Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-02-12
THE THIRD CHOICE.

AND ber will?'
'Is going to be opened here imme
diately by her solicitor
Shall we inherit anything?
1T must be supposed SO; we have g
claim
who is that miserably-dressed per-
sonage who intrudes herself hereT
oh, she,' said the little man, sneer'
fngly. She won't have much IN the
will: she is sister to the deceased
What! that Anne who welded 10
le4s a man of NOTTINGHAM oticer!
Precisely so.'
she must have no small amount OF
impudence to present herself here be-
fore respectable family
The more so, as sister Egerie, OF no.
Bile birth, had never forgiven her tnat
naesalidnce.'
Anne moved at this time across the
room in which the family Of the de-
ceased were assembled. She was pale,
her fine black eyes were surrounded
with pre;ocious wrinkles.
what do you come here forP she
said, with great haughtiness, Madame
de VilIeboys, the lady who. moment
before, had been interrogating the little
man who inherited with ber.
Madame the poor lady REPLIED
with humility, L did not come here to
claim a part of what does not belong to
me; l came solely to see NJ. Dubois,
my poor sisters solicitor, to inquire If
she spoke OF me in her last hours
what do you think people busy
themselves about your arrogantly OBJ
served Madame de Villeboys; the dis
grace Of great house-you welded q
man Of nothing, a soldier of Bona
parte's.'
Madame, my husband, although a
child OF the people, was brave SOL
der, and what is better, an honest
man. observed Anne.
At this moment venerable person
age, the notary Dubois, made his ap-
pearance.
Cease he said, 'to reproach Anne
with a union which her sister has long
forgiven her. Anne loved brave, gen.
erous and good man, who had no other
crime to reproach himself with than his
poverty and the obscurity Of the name.
Nevertheless, had he lived, if his fami-
lv had known him as l knew bim-l,
his old friend-Anne would be at this
time happy and respected
But why is this woman hereP
Because it is her place to be here,
replied the notary, gravely; 4 myself
requested her to attend here.
M. Dubois then proceeded to open
the will.
Il, being sound in mind and heart,
Egerie de Damining, retired as boar
der in the convent of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus, dictate the following wishes as
the expression of my formal desire and
principal cause of my testament.
After my decease there will be
found two hundred thousand francs in
money at my notary's, besides jewelry,
clothes aud furniture, as also chateau
worth two hundred thousand francs.
In the convent where l have been re-
siding there will only be found my
book, 'Heures de la VERGE holy vol
ume, which remains as it was when l
took it with me at the time OF the emf
grafton. / desire that these objects be
divided into three lots.
The first lot, the two hundred thou
sand francs in money.
The second lot, the chateau, furni-
ture and jewels.
The third lot, my book. 'Heures de
laVierge.'
have pardoned my sister Anne the
grief which she has caused to US, and |
would have comforted her in her sor-
rows if L had known sooner Of her re-
turn to France. ] include her in my
will
Madame de Villeboys, my much be.
loved cousin, shall have the first
choice. 81
M. Vatry, my brother-in-law, shall
have the second choice.
-'Anne will take the remaining lot
rsAbiahp said Vatry, sister Egerie
was good one; that is rather clever
on her psrt!''
Anne will only have the prayer
bookl' exclaimed Madame de la Vile
boys, laughing aloud. The notary in
terrupted her jocularity.
Madame, he said, (which lot do you
chooser
aeThe two hundred thousand francs in
money! lia
Have you quite made up your
mind?'
Perfectly so.'
The man of law, addressing himself
then to the good feelings Of the lady,
said, Madame, you are rich and Anne
has nothing. Could you not leave her
this lot, and take the book of prayers,
which the ecceniricity of the deceased
has placed on a par with the other
lots7'
You must be joking, M. Duboisp ex-
claimed Madame de Villeboys, you
must be very dull not to see the inten.
ton of sister Egerie in ell this. Our
honored cousin saw full well that her
book of prayers would fall to Anne.
who had the last choice.
And what do you conclude from
that?' inquired the notary.
Il conclude that she means to init
mate to her sister that repentance and
prayer were the only help she had to