The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-06-30

| DIS OlQ lIl6uNs AAuOAA IL pPAC On
sive of paralysis. Is it anything thai
[ can do?"
mo, no." replied Mr.. Shape; your
father is one of the executors of Mr.
Lawrence's will, and / have brought
it here with me to consult him about
it. The other is Grey, Of the Temple
Under these circumstances, l suppose
| must forward it to him; and perhaps
It is best; il must be proved at Cap
terbury, and be can see to it at once,
why at Canterbury | asked
eagerly.
in three different di0reses, ne an
swered. "I'll send = to Grey by to-
swell. nv f.sher can do nothing, /"
7 said. wopiering all the time wheth-
er Mr.. Saape knew what were the
provisfons of the will, so momentous
"a Kate and me"
There was a will, however; that far
was certain. A kind of wild hope,
which had been kindled in my breast,
was quite quenched by the visit from
Mr.. Snape l felt myself sinking into
gloomy depression, which appeared
exceedingly omiuous to me. For three
or four hours | brooded respondent
ly over the fact that there was a viii,
scarcely allowing myself to cher
ish a spark of hope that Kate
was provided for in it.; for how
often does a rich man leave
his money to the poorest OF his kim
dred2 l had nothing else to occupy
my mind. My mother and sisters sat
weeping in nv fathers daFkened and
silent room. All the windows of our
house had the curtains drawn. At
last it occurred TO me that tubs was
the last day of September, and that
the money-order account, which was
made up quarterly, ought to be bal
anced, and sent up to London by the |
nights mail. Glad of anything to |
work at. | went down stairs to the in |
ner office, found the necessary forms, |
and set myself steadily to the task. |
| bad just completed it, and folded |
up my balance-sheet, when | heard a
footstep and voice in the outer office;
both loud, and Of a kind to arrest
Shapes C srk's, who had come in to
post his masters letter.
Look here" he said, II was TO see
you take this one straight into Mr..
Slaney; it's on no account to be left
here with ordinary letters. It's old
Lawrenee's will, guess. By George
L wish that my name was inside Of it,"
1t was brought into me Immediate
ly. and placed before me on the. coun-
ter. | did not touch it. but these il
lay, long. narrow packet, not over
large. or bulky, yet containing the
whole of Hates future and mine.
cannot say how long | sat before
IL, fascinated. perfectly spell bound
my eyes TiVeted upon it. as if they
,ould see through the thick cover and
read the momentous lines within. /
never touched it with my finger even.
felt as If [ no more dare do that
han would have dared to touch and
arouse some deadly serpent. l am
conscious, however, that not the
shadow of an idea OF opening it ever
crossed my mind. At last I felt a
warm, smooth little hand laid upon
nine. and Katie's voice whispered
Hose to my ear. y" What is it you're
taring at. Harry?"
There was, of course, an entrance
nto this inner Office from the house,
nd Katie had stolen in several times
etore, when L was alone, and had
lways spoken in the lowest of wills.
Ders, lest the clerks In the Office be-
'ond should overhear her; yet l start
d nerTously at the sound of her
'oice and the touch of her hand, and
he was obliged to repeat her question
'efore | seemed to comprehend it.
That is your uucle's will, +" [ an
wered.
Her eyes met mine, and there was a
tTarge look in them. sus.. as [ had
lever seen before; an uneasy, trouble
ONE almost sly expression. She had
'een crying until they were red, and
ppeared smaller than usual under
heir swollen lids. She dropped her
yes hurriedly, and then she whisper {
4 again,
If there had been no will2" '
l answered her as if that were &
uestion, but afterward it occurred to
ne that it was but an involuntary 1
tteTance Of her wish.
Your father would have been heir
t law, Kate" l replied, and you a
reat heiress." v
TO BE CONTINUED