Year: 1876




act my fingures ever did, and l
shall be proud to my dying day"


A curious smile came to WILDER
Armstrong; lips, as he moved away,
and Margery's eyes followed him
until he passed from her sight.


Thus the little housekeeper found
herself installed as mistess in the
in the house where Idyl, in all her
girlish beauty. had reigned a few
short weeks before. But now Gid
con Willis child was living in hum
ole lodgins still loving and being
loved by the man for whom she
had brayed o fathers curse.


Margery's life in the old house
passed away quite pleasantly. She
did not give up the search for the
missing codicil, and now and then
WILDER Armstrong assisted her.


The man seemed willing that the
document should be brought to
light, even though the discover
would deprive him Of his newly
acquired wealth, and lift Idyl, his
cousin, from comparative poverty
to affluence.


"Ransack the house as often as
you wish Margery he said to his
housekeeper, one day, "and if you
find the codicil, do not fail to show
it TO me that / may lose no time in
obeying its behests."


It was a cold night in January,
when Margery was reused from her
slrnber by the creaking of the
shutter which the violent wind had
wrenched open since she had re-
tired. Bang barg against the
house went the shutter, and drove
all thoughts of further sleep from
her mind. Therefore she rose up
and dressed herself. Then rekind-
led the fire, resolved to sit up the
remainder of the night.


Very soon the room was made
warm by the fire in the crate and
in the mellow light Margery sat in
rocker, and toasted her feet to her
hearts content.


She thought of many things
while she sat there, aud contrasted
her situation with that of the young
girl who used to live in the old
house and cling at the great piano
which had stood idle so long in the
parlor below. Then she drew
letter from her pocket and read it
in the light of the fire. 1t was in
the hasty handwriting of Mr. Brief,
the city lawyer, who wrote that he
had dismissed his housekeeper.
He wanted to know how long Mar
gerry intended to remain with Will
ber Armstrong, for he would like
to have her with him to keep house
for him.


Margery thought how grand
home in the city would be, and
great men she would see, for Mr..
Brief sometimes practiced before
the supreme court, and had distin-
guished visitors. Then she would
be away from Wilbur Armstrong,
and she felt certain that she would
like the larger city. But she shook
her head after reading the letter
for the twentieth time, and resolv-
ed to tell Mr.. Erief that she would
not leave her present position un-
til she had learned something def
mite about the missing codicil.


Little did Margery think, at that
hour that the great Mr.. Brief was
in love with her.


One by one the dark hours crept
away.


1t was almost daylight when the
girl heard the closing of o door,
and started to her feet.


Who was up in the old house at
such an uncanny houri


She crept to her door, and open
ed it without noise.


She stood at the head of the steps
and looked down upon a sight fol
which she was not prepared.


At the bottom of the stairs, hi
face partly darkened by the rim o
the cap which he wore, crouche'
WILDER Armstrong. A lantern sc
on the lowest step, and Marger,
could see that he had been out ii
the storm, for his shoulders wer
!, dotted with great flakes Of snow.


But what could he be doing


crouched at the bottom of tn
|. stairs!


y The astonished girl was wonder
A ing while she watched him marrow


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