CHAPTER XXII. A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 310, 24 October 1888, Page 6

CHAPTER XXII. A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY.

s I shall hunt up that old hermit s retreat to-day,' Everet Mapleson said, as he awoke the next morning. ' I want to see for myself just how and where he lived. I begin to find the researches into the past somewhat interesting and perplexing. I enjoy real romances, bub nob unfinished ones. I like to be able to complete a story, andhave all the characters definitely disposed of. It begins to look, though, as if Miss Annie Dale was a lost heroine, and, like the celebrated " Lost Chord," never likely to be recovered or accounted for.' •So this queer old character, Robert Dale, was her mother's love V he resumed, as he began to dress. ' How strangely things get mixed in this world. "Why can't people always love the right ones, and escape all this jealousy and disappointment ? Annie Davenport's story is likely to be repeated in this generation. Oh, Gladys, why couldn't you have loved me instead of that mysterious personage who seems to have won your favour 1 I could have given you an honourable name, wealth, and a proud position in life, while he has liteially nothing to offer you. But,' his face assuming a stony expression, ' I will not give you up even noio ! 1 will move mountains to accomplish my purpose, and you shall yet be Ciladys Mapleson.' After breakfasting, the young man ordered his horso to be saddled, and, after inquiring of the groom the way to the ' Pale Hermitage,' as the recluse's home was called, he mounted and rode away toward the foi-est, in the depths of which Robert Dale spent so many years of his life. Ifc was a long ride, though a delightful one, through the spicy pine woods and over the grass-grown cart-path, where only mule teams passed now and then — hauling great logs to market. It was nearly noon when Everet came in sight of the Hermitage, and he found it not such a rude affair, after all, as he had pictured in his imagination from the descriptions he had heard of it. He saw that it must have been quite an expensive structure, for it was built mostly of stone, while every bit of the work had been done in the most thorough manner. It made quite a pretty picture, standing there beneath two huge pine trees, and with the glossy ivy climbing thickly all about its rough walls, hanging in graceful festoons from the overlapping eaves and the raullioned windows. It was composed of but one storey, and a couple of granite steps led up to the one door, which was set in the centre ot the structure. This was not locked, and, entering, Everet found himself in a narrow hall, which divided the building through the middle, and was lighted by a window at the other end. On each side there were two room?. On the right was what appeared to have been the cooking and eating room, for a great dresser had been built upon one side ; a wide fire-place, with andirons and an oldfashioned crane, was opposite the entrance, and a small table, with two chairs, stood in the centre of the room. Back of this there was a smaller apartment, probably the servants' quarteis, and on the opposite side of the hall there were two similar rooms. In the front one there stood a r>lain but solid desk, and a large arm-chair before it. Near it was an iron safe, but the door was swung partly open, and Everet could* see that it was empty, and the thought that it had probably bsen used as a receptacle for the valuable manuscript of which his father had spoken. A couple of book-cases, reaching from floor to ceiling, had been built into the wall upon two sides of the room, like the dresser in the kitchen. Back of this there was another bedroom, its only furniture consisting of a single bedstead of iron. The walls were all of rough stone, the crevices being filled in with cement, while all the floors were of red brick, laid in zigzag pattern. The furniture was of solid oak, but plain to clumsiness, and everything about the place betrayed how utterly indifferent to the comforts and elegancies of life the owner had been, and Everet could not help contrasting it with the luxuries that wore stored away in that little cottage which he had visited only a few days previous. The book-cases alone possessed any claim to elegance. They were also of oak, like the other articles of furniture, but somewhat ornamented, and glazed with heavy plate glass, showing how tenderly the recluse had guarded the books that he had loved so well. There was a spacious fire-place at one end of tho'room, in which there were a pair of rude andirons ; and a clumsy pair of bongs, I with a shovel, stood beside it. . - f The apartment was light and pleasant, i for there were four windows iri it— two on

