The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-06-27
VlI1 DItFVH "OVu IUIHUlI 81 NldgdAIII5 IOT htIy
FEHE EXECUTOR.

was spohen- partor OF very grim an
homely aspect, furnished with dark mahogan-
and black hair cloth, the blinds of two window
solemnly drawn down, the shutters of one hal
closed, two traditional decanters of wine stand
ing reflected in the shining uncovered table
halt dozen people, all in mourning, in variou
attitudes OF surprise, disappointment and dis
pleasure, and close by one of the windows, Nj
Brown, the attorney, holding up to the ligh
that extraordinary scrap of paper which hat
fallen upon thems all like thuuderbolt. Onl,
half an hour ago he had attended her funera
with perfect decorum and indifference, as wa
natural, and had come into this parlor withou
the slightest idea of encountering anything t,
disturb him. Fate, however, had been lying
IN wait for the unsuspecting man at momen
when he feared it least. He had not been EN-
ployed to draw out this extraordinary document
nor had he known anything about it. 1t was
thunderbolt enclosed in simple envelope, very
| securely sealed up and delivered to him witt
great solemnity by the next of kin, which car
led him off his balance like a discharge of artil
lery, and made everybody aghast around him
The sentiment and exclamation were alike nat
ural; but the woman was not mad.
BY the side of the table, very pale and pro
foundly discomposed, sat the next of kin; s
woman, of appearance not unaccordant with
that of the house, over fifty, dark complexioned
and full Of wrinkles, with certain cloud Of
habtual shabbiness not to be cast aside, impair
ing the perfection Of her new mourning HeI
aeto mourning, poor soul got on the strength
OF that letter containing the will, which had
been placed in her safe keeping. She was evil
IDENTIFY doing every thing she could to command
| herself and conceal her agitation. But it was
not very easy matter. Cherished visions of
years and hopes that this morning had seemed
on The point OF setting into reality. were break
ing up before her, each with its poignant cir.
cumstances Of modification and bitterness and
| dread disappointment. She looked at every
body with kind of agonized appeal--could it
really be true, might not her ears have deceived
her!-and strained her troubled gaze upon that
paper, not without an instructive thought that
1t was wrongly read, or misunderstood, or that
some mysterious change had taken place on it
in the transfer from her possession to that of
MIR. Brown. His amazement and dismay did
not convince the poor, dismayed woman. She
stretched out her hand eagerly to get the paper
to read it for herself. He might have changed
1t in reading it; he might have missed some
thing or added something, that had altered the
meaning, Anything might have happened, rath-
er than the reality that her confidence had been
deceived aud her hopes were gone.
Did you know OF this, Mrs. Christian q said
the rector, who stood at the other END of the
room, with his hat in his hand
Did she know She could have CRASHED her
teeth at the foolish question, in her excitement
and evaporation. She made hysterical mo-
ton OF her head to answer. Her daugh ter who
had come TO the back of her chair, and who
knew the rector must not be offended, supplied
the words that failed to her mother No we
thought we were to have said the poor girl, in
nocently. There was movement of sympa
thy ana compassion among the persons present
But mingled with this came a sound of differ
CpScFlntlOn {
physical weakness, butsofmoral sentiment an
irritating, critical, inarticulate remark upon that
melancholy avowal. 1t came from the only other
woman present, the servant of the house When
the disappointed relation heard it, she flushed
into sudden rage, and made an immediate iden-
ihcation OF her enemy. 1t was not dignifed,
but it was very natural. Perhaps, under the
circumstances, it was the only relief which her
feelings could have had.
But l know whose doings it was = said poor
Mrs. Christian, trembling all over, Ter pale
face reddening with passion. There was a lit
tie movement at the door as the servant woman
| stepped farther into the room to take her part
III the scene which interested her keenly. She
was tall woman, thin and dry, and about the
same age us her accuser. There was even a
certain degree of likeness between then. AS
Nancy's tall person and white apron became
clearly visible from among the little group of
all the heat and passion Of her disappointment,
to face her foe.
| Did y0w know of this 2 said the excellent
rector, with his concerned, malaprop face. Nan
! cy did not look at him. The three women stood
regarding each other across the table; the others
were only spectators-they were the persons
concerned. The girl, who had already spoken
and who was fair little creature, as different
from the bslligerants as possible, stood holding
her mothers hands tightly. She had her eyes
on them both, with an extraordinary air of con-
troll and unconscious authority. They were
both full Of rage and excitement, the climax of
a long smothered quarrel; but the blue eyes
that watched them kept them silent against
their will The crisis lasted only for moment.
Poor Mrs. Christian, yielding to the impulse of
the small fingers that closed so tightly on her
nand fell back on her chair, and attempted to
recover her shattered dignity Mr.. Brown re-
peated the exclamation in which his dismay and
trouble had at first expressed ltself-'C Certainly
the woman must have been mad
Will you have the goodness to let me see
it z! said Mrs. Christian, with gasp. 1t is i'm
possible to say what ideas of tearing it up, or
thowing it into the smoulderiDg fire, might have
mingled with her desire but,i in the first place,
she was eager to see if she could not make
something different out of that paper than those
astounding words she had just heard read. Mr..
Brown was an honest man, but he was an attor-
ney; and Mrs. Christian was an honest woman,
but she was next of kin. If she had known
what was in that cruel paper, she might not,
perhaps, have preserved it SO carefully. She
read it over, trembling, not understanding the
very words she muttered under her breath
Bessie read it also, over her shoulder. While
they were thus occupied, Mr.. Brown relieved
his perplexed mind with vehemence not much
less tragical than that of the disappointed heir.
have known many absurd things in the
way of Wills said Mr. Brown, but this is the
crown of all. Who on earth ever heard of Phoe-
be Thompson? Who's Phoebe Thompson Her
daughter Why, she never had any daughter
in the memory of man. 1 should say it is some
thing like thirty years since she settled in
Carlingford-with no child nor an appearance
Of having had one-an old maid with three cats
and heart like the neither mill stone. Respect?
don't speak to me why should l respect her
| Here she's gone after living life which nobody
was the better for; certainly was none the
better for it she did not even employ me to
make this precious will and saddied
meme, of all men in the world with bur
den wouldn't undertake for my own brother
III have nothing to do with it. Do you sup
pose am going to give up my own business
and all my comfort to seek Phoebe Thomson I
The IDEAS ridiculous Certainly the woman
was mad
Hush! for we are in the house Of our depart
ed friend, and have just laid her down, said the
inappropriate rector, in the sure and certain
hope
Mr. Brown made, and checked himself in
making, an extraordinary grimace. Do you sup
pose I'm bound to go hunting Phoebe Thomson
till that day comes p said the attorney Better
to be ghost at once, when one could have su
rer information. I'm very sorry, Mrs. Chris
tan have no hand IN 1t, l are you. Who
do you imagine this Phoebe Thomson is?
Sir, said Mrs. Christian, i decline to give
you any information. If my son was here, in
stead Of being in India, as everybody knows,
might have some one to act for me. But YOU
: may be certain shall take advice upon it. YOl
will hear from my solicitor, Mr. Brown. l de
cline to give you any information on the sub
ject.'
; Mr. Brown stared broadly at the speaker hi
I face REDEEMED, He watched her get up AM
hary 90 Al, L.