THE OLD MANOR HOUSE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 225, 21 September 1940, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE OLD MANOR HOUSE.

(By Mtrcim Hudson, 14. John Btreet, Ponaonby.) ■ "I wonder what the old Manor House will be like?" said Pat. "It ought to be greet fun, with the old staircases and the tower," answered Molly. The twins had received a letter from their grandfather, inviting them to go and stay at his old Manor House. The twine were very excited for they were to go on the morrow and their mother was getting their things ready. The next day found them waiting at the station for the train that would take them to their grandfather's estate at Ballarina. When they arrived at their destination they were so tired that they did not take any notice of their surroundings, but ate the tea prepared for them and went straight to bed. Next morning found them up bright and early, eager to explore their surroundings. While they were having their breakfast grandpa told them some of the history of the place, and just before they went outside he told them about the lost treasure. He told them that in the olden daye when the Cavaliers and Puritans were fighting, their ancestor had hidden the family heirlooms and jewels when the Cavaliers came to take the house, and no one had yet found them. The twins resolved to find them, if possible, while they were staying there. They decided to search the bouse first, but having no success there they went up to the old tower. Molly was walking up some stairs when she felt a board under her foot sound hollow. She called excitedly to Pat and told him what she had discovered.

They then tried to pull the step up, and when they had succeeded they saw a flight of stairs leading downwards. "Let's go down and see if the treasure is there, and if it is we'll go up and tell grandpa," said Molly. "Yes, let's go down," cried Pat. Very carefully they followed the stairs until they ended in a little room with three boxes in it. "It's the treasure," breathed Molly. "Yes," answered Pat, "■but let's go and see if it is all there before we go and tell grandpa!" Going over to the boxes they opened them and to their delight everything mentioned in the legend was there. They raced up the stairs and burst into the morning room where grandpa was reading his correspondence, and shouted together, "We've found the treasure!" "You've what?" gasped their grandpa. "Found the treasure," chorused the twins. At first he would not believe tliem, but at length they persuaded him to come and see. On the way to the tower they related to him all the adventures they had had since breakfast. When grandfather saw all the family heirlooms and jewels he was astonished beyond words. As their holiday was drawing to a close, they thought of the exciting things they would have to tell their mother when they went home. The jewels were later sold, and the family heirlooms restored to their proj>er place as the treasure of the Manor House.