..
:
UNCLE PAUL'S MYSTERY.
rOUXGING carelessly in an arm-chair,
J his eye fixed on a lady by his side with
an open latter in bis hand, was a fall, fair
haired young man.
"What have you 4 here, mother?" he
asked, throwing his arm around her in a
(Blessing way. "That smile makes yon
lositively young, I declare.'"
Losing bis father in India, when a child,
a small legacy from his good mother had,
with the most severe eoonomy,given George
Roberts a liberal education, while his
mother had her small jiension alone to de
pend upon.
Long years had passed, her father was
dead and her only brother, who inherited
(he estate, bad ever refused any overtures
toward a reconciliation. Not even in her
wildest day-dream hod Sirs. Roberts hoped
o behold her childhood's home again.
No wonder then that her clieek flushed
and her eye brightened over the letter in
her hand, for it contained an invitation for
herself and her son to spend the Christmas
week at Locksley Orange. Though ex
pressed in cold and formal terms it was
i-orteous, and the buried years of the past
were not alluded to.
The young man took the letter, which
she handed him without comment, and
glancing through to the signature " Paul
Kdward Hallowes" looked up at his moth
er. "Your uncle, my son," she said.
A flush of indignant feeling passed over
the pleasant face Was this cold, haughty
uncle, who had so long ignored their ex
istence, to summon them to his presence
by a wave of his hand? Uy hnrd study
and perseverance George had won a placeat
the bar, and was content to labor, trusting
to time. But :t was with an inward strug
gle, as he looked at the eager expectation
on his mother's face, and thought of her
lonely life, that he controlled his resent
ment. " You would like to go, dear mother?"
he said, pleasantly.
" Yes, my boy; it seems as if I could die
happier if I saw the old place once more."
" Then we shall go," he said. " I will
make my arrangements for a holiday, and
we will leave town on AVednesday, and
with a kiss left her.
The master of Locksley Orange, a tall
erect old man, of most imposing presence,
with snowy hair and whiskers, and brilliant,
piercing black eyes, shaded by shaggy
eyebrows like fierce fires overhung with
jagged snow crags greeted his sister and
her son with stately courtesy, although no
light of love beamed from his eye to the
gentlewoman who had been his childhood's
playfellow.
One sharp glance he shot at his nephew
as he made some comment on the journey,
and then bade a servant usher them to
i heir apartments.
When the dinner-bell rang, George con
ducted his mother looking so fair and
gentle in her soft gray silk, still with the
delicate flush on her check into the state
drawiugroom, where they were duly pre
sented to the rector of Locksley and his
curate. Still they waited, and in a few
moments a young girl entered the room, of
such unusual beauty, that George lioberts
stopped short in the middle of a sentence
addressed to the curate, and never complet
ed it.
She might have been about seventeen,
with a slight form, graceful as a deer, with
hair of pale gold, which deepened into shad
ows of tawny sheen under the mellow wax
lights, and soft brown eyes, shaded by
curling golden lashes. A dark silk dress,
without ornament, displayed and heighten
ed the delicately tinted skin and perfect
llgure. IMie approached the group timidly,
and George, glancing at his uncle, saw, to
his astonishment, a scowl sweep over his
face as his eyes rested on the fair vision.
" Miss Kedar," he said carelessly, pre
senting the young girl to his sister, with a
wave of his jeweled hand, "a penniless
orphan whom I kept out of charity, as her
mother was an old friend of mine. She
made love a match," he added with a sneer.
" You can take her in to dinner, he said to
his nephew, with anothcr.wave of the white
hand, as he turned to his sister with formal
politeness.
George felt his indignation stir, as he
saw the deep flush rise on the young girl's
laceand then fade to a marble paleness; but
she did not raise her eyes to see the sym
pathy expressed In his.
The dinner passed oil' pleasantly. The
lector was a fluent and graceful conver
sationalist, and the host excited young
Kobeit to bring forward his knowledge of
men and things, in his manly, earnest way,
by the display of his own versatile powers
to draw him out.
The young man had almost forgotten
the silentjbeauty by bis side, until a glance
from her soft blue eyes, lighted with appre
ciative feeling, met his, and received the
sympathy and wonder he had felt at his
uncle's nonchalance in alludig to ber de
pendent position.
When the ladies retired, and the political
question, of the day came up, the young
lawyer so startled the older men with his
brilliant eloquence, with his fresh and racy
opinions so powerfully put, that they felt
ihemseWts in ihe presence of a master-
spirit which would soar far upward when its
wings were fledged.
