Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

1 .THE SEASONS OF THE HEART. IT we blithe imd w»rm at heart, If we be houv! and pure within, sorrow Hha'.i abide with ae Longer than dwell* the »ln; Tliough autumn foga the landaeape fold. Though autumn tempests roam. Our summer is not over yet— t We keep the sun at home. But if our heart be void and cold. Be sure no good will lire therein. But sorrow for the sorrow’s sake. And sin because of sin; | And aye the dropping of the leaf, And aye the falling of the snow. And aye the barren, barren earth— Though summer winds do blow. Edward Wilbur Uason, in Youth's Companion. THE RIDDLE OF A LOCK, tty AVIIVL.IAM O. »TOI>r>AKI>. HERE was upon his face au intense, and eren a comba tive look, as he stood in tho wind swept piazza, with his hand upon the bell-pull. He seemed about to ring again, when the door opened and he stepped quickly in, while a graceful form re- eeded timidly before him. A pair of moist, dark eyes and a troubled face were averted from his, and there was • husky tremor in tho voice which said to him: “Ton mustn't come in, Jeff." "Madeleine," he bluntly exclaimed, "what does this mean?" "Mr. Lapham! Steve Lapham!" "Old Jacob Lapham’a only your stepfather. He has no authority over you. His son is a fraud! Your mother——" "Oh, Jeff, dear! that is the trouble! They have made her forbid me to •peak to you! I cannot disobey her! She is dying! They have almost made her make me promise. Oh, Jeff, dear, I'm almost crazy!" "I should say you were," he growled, with a fierce light dancing across his face. "It was time for me to come. Is your mother really so low?” "She may last many dayrf yet ^per haps not twenty-four hours. Stephen Lapham isn’t there, but his father doesn’t leave her for a minute. I've no chance to see her alone. She com manded me not to speak to yon." "No, she didn’t,” said Jeff. "She only repeated something after old Jake Lapham. What she was forced to say was no command of hers. Do be reasonable. She has no right to do it, anybow; and she really didn’t do ii Old Jake did. As for Steve, the Just then she heard a faint click, and she saw the door of the safe swing wide open. It was as if a feat of necromancy had been performed be fore her eyes. Those of Jeff were searching the interior of the safe "Here they are!" he exclaimed, as he pulled out of a pigeon-hole package of long-folded, legal-looking documents, and rose to his feet. "Please examine them with me, Made leine." ‘‘This first lot,” he said, turning them over, "are all deeds, of one sor i or another, to your own father, two or three to your mother, by which they owned their entire property. AH o: them are recorded. We have nothing to do with them. I’ll put them back. There! Mow, Madeleine, just look al; these! All of them new deeds. You and your mother to Jacob Lapham. You and she did actually sign them "I didn’t know what I was signing, gasped Madeleine, "But there were witnesses and a notary." “Each deed acknowledges a large sum of money actually paid, and here are the mortgages, bonds, notes, that old Jake Lapham paid that money out for.” "There never were any mortgages," said Madeleine, "but thoae are my own signatures—all of them.” "They are dated as if they had been signed three years ago," he said; "as soon as you were old enough. It’a a very completely finished piece of rob bery. Hellow! What’s this?” ‘‘She signed her will that very day," replied Madeleine. "Aunt Wickham and Jadge Wickham, and two other gentlemen, came here with Mr. Lap ham, and we were all in mother’a room, but none of them knew what was in the will.” "Exactly!” said Jeff. "How thay did work the matter! Here are two wills, made the same day. How could young " "“‘ n < yh»t J nliapr*** tho8fl 8tupi ^ hear what his father said" to him? The didn’t know I heard ” Eqw is mother?" asked Madeleine. *Ts Mr. Lapham there?" "Ha is asleep jast now," said the nurse. "She has not stirred or spoken." Madeleine walked past her into the room, and bent above an emaciated form lying upon the bed. The face was placid, but there could be no misunderstanding of the mes sage it conveyed. "OjL if I could but speak to her!" thought Madeleine, while her whole frame shook and her own face grew as white as was that upon which she was gazing, and then a faint whisper broke throngh her lips: "Mother!” A pair of bine eyes