The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-10-31

-, And when his single note has fled "a
q Atropos reigns-all sound is dead.
,'1 2 ",
THE TRUE;sToRY OF MADAME VAIL.
By SUSAN ARCHER WEISS.
Seeing that some persons, either will
fully or otherwise, have made marvellous
story OF the affair Of my late mistress,
Madame Abigail Vail, of Barden's Wood,
near. Bolton, I, Martha Hobson, have
considered it my duty to explain the
whole matter as it actually occurred be-
fore my own eyes.
I-had been twelve years housekeeper
and confidential attendant to Madame
Vail, when she was taken with what
proved her last illness. She was quite old
nigh upon three:and-seventy, though
up to this time she had enjoyed tolerable
health. She had been q widow and
childless for more than forty years, in
which time she had lived very secluded
at Barden's Wood, about a mile from
BOltontown. 81 She got the place from her
husband. It had been very grand in it's
day, but at this time was dingy, gloomy,
rather tumble-down old house, though
thelands were very valuable, aseverybody
knew. It was said there were lead and
silver on one part of the place, which, if
worked, would have brought a fortune.
The old lady's kin, who expected to be
her heirs, were very anxious to persuade
her to it; and Mr.. Simon Vail even
brought up to Barden three gentlemen,
one mineralogist and the others clever
looking business agents, to examine .he
mine, and make terms with her, but it
was all in vain. She wouldn't even listen
to what they had to say. She was old,
she said, and didn't want to be bothered
NryrkI IN rrOIr |, 4.
days. She hadn't long to live, and when
pleased about the property (; but for her
self, all thatshe desired was to be let
alone, to live and die in peace. And as
they left the house, I, peeping through
the closet door at the head of the stairs,
heard MIR. Simon muttering something
about ''pig-headed, obstinate old case"
had never much fancied Mr.. Simon,
though most people liked him, and he
was the old lady's fevorite. I thought
he smiled too much, and there was sort
of watchful slyness in his grey eyes that
reminded me of cat. Still, I knew no
harm of him. He wasn't madame's own
blood relation; only nephew of her
husband. Her own kin were few enough
and distant enough. Miss Arethusa Mills
and Miss Grace Brown were the nearest
of these-great-nieces both of them; and
these two, with Mr.. Simon, and old
Doctor Hurdle and his wife, and young
Captain Findley, and Mr.. Podgers, were
ali that she'd Included in her will. I
didn't particularly like any of them, and
it was my private opinion that none of
them cared overmuch for the old lady,
though she wouldn't have believed it, so
attentive and respectful and affectionate
as they all behaved. Miss Grace was the
only one who never made any show of
being fond of her, and Miss Arethusa
used often to remark in the old lady's
hearing, how cold and selfish the girl
was. I didn't think so; but Miss Grace
was young and pretty, while Miss 'Thusa
was turned of thirty and by no means
beauty, with her long neck and dangling
ringlets, and the everlasting simper upon
her thin lips. So it was natural that she
shouldn't be too fond of Miss Grace.
They used both to stay o good deal at
Barden's Wood, for they had no money
nor homes of their own. Miss Arethusa
generally made friends and stayed around; /;
but Miss Grace was quiet and retiring,
and most people thought her cold.
Ever since Miss Grace had been six
teen, Madame Vail had wanted her to
marry young Captain Findley, who, in
his visits to Barden, had fallen in love
with her. But she told her Aunt Vail
that she had promised to marry young
Doctor Lee, as soon as he had finished
his studies and settled into practice in
Bolton. He was q fine young man, O
good family, but poor as church mouse;
and madame didn't approve of the
match. She argued and coaxed and
threatened and stormed; but Miss Grace 8
only answer was, 'I love him, Aunt Vail
and he loves me. have promised to
become his wife, and ought to cling to
him the more on account'of his poverty. II
So at last the old lady got very angry,
threatened not to leave her penny, nm
less she gave up Doctor Lee. But Miss
Grace, though gentle, was firm. And I
know that at the time of the last illness
OF the old lady she had actually made a
will, cutting off Miss Grace with a quar-
ter of what she left each of the others,
with the exception of Mr.. Simon, to
whom she bequeathed the most of the
property. It had been all left her by
her husband to do with as she pleased.
L was sitting knitting in madame's 8