Long did George Rolssrts sit by his flick
ering fire before he retired to rest, wonder
ing what might be the tie between his
uncle and the lovely girl what the cause
of the singular hatred evinced toward , her
in so many trifling things.
His uncle's morning greeting was cor
dial and kindly, seeming to have lost that
disagreeable air of patronage which had so
grated on his manhood the day before.
After breakfast he accompanied him on
a ride over the estate; to view the improve
ments, and as they went, the old man
skillfuly drew out the particulars of his
nephew's life, his views and feelings, his
plans and hopes.
In the afternoon George aocompanied'hls
uncle to a little office adjoining the library,
and saw the tenants come in with their
yearly rents, where the bags of silver and
gold were deposited in an iron chest. In
this were secured the most valuable papers,
and the family jewels. The little room
was strongly protected by bars and bolts,
as it contained other articles of value.
The next day a grand dinner and ball
was to be given, to which the gentry of the
county were bidden, and the lower hall was
also to lie enlivened with a dance for the
tenants and servants.
Considerable was the excitement, there
fore, on this sudden opening of the doors,
and many a young belle prepared to enter
its gray, time-honored walls, with a curi
riosity awakened by the talcs of a mother
or aunt
Virginia Kedar, simply dressed in a del
icate robe of white muslin, with a wreath
of scarlet berries on her silken hair, was
the beauty of the whole assemblage, and
many were the whispers as to her birth
and parentage.
George lioberts became more and more
fascinated with her, and this evening com
pleted his enthrallmeut. For the first time
in his life ho was in love. Yet, he could
not but notice how his uncle scowled at
him when he danced with her, and his
mind was filled with a thousand perplexi
ties concerning her.
He lay awake till he heard the great hall
clock strike three, his heart too full of
the blissful dreams which come but once
in a life-time, to wish for slumber, happy
visions flittered before his eyes, in which
he and Miss Kedar played a prominent part.
Suddenly he heard a faint, grating noise
in the silence of the night, although he
could not tell from which directional came,
and listening attentively as it continued, he
softly opened his door. It sounded louder,
and he percicved that it came from the
library. The chest and its valuable con
tents Unshed before his mind and without
pausing an instant he stole down stairs.
The noise ceased by the time he reached
the foot of the stair-case, but he hastened
to the library as silently as possible. The
door into the office was ajar,, and a faint
light perceptible. As George looked
through the crack he saw a figure bending
over the chest, examining papers. A slight
exclamation escaped the robber as he took
up a pack of letters tied with a broad blue
riblion thrust it into his breast.
Then he rose from his kneeling posture,
put a bag of gold in each pocket, and as
the light from the dark lantern in his hand
flashed for a moment in his face, George
saw a deep red scar on his clieek, where
the black inaske had slipped one side.
The young man sprung toward the robber,
calculating on the suddenness of t he attack
to be able to knock him down, but tripping
on an unsecu footstool he fell headlong into
the room, while the robber vaulted through
the window as lightly as a cat.
When George picked himself up there
was no sign of t he thief, and while he hesi
tated a moment whether to give chase or
not, his undo, roused with the noise of
his fall, entered the room. He shivered
when George described the robber, and
still more when the young man picked up
a glove on the floor, a small gray glove,
delicately yet singularly perfumed. Grasp
ing it in his hand, the old man groaned
bitterly and paced the floor irresolutely for
a time, whilo his nephew watched him in
amazement. Presently he turned to the
window and refastened It, shaking his head
as he examined the bolts andfound them
all un broken. The thief had evidently had
assistance from the inside of the mansion.
"Don't say anything about it, George"
he said In an auxious tone. " I know
the man: no common thief," aud another
groan escaped his lips. " Now go to lied
1,11 tell more to-morrow.
With his mind full of this new mystery
the young man fell asleep. When ho' had
breakfast a message came from bis uncle
in the library, and George hastened to obey.
A feverish flush-burnt on the old man's
check, and his manner waa hurried aud
impatient, very unlike his usual haughty
serenity. Motioning bis nephew to a seat,
he plunged into the subject on his mind
without further reflection.
" Those papers taken last night, George
from the iron chest, were of incalcul able
value to me," the old man said, vehemently.
" Restore them to me, and you command
anything I own. Renounce your profession
for time, devote your life to the search,
If need be, and Locksley Grange shall bo
your reward. I will make my will this
very day," and be rose from his chair, re
garding the young man with eager Raze. '
George hesitated overwhelmed with' the
idea. ' Ambition Was strong within him,
but life was before him, the reward great.
:. " But Miss Kedar?" he murmured.