opened languid ly, and the nurse now at the window, did not hear as acutely as did Made leine: "My daughter! Kiss me!" So quick, so passionate, so agoniz ingly intense was that meeting at tho lips; but Madeleine could now whis per: "Jeff has been here mother. He sent his love to yon." “Give him my love, dear. My son It is easier to leave you with him " Just then the nurse turned sudden ly from the window, and a burly form which had lain upon a sofa near it sprang vigorously to its feet and strode to the bedside. "Madeleine Lane! how dare you? She must not talk! Have I not for bidden this sort of thing?" "She is my mother, Mr. Lapham, and yon are not my father," said Madeleine, resolutely. "But I think it best not to speak to her again, just now. If I did think best I should do so.” There was a motion of a thin hand on the coverlet, and it was obeyed. Madeleine stooped and kissed her mother, and then glided out of the sick-room, closely followed by the wrathful face of old Jacob Lapham. As for Jefferson Meredith, his walk to the village had been rapid, and his first visit was made at the bank. His next errsnd was to a dingily respect able law office. "Judge Wickham," he said to the white-haired gentleman who wel corned him, "Miss Lane is somehow aware that you and Deacon Morris are executors of her mother’s will »» . "I had an idea, from herself, that I was to be one of them " "And the wishes yon to be ready to act at once. She is not upon good terms with old Jake and Steve.” " "Ugh!" exclaimed the old lawyer. pTell her I’ll be ready." that Made- "Wbat did they Bay?" demanded Jeff, as sLo hesitated, and he closec the d#or behind him and led her into the parlor as he added: "What did you bear? Tell me the whole of it "Ob, Jeff, dear," said Madeleine, "Mr. Lapham said to Steve that as soon as mother died they wonld re cord all tho deeds, before proving the ^Sill, and then they would own every dollar of the property. He said they ©oujd make mo do what they pleased then." "What deeds?" ha asked, ia a firm hut unexcited way, that seemed to help her. "Deeds that mother made," she said. "Deed* and things that give them everything there is to give." "Did yon ever sign any papers your self?” asked Jeff. "She couldn’t do it alone.” "I don't know what they were,” re plied Madeleine. "I /d^nod every paper they had on »he table, the night they said eho would die before morn- •tug.” % '’tyhon was that?" he.asked. tt '‘More than a month ago," she said; "and they put them al! into the safe in the library." < ‘ I know where it is," said Jeff. It s your own safe now. It opens with a combination lock. Yon know the nnmbers, of course, and how to •open it?" tell you. They’ve kept them a secret. Mother said once that it was the Dec laration of Independence and the davs of the week." J "Oh!” exclaimed Jeff, with almost •a laugh; "that’s a riddle. Is anybody the library now?” "No," said Madeleine. "Nobodv goes there." J Jeff’s face was angry and stormv, in •pile of his calm, reassuring manner, as he strode to the library-door and opened it. .’he room had a chilly, deserted look, and its grate was empty. A hreproof safe, of medium size, stood in one corner, and in an in- fore it* 1 * ^ 0UUg m,m WM Reeling be- v ’ T kj 8 . “ .i oar 8 *fc. Madeleine Lane, he said. "May I open it?" ‘You may. but you can't," she re plied: but hU hand was on the knob •of the safe-lock, and her cheeks burned with feverish excitement as she watched the quick, though eare- <nl. turns of his wrist. "Twice this way," she connted. •'Three times that way. Once around Again—or was it twice?" I?" *Y heard Mr. Lapham say, ‘Sign here and sign here,’ ” said Madeleine. Jadge Wickham was leaning over m °“L* r an<J “Jing aomething to her.” , WM unsuspecting,” said Jeff. This is really her will, giving all to you and making Judge Wickham and Deacon Morris her executors. This other thing gives all to Jacob Lap ham and makes him sole exeontor giving you only a life estate. It says a great deal more, but it’s a fraud.” At that moment he was lighting a match and removing the blower from the library-grate. “Oh, Jeff, yon dare not!” exclaimed Madeleine, "yon mast not! What are yon going to do?” "Nothing at all, he said, calmly. 