The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-07-20
CHAPTER XII-Continued

cate, he thought she must have torn
the former. Hence the need to make
a copy, as had seen her do Inciden
tally, grandfather was much vexed
that that original should have disap
peared, for 1t was a real Colfax en-
craving, the only copy he had of his
father the Doctors bOokplate-"
If Mr.. Almy hadn't interrupted,
should have had to, | was so bursting
with curiosity, and | should have not
been able to compel the answer he re-
ceived.
Zone minute, MacIvor. How did
your grandfather happen to own
Colfax bookplate?"
Hugh CoIfax made It just before
his death-it was. In fact, his last
work-in gratitude for the doctors
having saved the life of COlfax's
son, who was a British naval officer.
when he was stricken with yellow
fever In South America" answered
Maclvor. briefly, merely whetting my
curiosity; but he had to go on with
his story. "But the main thing was
that the birth certificate was missing
Grandfather knew Case had it, and
Case had gone abroad directly after
your mothers death, Julia, and Prof
Royal Harrington, to whom your
mother had referred by name Have
you ever heard of him?"
81 think I've seen his name in the
paper" said Julia, rejecting.
'Well, he is your fathers elder
brother"
."Whatl %
p ~'Yes, your uncle. He had gone to
Oxford the previous summer, on
years leave from the university
Grandfather knew Case must have
taken him the book, that your mother
must have told Case the secret in it.
He knew Harrington would try TO
trace you, so he sent you away and
kept you away all those years."
"And took my name from me, so
you might claim all the property!
well, partly; not altogether"
"What other reason could there have
been?"
"Your name was Harrington"
al don't UNDERESTIMATE
MacIvor pointed TO the certificate.
"Your father came from Eliot's
Crossing. Virginia. So did the Grosve
nor family. There was feud be-
tween those families for decades"
mol"
yes; and 1t started so long ago that
even grandfather had only a vague
idea of what began it. He thought
it was a political duel. around the
year eighteen hundred. in which a
Grosvenor was killed. OF course his
father, boy at that time, hated the
very mention of the name Harrington.
Grandfather was hidebOund con-
sentative, you know, knew the family
traditions and held to them fast So
when he learned that his daughter had
married Harrington. of all people In
the world"
where? How?" interrupted Julia
eagerly.
"Ive never known" confessed Mac
Ivor, "He never told me- Maybe he
didn't know everything about it him.
self; 1t was secret marriage, of
course. But when be learned the main
facts about it. I'm sure he resolved to
wipe out all traces of 1t. That was
what made him so bitterly determined
to recover that bookplate. After Pro-
fessor Harrington returned from
abroad, grandfather made various at
tempts to regain that book"
You mean, of course, to steal it?"
suggested Mr. Almy. = Harrington
would never have sold it."
MacIvor nodded.
"And FIVE years ago, he nearly got
1t. The professors library was
robbed"
"Yes, | know" said MIR. Almy. "a
number of rare books were taken, and
some of them turned up later in vari
GUS of the smaller cities, though the
thief was never traced. You mean to
say Mr.. GrOsvenOr instigated that?"
.'He did; be hired the thief, but the
thief did a remarkably thorough Job
He took lot of books besides the
,Uarihew and disposed of them all,
himself, besides taking his wages
However. that failure started my
grandfather collecting virginiana. He
knew II he was known as collector,
hn would be notified of all the Virginia
books that were put On the market;
he could examine all libraries put up
for sale, have the run OF secondhand
shops. But he certainly was aston.
ished that evening when you read out
the title of the very book he wanted
Julia And there was one thing he
had that would identify the book abb
solutely"
"Not the bookplate?" demanded Mr..
Almy.
Something besides that" answered
MacIvor, and pointed to the spring
lancet, which was still In Mr.. Almy's
hand. HE told me when went to
Richmond, to ootice. in addition to
the boOkplate, whether there were
number of small parallel scratches
here and there on and inside that
book. He had made them, when a boy.
with that old instrument of his ia
theirs. he remembered; he had been
punished for doing so. | think that
was the reason he had the spring
lancet with him that Monday IN Oar
row's-to compare the scratches that
instrument would cut" ~ : sss1s
OF all the revelations of the after
noon, this was so far the most salts
factory. Hitherto there had been
none as TO why the spring-lancet had
been taken to Darrow's. And now