the fr/mt, < which, looked enst, and two more on the south. " * Ifc was just the nook for a student and a recluso, and, in spite of its isolation from all the world, there was a sort of charm about the place, even to the gay and societyloving Everet Mapleson. At the back of thei house there was a small wooden structure, now fast falling to decay, and a yard fenced in, where ovidently, Robert Dale had kept his one horse, cow, and hens ; while beyond this there was a patch of cleared ground, which doubtless had once been a kitchen gardon, , Everefc sat down in the great chair before the desk, after completing his round of investigation, and fell to musing upon what he had seen. He tried to imagine what the appearance of .Robert Dale had been — what his temperament and disposition. Bitter and vindictive he must have been, to have so hated his brother that he allowed him to die in poverty, and his family to struggle on for years afterwards for a mere pittance, while he had thousands lying idle and useless ; surly and churlish, too, he surmised, to have hidden himself away from all society there in the depth of the forest. The placo seemed invested with an unearthly mystery, and it was not strange, taking into consideration the life its owner had lived, and the death he had ''died, leaving no trace behind him of the vast possessions that had been his. ' If he did nob dispose of his wealth while he lived, and made no will bofore his death ; if there is money concealed anywhere and should ever be found, it would belong to Annie Dale's heirs, for she was his nearest of kin,' Everot Mapleson murmured, as he leaned both arms on the desk before him, and looked thoughtfully out of one of the south windows. • If Geoffrey Dale Huntress proves to be her son, as I am more and more inclined to believe, he will be the heir of Robert Dalo's missing thousands. This place would be his, anyhow, if the relationship could be proved. 1 wonder how much land belongs with it ! Zounds ! 1 wish I knew what has become of the old chap's money ! The more I seek to penetrate this mystery, the more tantalising it becomes; but I swear that I will never rest until I get to the bottom of it !' He struck the desk a terrific blow with hid j fist in the heat of his excitement, a? he uttered this vow : and the weight and force of it jarred it so that something was displaced, and clattered noi&ily to the floor. The young man leaned forward to see what he had done, and found that a panel, about twelve inches long and six wide, had fallen from one end of the desk. ' Well, I should think it was about time for this truck to be falling to pieces, solid as it is,' he said, as he stooped to pick it up. Upon examining it, he found that there were some hinges upon one end, and that time and dampness had caused them to rust until they had fallen apart, while upon the opposite end there was a socket for a spring. 'Aha! a secret compartment? ha exclaimed, his face lighting with eagerness. Bending to inspect the place from which the panei had fallen, he saw that his surmise was correct. There was a cavity, about four inches deep, in the end of the desk, just under the moulding that ran around the top of it, with the other portions of the hinges attached to the top, and a small spring at the bottom. 'Ye gods ! ther is something in it, too ! lie cried, in a startled voice, and his hand actually trembled with nervous excitement as he drew forth a small black morocco case, and a package of papers, tied with red tape, which lay underneath. The case was an old-fashioned miniature case, and doubtless contained a likene&s. Evoret instinctively shrank from opening it for a moment, for he felt as if he weie trenching upon some secret almost too sacred to be revealed. ' There must have been a soft spot &omewhere in the old fellow's heart, to have t kept a thing like this,' he muttered, turning it over and over in his hands. ' But, ' to the victor belong the spoils ;' I have made this discovery after everybody else has failed, and so I have a right to know xohat I have found.' He touched the spring and the case flew open, revealing the likeness of a young girl ot exquisite beauty. ' Nannie Davenport ! I'll wager a tendollar note,' he ejaculated, in a breathless tone. The face was a pure oval, crowned with a wreath of hair that was twined in a mas.sivc coronet about the small, beautifully shaped head. The eyes, Everct felt sure, must have been a deep, dark blue, and thoir expression was lovely beyond description ; the nose was small and straight, with delicate nostrils, tho mouth full and sweeb, with a slight smile just curving the tender lips. c What a bewitching little fairy she tousb have been. No wonder Robert Dale buried himself here and ate his heart out with griet and jealousy at losing her! Poor old man ! I reckon I know something of your feelings, but I shall never sit down and bear it. I'll conquer or