Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-10-30


after Mr.. Kinioch's death, that some wrong
was intended, and she watched her mistress.
Then Squire Clamp had induced her by
threats end bribes to get for him the papers.
As she took them out of tue desk, one, larger
than the rest, and with several seals, attracted
her attention. She felt quite sure it was Mr..
! Kinloch's will so she secreted it and gave
the lawyer the rest. The M onday afternoon
I following. she took the will to her grand
mothers aud put il under plank in the floor.
Squire Clamp, strangely enough, Glanced to
| stop just as che had hidden it. lie gave her
back the papers, ns she supposed. aud she
replaced them in the secretary. On her way
bone she fell in with Hugh,-a day neither
of them would ever forget.
The lawyer who had counted on any easy
victory over Mr.. Afford, was greatly sur
! prised the next day, to see him accompanied
| by Mark, as he came into court; he had not
heard of the young mans return. Besides,
their unmistahabe air OF confidence and eX-
ultaton caused him some misgivings. But
he was holiness itself, compared with bis
wife. Her face was bloodless, her hands
tremulous, and her expression like that OF
one ready to faint Imagine the horror with
which she saw the production OF the Will and
then the proof by the only surviving witness,
brought to court from his residence in n
neighboring town The letters of aGmipis-
tra,ou were revoked, and Mr.. Afford, one Of
the executors, was appointed Mildred's guar
dian. Completely bafied, dumb and despair
ing, Squire Clamp aud his bride left the
room aud drove homeward. A pleasant topic
for conversation they had by the way, each
accusing the other of duplcity, treachery,
and folly The will provided that she should
receive au annuity of one thousand dollars
during her widowhood; SO that the Squire,
by wedding her. had a new ineumbrance
without any addition to his resources bad
bargain, decidedly, Ne thought. She, on the
other hand, had thrown away her sure de-
pendence, in the hope Of retaining the con-
troll OF the whole estate for when she con-
sented to marry Clamp, she had no doubt
that he had possession Of the will and would
of course, keep it concealed. Seldom it is
that bath parties to transaction are SO over
reached.
The successful party stopped at Mir. Hard
wick's that evening 10 exchange congrataa.
tons lie, as well as Mildred and Mark,
was interested in the lost will for Mr. Kin.
loch had mentioned the fact of the unsettled
bouudary.lius, and directed his executors to
make clear title of the disputed tract to the
bl cksmith. The shop was his F.; the boys, OF
all events, would DO undisturbed. One pro-.
vision in the will greatly excited Marks Gu
riosity. The notes which he owed to the
estate were to be cancelled, and there was
an unexplained reference to his Uncle Hard
wick and TO some occurrences of lopg ago.
Mildred al ohce recalled TO mind her iathers
diving words,-his calling for Mr.. Hardwick,
and his mention of the cabinet She had
often thought Of her search in its drawers,
and Of her finding the lock Of sunny hair and
the dried flower And the blacksmith now,
when asked, shock bis head mournlully, and
said, las he had before "Sus.somo time
nun.nut now ~
CHAPTER XVII.
Tho mex. day Mr.. Alfold came to town
and advised Mark TO marry, forthwith.
i've been thinking it over" he said, "art
| biieve lis the best thing TO he done
You've git tough customer to deal with
and it may be some trouble to git all the
property cut Of his hands. But when the
heiress is married, her husband con act fol
her To better advantage. guess I'll speal
TO Mr.. Rock and have the fair tended L
right away"
Mark submitted the matter to Mildred
who bushed properly, and thought it rathe
hasty. But Mr.. Affords clear reasonin,
prevailed, and the time was appointed a
once. Mark and Mr.. Afford then vent Il
call upon the lawyer They entered hi
office without Knocking, and by chance founC
hm busy with the accounts aud papers the,
were scattered over the table, aud he Wal
making computations. AS soon as he wa
aware of the presence of visitors, he made
an effort to slide the documents under som,
loose sheets os paper; bnt Mark knew th,
bold hand at once, and without word sezet
the papers and banded them to Mr.. a ford
mot very p'lte, Squire, know" said Mr.
Afford. "but possession is nine p'ints of th'
law as I've heerd yoa say; and as you won
deny the hand wrtin', s'pose you don
question my right to these ere"
The rage of Mr.. Clamp may be imagined
GOOD mornin', Square" said the trium
phant execetor. "When we've looked owe
these affairs, we'll trouble you and the widde
that was, to count for what the schedoo
calls for'
The simple preparations for the wedding
were soon made, and the honest, great. hearte
farmer had the pleasure Of giving away tn
bride 1t was joyful, but not a merry wed
ding; both had passed through too man
trials, and had too many recollectois. An
the evident decline of MIR. Hurdwick mad
Mark sad and apprehensive Bat he devou'
ly thanked God, as he clasped his bride t
his bosom. for the providence that ha
brought to him the fulflment Of his deares
hopes.
Here we might STOP according to anceu
custom, leaving our hero and heroine to thei
happiness. But though wedding is alway
al event OF interest, there are other thing
to be narrated before We have done with on
ssoiy.
No: long after, Mark called at the kinloc
house, then occupied by Mr.. Clamps as
measure of precaution, be took Mr.. Alfor
with him. Mildred had never reganed he
wardrobe; everything that was dear to he
was still in her stepmother's keeping,-he
J fathers picture, her own mothers miniature
the silver cup she had used from infancy, an
all the elegant and tasteful articles that ha
, accumulated in house in which no wish VIZ
left urgratifed. Ever since tho session
7 the Probate Court, the house had been shu
to vsiters. If any there had been. Mi
Clamp had not been seen eDce out OF door
But after waiting time, Mark aud bis irien
were admitted. As they entered the hous
the bare aspect OF the rooms confirmed II
rumors which Mark had heard. Mrs. Clam
: received them with a kind of sullen civilit
? and, upon hearing the errand, replied
; Certainly Mrs. Davenport can have b,
: clothes. She need not have sent more tha
one ma5 TO get them. ls that all p
mot quite" said Marx. "Perhaps yo
. are not aware or the change which the di
Q covery Of the will may make 10 your eircur
stances / do not speak Of the punishmel
L uhieh tha fraud raarits bot of tLa r;c,h