Year: 1873




anxious for me to return, I think will do so,
now that you can get on so we'll without me-
1 will write you what occurs, and hope soon
to have some good news to tell you"


81 am afraid I shall get on very badly
without you, Matte; but know it is more
important for you to be there than here.
Harry has promised to take me to Elmwood
as soon as I am we'll enough to travel. But
when will you leave us?"


Tomorrow afternoon that is, if Harry
can send me then. I suppose you could not
spare the baby;it would cost you too much to
give up the great enjoyment of gazing on her
intellectual features"


81 hope she may be the image of you, Mat
tie, as ajudgment upon you; then | shall tell
every one how you abused her when she was
baby"


That evening I received thefollowing letter
from Owen Morris:


"DEAR MATTE: Your letter has been received.
Are YOU sure that your mother made no other
will? I know that her severe illness prevented
her from doing so, utter her husband left her;
but perhaps she had made another previous to
this. You will probably think it strange that in
this event she should have been so anxious to re-
gain the paper which her husband had in his pos
session as he left the house. But as you know
she was i'll at that very time; and it is possible
her mind may have become so much excited and
confused, by his violent manner, that she forgot
the will which had been made, more recently, IN
favor of her children: 1t appears to me this is
worth enquiring into, and when ! think how
much depends on this will being found, can
! Of IN ain1pn n F,lmWOO0
assist in your search. Not but what much
stronger motive would prompt me; but YOU have
forbidden me to speak of this shall have busl-
ness in New York the first of next month. and
shall hope to find letter from you awaiting me
there. Let me know if can be of any service;
and whether can or not, write for ME to come to
you. have been very patient, dear Matte. all
these long years; let me be rewarded now You
are mistaken in thinking Mr.. Howard friend OF
mine. He is merely an acquaintance, and one
that was not at all prepossessed with. My direc-
ton is Broadway, New York.


yours OVEN sEHsyiM NORRIS"


knew that letter mailed to him from
Elmwood, would probably be interfered with,
so seated myself at once, and wrote:


"Your letter is lust read. You told me to write
to you if ever I needed friend. Will you come
to me? I have not time to say any more now.
When YOU come, all will he explained. Yours
truly, MATTE LESLIE"


Owing to an accident to the carriage, I did
not reach home until quite late at night.
John and his wife were both sitting up waiting
for me- and I thought I had never seen Mary
look so lovely. Her face was lighted up with
pleasure at seeing me and I could not doubt
the truth of the words, as she threw her arms
around me and said


"Oh! darling, am so glad you are at home
again"


We had not much time for conversation
that night; but the next morning l asked
Mary if Mr.. Stone was still sleeping in the
house.


"Yes," she replied, "andI think heis averse
to any other arrangement. He always seems
to have some objection ready, when John pro-
poses that he shall take possession Of his own
house."


"There must be some reason for this all we
can do for the present is to watch him closely,
and if we find him wandering about the house
again at night, we will let John know of our
suspicious"


I had been at home day or two, before 1
thought seriously of the suggestion made by
Owen Morris. I knew that John had all the
papers relating to the family, in secret draw
er in his desk and when I remembered that
Mary had seen Mr.. Stone looking at this desk
very closely, could not help fearing that he
was trying to ascertain if there were any Sc
cret compartments, in order that he might be
better prepared for search, if ever an oppor-
tunity occurred. But still this was only
suspicion on my part


I did not see how was to get along with
out telling Mary all knew myself: She evil
dently suspected something was wrong; and l
thought, perhaps, if gave her my confidence,
she would be more willing to give me hers,
and the mystery regarding Mr.. Howard and
herself might be explained.


We were sitting in aunt Patsy's room !; the
old lady was fast asleep. John had retired,
and as there was no reason to fear interruption,
I thought that the best opportunity could
have of telling Mary our family history. She
was much less astonished than thought she
would be; but it was all explained when she
said


81 have known, for long time, some of the
facts you have mentioned, Matte When
cousin Richard heard was going to marry
John, he wrote to me, thinking the letter
would reach me before the marriage took
place; but it did not. In this, he told me he
had your mothers will in his possession, and
that she had left Elmwood to Nellie's father,
who was then in Cuba, where cousin Richard
had met with him."


"And have you never told John this


"No, I did not like to. know how strange
my conduct must have seemed to you, Matte;
but cousin Richard always held the threat
over me, that if l refused to see him, he would
bring the whole matter before the public, and
we would be turned out in the world homeless
and penniless. 1 thought I might persuade
him to give up the paper to John, and let him
arrange affairs but after that night at Cliff:
ton, 1 saw it was useless, and I have never
mentioned the subject to him SINCE Have |
cleared myselfin your eyes?"


eyes, darling You know I never doubted
you. My only fear was that he might COM
promise you in some way. If had known
you as we'll then as I do now, I should have
had no such fear. But why did he endeavor
to make the impression on others that you
were in love with him ?"


Mary's face turned crimson as she replied