die in the struggle,' he concluded, between his set teeth. Then he grew deadly pale. ' Perhaps he didn't give up either until after she Avas married,' ho said, ' and then he couldn't help himself. Bah ! Gladys Huntress shall never marry Gcolirey Dale !' He shook himself impatiently, as if these reflections were too painful and disagreeable to dwell upon, closed the miniature with a snap, and turned his attention to the package that he had also found. He carefully untied the tape that bound ifc, I'pmoved the wrapper, and several certificates, representing a large amount of bank stock, fell out. Examining them closely, Everet found that they were dated several years previous to his own birth, and all were made out in the name of Annie, Dale. ' Good gracious ! she was his heiress !' ho exclaimed, in amazement. ' The old chap had to give in at last. He loved that woman to the death, thoagh he was too proud to show it by helping her while she lived, and so left his money to her child. 1 Let me see,' he went on ; 'these are dated just about the time the girl's mother died I should judge, or a little before ; so it is evident he did not moan she should have anything until he was gone. How strange ! these papers have lain here aIJ these years and no one the wiser for it, while of course the stock has been accumulating all that time. It is remarkable that the directors of the name represented have not taken measures to find the holder of the certificates. Possibly they have, and failed too do so. I wonder father has not applied to : but, then, Robert Dale was such a secretive character, he may never have revealed his residence, and it would have been a very easy matter to give orders to let the stock accumulate until called for.' He fell to musing again over his wonderful discovery, until all' at once he gave a violent start, and a vivid flush mounted to his brow. ' Blast it !' he muttered, 'if my theory is correct all this money belongs to Geoffrey Dale. What in thunder am I going to do about it, any w&y V Again- he bent his* head in troubled thought, - '

- ''1 hardly know what' to do, 1 he said, at lasb. ' Annie Dale is .dead, tha'b, much I feel very sure of ; but it is a question who her heirs are. 1 suppose if she lefb no, issue toe stand as near as anyone. I believe I will keep this discovery ,bo myself for tho present. When the governor comes home I'll pump him again, and if — ' Ho did not complete his sentence ; it was cut short by the sudden compression of his lips, while his face grew dark and stern, and a sorb of fury burned in his eyes. He tied the papers together again and slipped them into an inner pocket of his coat. The likeness he also concealed about his person, and then he fitted the broken panel back to its place, and fastened it by pressing between it and the desk a bit of wood which he cut from the chair in which he was sitting. ' There may bo another secret compartment on the other side and more treasures to be unearthed,' he said when he had cum pleted his work. But although ho examined the desk very carefully in every part, tapping with the handle of his knife in search of some other cavity, he came to the conclusion that it contained no more secrets, and finally gave up the search. But he was convinced that there was a great deal more of Robert Dale's property to be accounted for, for the amount represented by the certificates, which he had already discovered, did not begin to compare with the sum which he was supposed to possess at the time of his death. Ho believed there was still more hidden away — there might even be a will. "Robert Dale had died suddenly in his chair, while engaged with his cu&toniary work, and he had no opportunity to tell anyone what disposal he had made of his possessions. He examined the book-cases and the table. Every shelf and panel was carefully gone over to discover some hollow place where papers could be stowed away, and even the bricks of the iloor were critically examined with the object ot ascertaining whether there was some treasure vault beneath. But he found nothing more. If such a place existed it had been so cunningly concealed as to dety even the most crafty re&eaich. He could not bear to relinquish his quest, but he had been away from home many hours, and ho might &pend as many more with no better success, while the demands of a healthy and vigorous appetite were beginning to make themselves keenly felt, and ho was forced to abandon his investigations until some other time. ' I have not seen all I wish, even yet, of this interesting place,' he said, with a lingering, backward glanco, as he mounted his horse to return to the Vue de I'Eau. ' I will come again some day, and perchance the spirit of Robert Dale may help me bo bring to light even more astonishing secrets than have been revealed to-day.' {To be Continued.)