" You love that girl ?" said the old man,
with a sneer. " Oh 1 fate ! fate !"
"Yes, Uncle Paul, I do love her," said
George, boldly. "Add her hand to your
offer, and I will give myself up to do your
will." -
A great struggle seemed raging within
the old man's bieast, and he paced the
floor rapidly.
" Young man, you are honorable)" he
said, with a pioroing glance at his nophew;
"promise me, your honor, that you will not
seek to marry Virginia Kedar until you
find those papers and restore them to me
if I am alive, or if not, bum them unread."
" I promise," answered the young man,
solemnly.'
"Listeu, then," his uncle said, with an
air of relief; "the robber was a woman.
All your legal skill and sharpness will be
needed to trace her, but the perfume of that
glove is the strongest clue. I will give you
a written description to aid you, and you
must start at once."
When George Roberts left Locksley, it
was as his uncle's acknowledged heir, aud
what was of infinitely more moment to
him, the accepted lover Virginia Kedar.
With the little gray glove treasured care
fully he proceed to London, secured an ac
complished detective, and pursued his
search. His mother was to remain at the
Grange.
First, they endeavored, to find a name
for the singular scent, but no perfumer In
London or Paris could explain it. Both
cities were searched, and every possible or
impossible clue taken up, as the days
lengthened into weeks, and weeks into
months.
When summer emptied the cities tie y
sought the watering places Badon-Baden,
Hamburg, and so on, but all in vain.
One evening as George sat in his bod
room, in one of the strange little German
towns, pondering over a letter from his
mother, which described his uncle's failing
health and growing irritability, and almost
cursing his own folly in thus giving up
everything to gratify an old man's insane
whim, he was aroused from his despondent
gloom by the entrance of a fresh littlo
maiden with her clean linen. As she sort
ed out her snowy ' burden on the bed a
subtle, strange odor saluted his senses.
" Good heavens ! the perfume ? the glove!
Striving to conceal the excitement he ap
proached the girl as if to examine her
work, and perceived a small parcel lying
to one side, from which the odor came.
He could not speak German; how obtain
any clue from it? With a sudden move
ment he managed to overturn a table cov
ered with books and papers, and while the
girl, with great good nature, assisted in
replacing them, he had dexterously rolled
the parcel under the draperies of the bed.
She weut away without missing it and
George instantly summoned his ally to con
sult over this unlooked-for good fortune.
When she came back in a few hours in
search of it, the detective soon ascertained
that the laces belonged to a sick lady,
named Madame Bcrnastinc.
The clue was rapidly followed up. Pratt
formed the acquaintance with the invalid's
maid, who was Knglisb, it seemed found
from her suflicicnt proof of her mistress'
identity with the woman they sought, and
in a few weeks' time, during which Mad
ame Beruastine failed rapidly, gained ac
cess to her private desk, and secured the
package of lot Iters, still tied with the blue
ribbon.. Next day the maid found herself
heiress to all her mistress' effects, for the
adventuress lay dead, and there was no one
to claim her (,'OoiIh. , '
George flew back to Locksley Grunge to
to find bis uncle dying. The old man,
roused from his apathy when lie saw the
letlein, bade bis nephew burn them before
his eyes, and with his last remaining
strength drew a sealed paper from under
his pillow, placed it in his nephew's hand,
and fell asleep never to awaken.
' George opened the paper. " That wo
man was my wife an artful fiend. Vir
ginia Kedar Hallowes is my lawful daugh
ter. I hated her mother and I hate her."
Accompanying this was a marriage and
birth certificate. That was all.'
ill In One Word.
A minister had a bright little boy who
used to get very tired of sitting still in
church. He once proposed staying at
home, "because he knew everything In
the Bible and couldn't be toadied any
more, but his father smiled and said ;
" Then you must go to sot a good ex
ample Jamie."
And so Jamie had still to go.and sit still
too. One warm Sunday afternoon, as
he trudged along by his father's side, he
draw a sigh of some size and said,
" It's pretty hot to-day, papa. If I was
you I'd preach awful short !"
" I think I shall, Jamie," was replied.
" Papa, don't 'Gospel 1 moan all the
good there it In the Bible 'put together I "
" Yes my son ; I thiuk that Is a good
definition of 'Gospel-'" - i
'Then, 'papa, why dou't you just say
"Gospel, amen' ? That would be preaching
all there is without tiring folks to death."
.XNIBMA UKPARtMKNT.'
I A Square Word Enigma. . ! . '
The following Four Words mast be such as
will make a square, and read the same either
down or cross-ways.
The first belongs to a ship.
