White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1859-03-03

Mr.. Har,lwick's bedside. during the long
hours, aud read to him from his favoritt
authors. About ten o'clock. Just as the
family were preparing to go to bed, Marx
drove mp to the door. He was warmly
welcomed, anil at once overwhelmed with
questions. ibid he find Lucy ?" "What
did she know % "Why did she secrete
herself ?" To all these Mark merely re-
piled. IL found Lacy how much / have
accomplished i dare not say. But do
you. James. come with me. We will go
up to old Mrs Rsnsom's."
"Why she's not there she's gone to
the poor house."
Broken down with old age and sorrow.
| suppose. But don't care to see her
now. Let us go to the old house and
meantime, you girls, go to bed"
But they protested they should wait till
he retnrned-that they could not sleep a
wink until they knew the result.
Provided with lantern, the Young men
set ont. They fonnd the howell nearly in
ruins for pilfcrers hal taken siich pieces
as they could strip off for frewood. Mark
eagerly ripped up the floor near the hearth.
At the first fash of the light he saw a
paper. dusty and discolore,l. He seized
and opened it. II ras tie ariH of Mr..
RmtOch. duly signed and attested. Lucy
had not deceived him.
With hurried1pacc they returned to the
village, scarcely stopping to take breath
until they reached Mr. Hardwick's house
1t was no vain hope, then 1t was true
The schemes of the step mother would be
frustrated. The odious control of Squire
Clamp would end. Mark began to read
the will, then stopped, emb acel his cous-
inS and Mii'irel by turns, then read again.
He was beside himself with Joy.
All were too much excited 10 sleep !;
and when the first transports Of surprise
were over. they naturally inquired after
the unfortunate girl. He had found her,
after great difficulty, in a miserable gar
ret. The surmises Of the villagers were
correct. She was ruined, heart broken.
Dissipation, exposure. and all the fright
ful influences of her wretched life had
brought on fever, and now, destitute
and forsaken. she was left by those who
had made merchandise of her beauty, to die.
He learned from Lucy what she knew of
the affair of the will. She became salts
fed, soon after Mr. Kinloch's death, that
some wrong was intended, aud she watch
ed her mistress. Then Squire Clamp had
induced her by threats and brides to get
FOR him the papers. AS she took them
ont of the desk, one, larger than the rest.
aul with several seals. attracted her at
tention. She felt quite sure it was Mr..
Kincch's will {; so she secreted it and
gave the lawyer the rest. The Monday
afternoon following. she took the will to
her grandmother'S and put it under plank
in the floor. Squire Clamp. strangely
enough, chancel TO stop Just as she had
hidden it. He gave her back the papers
as she supposed, and she replaced thenf
in the secretary. On her way home, she
fell in with Hugh-a day neither Of them
would ever forget.
The lawyer. who hal counted on easy
victory over Mr.. Afford. was greatly sur
prised the next day, to see him accompa-
MED by Mark, as he came into court lie
ha,l not heard of the young mans return.
Besides thier nnmi>takable air Of conf
dence and exultatiOn caused him some
miSgivings. But he was holiness itself,
compared with his 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 ;he only surviving witness,
brought to court from his residence in a
neighboring town! The letters of adj
mnistratiOn were revoked, and Mr.. AL
for,l. one of the executors, was appointed
Mildred's guardian. Completely baffled,
dumb and despairing, Squire Clamp and
his bride left the room and drove home
ward. A pleasant topic for conversation
they had by the way. each accusing the
other of duplicity. treachery, and folly !
The will provided that she should receive
an annuity of. one thousand dollars dur
ing her ,cidOWhoOd; so that the Squire,
by welding her, had a new incumbrance
without any addition to his resources !;
bad bargain. decidedly, he thought
She, on the other hand, had thrown away
her sure dependence, in the hope of re-
tanning the control of the whole estate !;
for when she consented 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 both parties
to transaction are so overreached.
The successful party stopped at Mr..
Hardwlck's that evening to exchange con-
ordinations. He, as well as Mildred and
Mark, was interested in the lost viii for
Mr.. Kinloeh had mentioned the fact of
the unsettled boundary-line. and directed
his executors to make a clear title Of the
disputed tract to the blacksmith. The
shop was his; the boys. at all events.
would be undisturbed. One provision in
the will greatly excited Marks euriositz
The notes which he owed to the estate
were TO be cancelled. and there was an
unexplained reference to his Uncle Hard
wick, aud to some occurrences of long
ago. Mildred at once recalled to mind
her fathers dying words-his calling for
Nr. Har,lwick. and his mention of the
cabinet. She had of en- thought of her
search. in its drawers. and of her hn,iing
the lock of sunny hair AMI the dried flow
ct. And the blacksmith. now. when ask
ell, shook his head mournfully. and said.
las he hail before. "Sus-some time; nun
MT mn, q,