'Bat fire is good for fraud. How well it all burns! There go the deeds, and the mortgages, and the bonds, and all the notes. The will went up ike a flash." "Dear me!” she said; bfit Jeff was once more investigating the safe. “Madeleine,” he said, "here’s a stack of greenbacks, and it’syonr own money. It is right where he can get it. Don't yon think it ought to be in a safer place?'’; "It mast be mine!" she exclaimed. It can’t be his! He hasn’t anything. He meant to steal it, snrely!” "Meant to?” replied Jeff "Why, le has already stolen it and hidden it lere. This is your safe, to be sure, but it isn’t safe enough, going to put yonr money Compton National Bank, thonsand dollars and more, old Jacob Lapham has stolen daring several years, except what Steve has wasted; one way or another." "Put it into the bank for me, Jeff,” said Madeleine. "I dare not, and I cannot bear to leave the house." ‘ 111 put the will right back where I found it," he said, as he did so. "I hey all saw it deposited here?" "Yes,” replied Madeleine. "Uncle Wickham and the witnesses comedown and saw it put away there.” "That’s where they will find it, then, when they come to look for it,” said Jeff, and he seemed to be worry ing in a very enrions way around the lock of the safe. "There! That’ll do, I guess. Now, Madeleine, I must go." ’ Not many, not very many, seconds later Jefif walked unconcernedly out of the house, as if nothing extraordin ary had happened. Madeleine, on the other hand, after closing the door be hind him, went slowly and thought fully upstairs A door at her right opened at that moment, and a tall, grim-looking woman stood in it Pell her I’ll be ready. Perhaps it was as well Yon are into the Fifteen All that eins sj^cljMat hpr window, looking I-t8ward the village, and that Jeff was not again compelled to ring the door- >ell, for at the moment when she ad mitted him old Jacob Lapham was in the library. "Yon take care of the bank-book," she said, when he had swiftly de tailed his business doings. "Don’t "tay.” . < His face had darkened cloudily over what she had herself told him, but it cleared somewhat as he turned away. Even Madeleine did not hear him say to himself, aloud, as he was going down the steps: "Oh, but don’t I wish I could see old Jake and Steve at work on that safe!" Madeleine reached her room again unobserved, all the more safely be cause her stepfather was crouching before that obstinate fireproof safe, twisting the knob to nnmbers that he knew, but which the lock refused to know anything about. He mattered, too, fiercely, even explosively, and at last he arose, exclaiming: “Well! If I can’t open it, nobody else can. Sometimes those things will work so. I’ve known it happen be fore. At any rate, I’vs got all those things fixed so that the property can’t get away from me. I’m sole executor, and the will just nails and clinches the deeds.” Madeleine lingered in her room only for a long, deep, silent fit of thinking. At the end'of it she arose from her chair with a hard-drawn breath, and once more went over to the sick-room. The form upon the bed lay very stiU, bnt the loving bine eyes opened as Madeleine again grasped the thin hand in hers. "I gave yonr message to Jeff, mother. He eent hie love to yon again." "I with I could see him. My son!" she whispered. "Say good-by to him for me, dear. Kiss me, Madeleine. There—there—good-by. ” There was a heavy hAnd upon Mad eleine’s shoulder, as she rose, but she did not turn her fixed gaze from her mother’s face. ■ "What does she mean?" he harsh ly, hoarsely demanded. "Her son?” There was no answer in words, bnt even Jacob Lapham turned pale, and the advancing nnrse drew back again, while Madeleine sank upon her knees —for they were all suddenly aware that the last messenger had come. For Madeleine Lane all earthly things were veiled and put away. That hour of sobs and silence was no time to consider questions of property. There were others in the house, however, whose business activities were hindered, very apparently, less by the presence of death than by the strange perverseness of the lock of the safe in the library. The knob of it was twisted and twisted in the most weari some way. "Steve," remarked an anxious voice, at last, "we mast have that money oat! The deeds and mortgages mast be recorded! Only one will mast be found there! This is awful!" "We’ve some days yet, father, and we can blow it open.” "We must do it ourselves, then. It won’t do to have anybody else open that safe. We must let Madeleine alone, too, until after the funeral.’’ "I don’t care,” growled Steve, "so long as Jeff Meredith is kept out of the house. Her Aunt Wickham is up there with her now. ” Aunt Wickham remained with Mad eleine all throngh the long, dark night of the first mourning. Then followed the strange days of interval between a death and a burial. Old Jacob Lap ham had a great deal of walking up and down in the parlor to do, for he was a bereaved man, with more than one grief to carry. The lock of the safe had much twisting to endure, but it-still refused to remember its num bers. Judge Wickham came in, and Mr. Lapham began to say something to him about the safe and its contents, and its conduct. "Pooh, pooh, Jacob!" responded the old lawyer; "you are in no condition for bnsiness. It’s no time for it, eith er. Wait till after the fnneral. I’ll at tend to everything for yon just now. Madeleine, too—she’s all broken down.” Another night passed and another day came, and at the hoar appointed there were carriages at the door. There was no occasion for remark, however, when the mourners came ont of the house, m the fact that Madeleine leaned on the arm of Jadge Wickham, and entered a carriage with him and his wife, her mother’s sister, and with her mother’s friend, Mrs. Meredith. If her stepfather and stepbrother did not like it, that was not the time for them to say so, or to employ author- ity. The house was regained and was re entered by the family party, and no body else seemed to notice that Judge Wickham went in last, and that, as he did sp, he took the key ont of the door and put it in his pocket. "Wickham," said Mr. Lapham, as the old lawyer joined the rest in the parlor, "come in here a moment. I can’t open the safe. Nobody else knows the combination, but it won’t open. Her will ia there ” "Try it again, Jacob—try it again," said the jadge, placidly. "You’ve been too agitated, too nervons " "We’ll have to have it blown open," said Mr. Lapham; "bnt jast to show how it is " And he did try it, with ostentations precision, in fall confidence that the look would continue its obstinacy, but when he remarked, "There!" and gave a hard pull, open flew the door of the safe and its contents were on public exhibition. "I declare!" exclaimed Mr. Lap ham, springing to his feet. "Bemark- able!" "There’sthe will,"said Judge Wick ham, calmly, as he sent a long arm in and palled oat a paper lying in full view. The eyes of Jacob Lapham were frantically searching the interior of the big iron safe for something which they did not seem to find. "That is all. All correct,"continued Judge Wickham. "Deacon Morris and I are executors. Everything goes to Madeleine! I’ll take possession at once. That is, I’ll leave her in full possession." Give me that paper!” roared Jacob Lapham. "It isn't the will!” "Yes, it is!" replied the jadge. "I know the signatures. I saw it pat there. I was here. It’s all right, Jacob.” "There’s another will I The safe has been robbed! Money missing! Papers missing! I’m robbed!” "It isn’t your safe, Jacob; it is Miss Lane s safe. If there is another will, produce it.” "Leave the house! I’m in control I’m in possession! "I think not,” answered Jadge Wickham. "Yonr authority has ceased. Miss Lane is in possession. She is absolute, unquestionable owner. You and Steve must go!” It was of little nse to storm, but of course there was a storm, and it was all the worse beoanse of the bewilder ing conduct of that safe. It con tained no other will, and when Jadge Wickham shat it np it almost seemed to wink at him. The Judge did not storm, but he was firm, and so was Madeleine, and she, too, was calm, although she remarked: “If Stephen were a gentleman he wonld not wish to remain, knowing, as he does, how utterly I detest him! After what yon have said and done, Mr. Lapham, yon must go at once. All that belongs to yon has been put into your own room." "Come upstairs," Steve," said his father; and as soon as they were in Steve’s room, he added: "Wickham is going ont to find Morris. As soon as he is gone we will search that safe.” “We’U clean it out, too," said Steve. Hardly had they left the library, however, before Jefferson Meredith came in from the dining-room, where he had passed most of his time during the fnneral services, and once mors he worried the lock of the safe a little "Is it all right, Jeff?" asked Jndgi Wickham. "Am not I to know th< new combination? 