The second grows In the Tropics.
The third Is a geographical division in the
United States.
The fourth Is part of a plant.
t-gT Answer to Enigma In last week's
Turns i " M. I,. Kochenderfer."
- Not Good at Figures.
A GERMAN WOMAN in New York
signaled the car, and the conduc
tor sprung the bell. With gravity he walk
ed up to the woman after she was seated,
and held out his hand for her fare. The
German woman gave him a three cent piece
and two pennies. The conductor put the
three cent piece in his vest pocket, and
dropped the pennies in a side pocket of his
overcoat. Then turning to the lady he
said:
" I want another cent, madame."
" I gave you five cents," she replied.
" Ever since the Fourth Avenue Rail
road has existed the fare on this line has
been six cents," replied the conductor
proudly.
"Well," answered the woman, "1
haven't got another cent." Aftei some
hesitation she added, "Have you any
change?"
" I can change anything, madame, from
twenty-five cents up to an eleven dollar
bill," said the conductor. .
Thereupon the German lady handed him
a fifty cent stamp. He took the stamp be
tween his teeth, aud counted out a hand
ful of pennies into the woman's lap. She
counted them very carefully, and then look
ed up into his faco.
"Haven't you mads a mistake?" She
asked.
"Just hand the pennies back here, thuu,'
tho conductor said, holding out his double
hands.
The German woman took up her dress
with one hand,' and ladled out the pennies
with the other. The conductor then count
ed them over, and threw them back into
her lap saying. " That's all right forty
four cents, and six for your fare is filly.
What's the matter with you ?"
" Yes," returned the woman, " but 1
want five cents more."
"No, you don't" he replied. "The
fare's six cents, and you've got forty-four
cents in your lap. That's all right."
" Well, give me back the five cents that
I gave you before, then," said the woman
with a touch of asperity.
This apparently dumbfounded the con
ductor. He remembered that the woman
had given him five cents, but the thing had
become so intricate he seemed at a loss to
know how to straighten it out,
" I gave you a three-cent piece and two
pennies," the woman said.
The conductor nodded, but rubbed his
head as though endeavoring to compre
hend and unravel the whole monetary
mystery. His face bora a troubled ex
pression. Finally he got it.' .
" Well," he said at last, give me back
those pennies." i
The woman scooped them into his hands,
aud he dropped them into his pocket. He
then fished up the fifty cent stamp and
passed it to her, with the words: There
madam, there's your fifty' cents." In
another second he took out a three cent
piece from his vest pockut, saying, " And
there's your three cent piece," and In live
seconds more," " There's your two pennies.
I don't know whether they're the two iden
tical pennies you gave me or not, but I
guess they'll do." By this time the troub
led expression hail left his countenance.
Richard was himself again.
Addressing the astonished woman with
great dignity, the conductor said: "Now
we'll begiu, over again. Your fare, mad
am," with bis hands on his lips.
The lady laughed and again tendered him
the fifty cent stamp. He pocketed it with
the remark, "As counting specie seems to
bother you, madam, I'll give you your
change in stamps," which he did.
Hit Object.
A docter was culled in to see a aliciit
whose native land was Ireland and whose
native drink was whiskey. Water was
prescribed us the only cure. Put said thai
it was out of t he question; he never could
drink it. Milk was then proposed, and
Pat agreed to get well on milk. The doc
tor was soon summoned again. Near the
bed on which the sick man lay was a table,
and on the table a large bowl, and in the
bowl was milk, but flavored strongly with
whiskey.
" What have you here?" said the doctor.
"Milk, doctor; just what you. ordured,"
. "But there is whiskey in it; I smell it."
Well, doctor," sighed the patient,
"there may be whiskey in it, but milk's
my object" - . ,.
' IW With a view to collect their webs for j
silk, 4,000 spiders were once obtained, but ,
they soon killed each other. ' Manfantnrers j
and war never thrive tugcther.
CARLISLE CARRIAGE FACTORY.
si. -. B. SHEIIK
htt lafM 1tl nf aaiuin.1 k. .J . l- .
hand, which h will aell chfmu n otAw
tn limit rnnm fir nana u.v..l.
FOR THE SPRING TRADE.
He has. also, rile best lot of
" NEW WORK ON HAND.
You can always see different styles. The material
is not in question any more, for It Is the best used.
If you want satisfaction In style, quality an
prt, go to this shop before purchasing elsewhere.
1 nereis no firm that has n better Trade, or sells
more in Cumberland and Perry counties.
