Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-12-10

Ii Is as certain as that l stand hereg
"And what If he refuseY"
MY dear cousin" smiled the Judge.
blandly, "the alternative is his con
hnement for the remainder of his life
III a public asylum for the insane"
"You cannot mean IT, cried Hester;
but the judge only shrugged his Shout
ders and said: "Time flies. Bid Cliff
ford come to me-" and Hester turned
and 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 entere9-the cham
Der was empty.
Back she ran down the stair, calling
franticany:
Clifford is gonel Help, Jeffrey
Pyncheon Some harm will come To
him.! She ran through the hall. call
ing and searching for him. When she
approached the parlor door again. elf
ford stood In the door, coming from
within. He pointed his finger back
into the room.
Come HepzlbahI" he cried with a
Wild gesture. 1.-THE weight is gone
from Us We can sing and laugh. now.
Ayei we can be as light-hearted as
little Phoebe herself"
Horr0r-striCken at his looks and mo-
tons, Hepzibah slipped past him into
the parlor Almost Immediately she
returned-a cry choking I'm her throat.
MY God r. she cried, "What will be-
come of usl"
Come with mel" cried Clifford.
still with that Wild gayety. 'Put ON
your cloak and hood, take your purse
with money in II, and conner
Still with that wild gayety so foreign
to him, Clifford led the way, first to the
depot--where he made her take the
train-when they left It 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 HoIgrave.
He told her the judge was dead-in
the same manner as his ancestor 'to
whom God had given blood to drink I"
~
whose supposed murder Clifford had
suffered for thirty years had died In
the same fashion.
1--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"
"W0it" begged Holgrave. 'Phoebe.
in all our lives there can never be an
other moment like this. Is It an ter
ror? Are you conscious of no joy, as
am, that has made this the only point
Of life worth living for?"
at seems sin" faltered Phoebe,
"to speak Of joy at such II time"
Phoebe" cried Holgraye. 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 mef"
Look into my heart" said Phoebe,
dropping her eyes. You know love
you"
At that moment the mingled voices
Of Hepzibah aud Clifford came to
them. Phoebe and her lover went to
meet them. Iepzibah. when she saw
them, burst into tears-Ciilf0rd smiled
and murmurcd that the Rose Of Eden
had bloomed in the old house at last.
by the death Of Judge Pyncheou.
Hepzibah, Clifford and Phoebe became
rich They decided to live at the
judges country place. At the very
moment of departure through Clif-
ford's troubled mind drifted recollec-
ton of the time when, mere boy, he
had discovered the secret spring which
caused tho portrait of the colonel (be-
fore which they stood. to swing for
ward-disclosing a recess wherein
were important papers. But he had for
gotten the secret Of the spring.
perhaps ! can recall IT," said TEol-
grave. ana touched the spring.
II WAS much rusted ana therefore,
when released, the portrait tumbled to
to the floor There was the recess
and there the title-deeds TO vast Indian
lands-od Jeffrey Pyncheons missing
property.
but how came you to know the Sc
cret of the spring." Phoebe asked Of
HOlgraye apart.
MY dearest Phoebe" smiled Hol-
grave, chow will it please you TO take
the uame of Maule? This secret is the
only inheritance that has come down
TO me from that ancestor. When
Thomas, son of Wizard Maule, built
this house, he took the opportunity to
construct this recess and hide away
those ttle-deeds. I would have told
YOU this before. but feared to frighten
you"
Phoebe's smile forgave him; and as