4 Can’t yon explait it to me?” "Simplest thing in the world,” said Jeff "Lots of people remember theii safe combinations that way. The rid dle was no riddle at all." "Independence, Fourth of July, and the days of the week? How was it? I must say it’s a riddle to me." "Why," said Jeff, "don’t yon see it? The year, 1776. The days, 7. Di vide so—17—7—76. to get your three numbers. Twist the knob the nsnal way. That did it.” "How is it now?” asked the lawyer. "All independence and freedom," said Jeff "It is 17—21—76, and that’s what’ll pnzzle old Jacob when he comes down stairs. But it’s a good thing to know how to set’and reset a lock. ” Jeff was in another part of the house when the Laphams were puzzled, bnt he knew how it was. Even the lock seemed to enjoy it as they tried to make it once more remember its old numbers. "It’s an awfnl riddle, Steve," groaned old Jacob; "but wo can’t get in." That, alas for them, meant that their plot had failed, and that they must get out. Only a few weeks later Jefferson Meredith was slowly, thoughtfully turning a plain gold ring upon one of Mrs. Madeleine Meredith’s fingers. "I feel so safe now," she said; "and it is what mother wonld have wished.' "Madeleine," he answered her/ "there are some combinations of which only God knows the secret. This is one of them, and it is locked forever.”—McC.’s Monthly. HUMOR OF THE DAY. It is very seldom that we seriously regret anything we didn’t say.—Life. When a woman runs it is a mean man who will nse his camera.—Somer ville Journal. Jndge— ‘ ‘Why did you steal the com plainant's turkeys?” Prisoner—"Hi had no chickens, yonr Honor."—De troit Journal. She—"Why is it called the ‘silvei moon?' ” He—"Because it comes ia halves and quarters, I suppose.”— Chicago News. Bacon—"And he's kind-hearted, la he?" Egbert—"Kind-hearted? Why, I don't believe he ever said an unkind word, even to an alarm clock!'' “What would you do if you had only ten cents in the world, Kitty?" "I wonld buy caramels with it to raise my spirits."—Chicago Record, -a. — Instruction: Johnny—"And docs the gasmeter measure the quantity of gas you use?" Papa—"No, my sonf the quantity you have to pay for."- Pnck. "Ma, is there any pie left In the pantry?" "There is one piece, but yon can’t have it." "Yon are mis. taken, ma, I’ve had it.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer. "He told me to get off the earth, What do you snppose he meant?" "He seemed to think that you needed a bath, evidently." — Louisville Courier-Jonrnal. "You may fetter my body,” he shouted, "but my mind will wear no chain!" In other words, the wheel in his head was of the ’98 pattern.— Indianapolis Journal. Customer (in restaorant) — "This beefsteak mast be at least three weeks old, isn’t it?” Waiter—"Don’t know, eah; I’se only been heah two weeks, sab."—Chicago News. B*ggs—"Say, do yon believe that story of the goose laying the golden egg?” Jaggs—“Well, it wonld be jast like a goose to do snoh a foolish thing.”—Chicago News. Sloper (as Miss Eastlaka, his ( In tended, finishes a solo)—"What a voice!’’ Duncan (who has been re jected by Miss Eastlake)—"Yes, what a voice!"—Harlem Life, A North of England paper says i "We have adopted the eight-hour system in this office. We commence work at d o'clock in the morning and close at 8 in the evening."—Tit-Bita. Matilda—"Have you spoken to p*pa?" Bertie—"Yes; I asked him through the telephone and he an* awered: 'I don’t know who yon are. but it’a all right.’ "-Pick-Me-Up. Not Necessarily: Walter — "So Bilker rents that forty-dollar-a-monfch house of yonrs, does he? He pave too much rent ” Landlord (sighing) — You don t know him.” Pack. "Men’s promises," the young wife said between sobs, "are like pie-cruat , , ‘That’s tough," said the young husband, and then she got angry enough to cry.—Indianapolis Journal oinnn • Kl01 ?j lk j 6r Who retun W with SIOQOm gold dust usually estlmatea the claim left behind at $500,000. II is well to keep these assets in a sep arate class.—St. Louis Globe-Demo crat. Clarence—"Genevieve, why will you not hear me? Can’t you see that I am dying for your love? Tell me. tell me that yon will-" Genevieve (interrupting)—"Oh, please go away and come some other time when I’m not busy Can’t you see that I’m gh L ia middle of this murde> case?"—Cleveland Leader. t