REPAIRING AND PAINTING
pr'im,IltAy.ttan,ed - 'tory - Corner of South
and Pitt Streets,
8 dP CAKLI8LK, PA.
BOUNTr BII.T, PA8HHD.-A11 Soldiers
under it who enlisted prior to July 22, 1861
for three years, and mustered in prior to August
6. Iflhl, and discharged before serving two years
for disability or disease, and who never received
any bounty for said service, are entitled to fine
Isiunty. Also the time for claiming the I10O addi
tlonal bounty, which expired January 12, 1871, has
been extended. A New Bounty Ind Law has
also been passed, under which all soldiers who
served a period of 9(1 days, and their heirs are en
titled to 160 sores of land.
Apply st once personally, or by letter to
LEW Is POTTER,
16 3t New llloomlleld, 1'erryoo., Pa.
3STEW YORK
CONTINENTAL
Life Insurance Company,
OF NEW YORK,
.S Tit ICTL Y M vt ual:
ISSUES all the new forms of Policies, and pre
sents as favorable terms asany company In the
United States. . .
The Company will make temporary loans on its
Policies.
Thirty days' grace allowed on each payment, and
the policy held good during that time.
Policies issued by this Company are non-forfeiture.
No extra charges are made for traveling permits.
Policy-holders share In the annual profits ot the
Company, and have a voice in the elections and
management of the Company.
No policy or medical fee charged.
JCSTUB LAWKKNCK, Pres't.
Jt. B. Wtnkoop, Vice Pres't,
J. P.IUiakhs. Sec'y1.
I. K. EATON.
General Agent,
No. II North Third Street,
4.211 yl College Block. Harrlsburg, Ta.
A. H.FRANCISCIS&CO.,
51.1 MARKET STREET,
IMiilaclolpIiiti, lu.
Vie have opened for the HI'KINO THADE, the
largest aud best assorted Stock of
IMIII.ADKI.J'IM A CAKPKT8 ,
TABLE. STAIR AND FLOOR OIL CLOTHS.
WINDOW SHADES and PAPER, CAKPET
CHAIN, COTTON. YAKN, BATTING,
WADD1NG.TWINES, WICKS, LOOK
ING GLASSES, CLOCKS, FANCY
BASKETS. BltooMS, BAS
KETS, BUCKETS. llltt'HH
ES, CLOTHES WK1NG
EKS, WOODEN AND W ILLOW WAKE IN THE
UNITED STATES.
Our larg Increase in business enables us to sell
at low prices, and riirnish the liest quality of
Good.
SOLE AGENTS Edit THE
Celebrated Am erica n Wnshcr,
lJtlOJ2t.-S.f0.
OVER UlKIO SOLI) IN SIX MONTHB.
. Terms: Carpels, uodavs.
All oilier goods, 3D days, Net. CW.&Co. 6 8 3h
AGENTS WANTED FOB THE NEW WORK,
OK
How to Make aud Keep them Healthy.
By Augustus K. Gardner, M. 1).,
Late Professor in New York Medical College.
It treats of Amusements, Education, Physical
Development, Diseases, Accidents. Marriages, He,.,
imparting a vast amount of valuable Information
conducive to the Health, Happiness, and Welfare
of the Young. Written In a pleasing style, it is
exceedingly Interesting. as well as instructive.
Every Family should have It, and no Parent can
aflord to tie without tt. Send for Circulars giving
lull particulars.
DC ITT ELD ASA MEAD. Publisher.
711 SaiiHom Street. Philadelphia.
TO BOOK AGENTS.
MA UK TWAIN'S NKV BOOK,
HOlTUlIIlNfJ IX,"
Is ready for Canvassers. No book Is looked for
more Imiiatleutly than this, and agents will U
well to uel territory lor II as early a possible.
Apply for Circulars and terms to
, DC WIELD ASHMEAD, Publisher,
Til Sausoui street, Fhlladolphia.
It
OBINSON HOL'KK,
(Formerly kept by Woodruff and Turbett,)
Xtm Bioomjltld, Ptrry County, 7a.
AMOS ROBINSON, Proprietor.
This well known snd pleasantly (seated hotel
lias been leased for s number of years by the pres
ent proprietor. and he will spare uo pains to aecoin
iiiislale Ills (nests. The room are comfortable.
Ihe table well furnished with Ihe best in the mar
ket, and the bar stocked with choice liquors. A
careful and attentive hostler will be in attendance.
A good livery stable will lie kept by the proprietor.
- AprllJ. 171. II
A I. L' KTWOH OF ,!OH l'HINTINO
J Neatly executed st th Hlooniltela Tims
lijn Jt Oftice.