Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-03-24
A STRANGE INHERITANCE.
FRENCH STORY.

is she dead, then?'
Yes, madame replied the gentle
man in brown coat and short breeches.
And her will?
is going 10 be opened here immedi-
ately by her solicitor
Shall We inherit anything?
1T must be supposed so; we have a
claim
who is the miserably dressed per-
sonage who introduced herself here?'
oh she,' said the little man sneer-
ingly; she won't have much in the
VIII. She is sister of the deceased
What; that Anne, who married a
man of nothing, an officer"
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.
bic birth has never forgiven her that
mesalliance'
Anne moved this time across the
room in which the family of the de-
ceased was assembled. She was pale,
and her fine black eyes were surround
ed by precious wrinkles.
M, What do you come here for?' said,
with great haughtiness, Madame de
Villeboys, the lady who, a moment
before, had been interrogating the
little man who had inherited with
her.
Madame, the poor lady replied with
humility, Il do not come here to claim
part of what does not belong to me
come solely to see NJ. Dubois, my sis
ter's solicitor, to enquire if she spoke
of me in her last hours
What do you think people busy
themselves about you p arrogantly
observed Madame de Villeboys; the
disgrace of a great house-you we'd
ded man of nothing, soldier of Bo-
naparte'
Madame, my husband, although
a child of the people, was e brave SOL
dier, and what is more, an honest
man. observed Anne.
At this moment a venerable person.
age, the notary Dubois, made his ap-
pearance.
Cease, said he, to reproach Anne
with union which her sister has
brave, generous and good man, who
had no other crime to reproach him.
self with than poverty and the Obscu-
rity of his name. Nevertheless, had
he lived, if his family had known him
as well as l knew him-I, his old
friend-Anne would be at this time
happy and respected
But why is this woman here?'
Because it is her place to be here |
replied the notary gravely. Il myself
requested her to attend
M. Dubois proceeded to read the |
will.
Il, being sound in mind and heart, |
EgeriedeDemening retired as board |
er in the Conventof the Sacred Heart |
of Jesus, dictate the following wishes |
as the expression of my formal desire /
and principal clause of my testament. !
After my decease there will be |
found at my notary's two thousand |
francs in money, besides jewelry, |
clothes and furniture, and also a cha |
teau worth two thousand francs.
In the convent, where have been |
residing, there will only be found my
book, 'Heures de la Vierge,' a holy I
volume, which remains as when 1
took it with me at the time of the
emigration. 1 desire that these OBJ
jects be divided into three lots.
The first lot is the two hundred
thousand francs.
The second lot, the chateau, furni- /
ture and jewels.
The third lot, my book 'Heures de
la Vierge.
I have pardoned my sister Anne
the grief she has caused to us, and |
would have comforted her in her sor-
rows had known of her return to
France sooner. I compensate her in
my will.
Madame Villeboys, my beloved
cousin, shall have the first choice.
M Vary, my brother-in-law, shall
have the second choice.
"Anne will take the remaining lot.
'Ah! ah! said Vatry, sister Egerie
was good one; that was rather clev-
er on her part
Anne will only have the prayer
book exclaimed Madame de Vile
boys, laughing.
The notary interrupted her, jocu-
larly.
Madam, said he, what lot do you
choose to takeg
1.-The two hundred thousand francs |
in money
Have you fully made up your
mind "
Perfectly so.'
The man of law, addressing him
self to the good feelings of the lady, |
said: Madame, you are rich, and
Annie has nothing. Could you not
leave this lot, and take the book of
prayers, which the eccentricity of the
deceased has pls ced on par with the
other lots !?
You must be joking, NJ. Dubois q?
exclaimed Madame de Villeboys: you
must really be very dull not to see the
intention of sister Egerie in all this.
Our honored cousin who foresaw full
well that her book of prayers would
fall to the lot of Anne, who has the