North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-06-13
Select gtury.
TEE gEIRD GEGTGEs
A. FRENCH WILL STORY.

brown coat and short breeches,
"And her will 2"
as going to be opened here immediate
ly by her solicitor."
"Sball we inherit anything %
1t must be supposed so we have a
claim"
"Who is that miserably dressed person.
age who intrudes herself here p'
| "Oh, she," said the little man sneeringly,
'she wont have much in the will. She is
sister to the deceased.
"What that Anne, who welded a man
of NOTTINGHAM officer p
"Precisely so.''
"She must have no small amount of i'm
pudence to present herself here before a
respectable family.
"The more so, as sister Egerie, of noble
birth, has never forgiven her that messl-
tt,s.pce."
Anne moved this time across the room
in which the family of the deceased were
assembled. She was pale, her fine olack
eyes were filled with precocious wrinkles. E.
"What do you come here for 2" said,
with great haughtiness, Madame deeVilIe-
boys, the lady who, moment before, had
been interrogating the little man who in
herited with her.
Madam" the poor lady replied with
humility, 81 do not come here to claim a
part of what does not belong to me /
come solely to see NJ Dubois, my sisters
solicitor, to enquire if she spoke of me in
her last hours
"What, do you think people busy them
selves about you Z" arrogantly observed
Madame de Tileboys ; 'the disgrace of
great house-you welded man of nothing
soldier of Bonaparte's."
Madam, my husband, though a child of
the people, was brave soldier, and what
| is better, an honest man." observed Anne
AT this moment a venerable parsonage
the notary, Dubois made his appearance
Cease - said he, "to reproach Anne
with union which her sister has long for
given her. Anne loved brave, generous
and good man, who had no other crime to
reproach himself with than his poverty and
| the obscurity of his name. Nevertheless,
had he lived, if his family had known him
as well as | knew him, his old friend
anne would be at this time happy and re-
spected."
But why is this woman here p
because it Is her place to be here" said
the notary gravely 81, myself requested
her to attend.
M. Dubois then proceeded to open the
will.
81, being sound in mind and heart, Egg
erie de Damening, retired as boarder in
the Convent of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
dictate the following wishes as the express
sion of my formal desire and principal
clause of my testament
after my decease there will be found
| two hundred thousand francs in money
at my notary's, besides jewelry clothes and
furniture, AS also a chateau worth two hun
dred thousand francs.
ain the convent, where have been re
siding, there will only be found my book,
"Heures de la Vierge," holy volume, which
remains as it was when took it with me
at the time of the emigration. desire
that these objects be divided into three
lots.
"The first lot, the two hundred thousand
! francs"
"The second lot, the chateau, furniture
and jewels"
"lhe third lot, my book, Heures de
Viergc."
Il have pardoned my sister Anne, the
grief she has caused to us, and I would
have comforted her in her sorrows if had
known sooner ofher return to France. l
compromise her in my will.
MADAME de Villeboys, my beloved cous-
in shall have the first choice.
"M. Vatry, my brother in law, shall
have the second choice"
Same will take the remaining lot.
"Ah ah !" said Vatry, "sister Egerie
was good one +; that is rather clever on
her part J."
"Annie will only have the prayer book"
exclaimed Madame de Villeboys laughing,
The notary interrupted he" jocularly.
Madame" he said, which lot do you
choose 2"
"The two hundred thousand francs in
money"
"Have you fully made up your mind ?'
"Perfectly So"
| The man of law, addressing himself to
the good feelings of the lady, said: "Mad-
anne, you are rich, and Anne fas nothing.
Could you not leave this lot, and take the
book of prayers, which the eccentricity of
the deceased has placed on a par with the
other lots.
"You must be joking, M. Dubois ?' ex-
claimed Madame de Villeboys, "you must
really be very dull not to see the intention
of sister Egerie in all this. Our honored
cousin foresaw full well that her book of
prayers would fall to the lot of Anne, who
has the last choice.
"And what doyoa conclude from that ?
said the notary.
81 conclude that she means to intimate
to her sister that repentance and prayer
were the only help she had to expect in