The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-09-13

~
s3SkA MAGNIFICENT wedding
~ gift" duttered Miss Rocket
AaS her wrinkled white
hands Krasped the quaint steel
caSEet and bore It to hsr own
ahtnts.hung sitting room.
The English solicitor for the
Bcothbys, Of ScarTowe, looked very
VeoEnful Is he went down the stone
steps OF thesgtateiy mansion where
Agatha Rocket lived with her or
phRn niece, Sylvia. He knew the
Rockets were very rich-so many
Americans we're rich-and that An
drew Boothby's marriage TO Sylvia
was purely a love match and that
the young people were to go to
Canada and begin their married
life on Andrews ranch there. He
knew all these things. and he
E1esSed that Miss Agatha Rocket
yaa a tuft hunter, and he mar
velsd how she had ever wheedled
Andrews sole remaining relative,
Sir Angus Boothby, Of Scarrowe'
inte parting with the family heir
leena. the Golden HiIEsal. 1t was
wedding gift to Andrew and his
bride, but II they had waited 1t
weiiId have come to them anyway.
4 but Agatha had wanted 1t to flaunt
IN the faces OF her hundred dear
friends. It was so old. so mysteri-
Que. so precious!
Alone In her sitting room Agatha
heuKht Of the triumph before her
AL her weary ysArs OF climbing
the social ladder were worth the
nomeut when she could display the
Golden Missal among Syivia's we'd.
c ding gifts. II was such won
deFful thing-it was concerned with
English blstory-an old abbot had
hvritteu dark secrets en- ivory tab.
lets and inserted the sheets in the
spages OF the ancient mass hook. \
had then been bound in thin leaves
pt gold and sealed with a great
real, and no one knew the contents
sRvs the old abbot, who had been
dead for centuries.
Agatha Rocket fairly arakea a.
she turned the rustei littls KEY IN
TIE lock and lifted ont the package
wrapped in gold b-ncade that
sktng had worn; the precious relif
s6t patrician race was in ne
lands and she looked guilty.
around as II she expected Sir An
gus to snatch 1t from haT a'ter
Glands. II was small ~ book
fjound between coverS Of th,r heat
an gold. The golden C!asH waS
sealed with splotch Of red was
md Agatha blashcd as she visual
lied sir Angus grim satisfaction
ID ne finaily soalah Il against nel
II nnttIsitIve eyes. The secrets grarG
n there would still be secrets
,h,Igred close to the hearts Of the
naethhyE. even tho rich aunt O.
srITey,s bride dared not touch
IssEsd noto
I'D Ia. San6s shook as she hurried
l33iy. v-s,nnod n ) boor and thrust +
S+o' ~ : casket locking II secure;
stSts ',o,,., was wh TerE fa4 "sa Away.
" ss ~ Il A. o,,f and rrasred all tha'
ncs5ed-aU yha wanted. shr
ssd slnded love. for he came IL
Snmble dress in other days. am
ISs5yy 4 owe cluded her. save thai ..
is,.i,.;s- and tho-p would he S"Ivia'r
eSiIdren some day. The thought
sd ST, 4 dened !her-thrilled her.
I'm a tine steel casket containing
Nm CioIden Nlissal confronted her.
Il ", .i,S ms' in q The he sisht or il. How
"a had planned about il: the news
sSers would write articles about
!, p me nictoral supplements woulo
fs,tnrs n. her own picture wou!t
~ st tSs-e and Svlyia's. probably An,
I ~ IA Sg's Il that conservative younS
y s;to5 would consent, which wac
9s1Stt,I Agatha wished she coulG
B SSssst publicly as sylvia and An.
= s ~ auntie." fluted Sylvia S
slts and she came. bringing An
49, gss he was a tall, lean, brown
9 .ss,sS man verv much in love lie
s ~ e9er and kissed Miss Rockets
s gsus go
s3Seyalm he exclaimed. "Tf you
hsysn't got the family skeletoH5+"
= .isSSnr uncle sent ii to you and
,..iS y she axnIained lamely. IT'S
Il ss Z g1o,de1 Nissal-oi course you
sns 4. sSS iii sbont n"
pSdssw shook his head. Heard
.s,,t n otten saw II once, but new
sa,,iS gst interested-cau't, you
s ~ IN somethinC that isn't to be
" q, - ~ rosJ' he said practical
Va