into the
disused reception room. The sun
streamed In through the uncurtained
windows and she saw her companion
was Holgrave.
He told her the Judge was dead-in
the same manner as his ancestor ''to
whom God had given blood to drink %
He convinced her that the uncle for
whose supposed murder Clifford had
suffered for thirty years had died in
the same fashion.
"We must not hide it moment
longer!" cried Phoebe. Clifford is in
nocent! God will make it manifest!
Let US throw the door wide and call
the neighbors to see the truth"
"Waitl" begged Holgrave. "Phoebe,
in all our lives there can never be an
other moment like this. Is it all ter
ror? Are you conscious of no joy, as
am, that has made this the only point
of life worth living forT'
SIT seems a sin," faltered Phoebe,
ito speak of Joy at such time"
phoebe" cried Holgrave, before
you came, my past was lonely and
dreary-my future seemed a shapeless
gloom. With you came hope, warmth
and joy. love you, Phoebe. Do you
love mep
'Look into my heart" said Phoebe,
dropping her eyes. you know love
you"
At that moment the mingled voices
of Hepzibah and Clifford came to
them. Phoebe and her lover went to
meet them. Hepzibah, when she saw
them, burst into tears-Clifford smiled
and murmured that the Rose of Eden
had bloomed in the old house at last.
BY the death of Judge Pyncheon,
Hepzibah, Clifford and Phoebe became
rich. They decided to live at the
judges country place. At the very
moment of departure, through Cliff
ford's troubled mind drifted recollec-
ton of the time when, a mere boy, he
had discovered the secret spring which
caused the portrait of the colonel (be-
fore which they stood, to swing for
recess wherein
were important papers. But he had for
gotten the secret of the spring.
"Perhaps can recall It." said Hol-
grave. and touched the spring.
It was much rusted and therefore,
when released, the portrait tumbled to
to the floor. There was the recess
and there the title-deeds to vast Indian
lands-old jeffrey Pyncheon's missing
property.
"But how came You to know the Sc
cret of the spring." Phoebe asked OF
Holgrave, apart
"My dearest Phoebe" smiled Hol-
grave, show will II please you to take
the name Of Maule7 This secret is the
only inheritance that has come down
TO me from that ancestor. When
Thomas, son of Wizard Maule, built