The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-08-10

tentions so iDeXpressibly soothing after
any great emotion, when one is suffering
from the languor which usually follows it.
When the hour for making m the
mail arrived, went down into the office,
and made some slight inquiries as to
how the clerks had managed the work
the evening before. They had been late,
of course; but the mailcoach-there was
No railway near Thornbury then--had
waited for them to complete their eve
ning's dispatch. and they believed every
thing had gone off as well as usual.
But the return mail proved that every
thing had not gone off as well as usual.
Our MALL leaving Thornbury at 8, D. M,
reached the London office about noon the
next day; and the return mail, not quit
ting London until about o'clock Of the
following morning, threw the arrival of
answers to correspondence to the fourth
morning. On the foutth day after old
Lawrence's death, to the serious inconve-
nience OF all parties, there appeared no
reply to Mr.. Shapes communication to
Mr. Grey, which had been Enclosed with
the will, and in which he desired to be
Immediately acquainted with any in.
structlons left by the deceased in regard
to his funeral The next London mail
was waited for, but there was still no let,
ter; and then the interment necessarily
took place, while the solicitor addressed
second communication to the executor
| awaited, with the keenest anxiety,
the arrival of Mr. Grey, or his reply, and
all the town was on the tiptoe of expecta-
ton. The relatives did nothing but
meet one another, and discuss the will in
all its possibilities. There was wistfuI
look upon Katie's face. It was nine days
now since old Lawrence's death, but the
wonder, instead of dying out, was grow
ing greater every day. Why did not the
executor come to satisfy the general Gu
r'osity, and set the general mind at ease
The maIlbags reached Thornbury about
midnight, and were ordinarily deposited
in the office to await the appointed hour
for opening them, at seven o'clock in the
morning, which was considered quite
early enough for the accommodation of
the public. But upon this occasion, Mr..
Shape spent the evening with me, and,
when the mail arrived, he and I went
down alone into the quiet office, where l
picked out the London bag, opened it,
took out the bundles of letters, ran my
eager fingers and eyes over them, until I
came to the one was in search of, and
handed it over to the lawyer. q
There was a dead silence in the hour
and place only the clock licked off the
seconds as evenly as if nothing was hap
pening. | watched Mr. Shapes face
hungrily, as if it would reflect and dis
close what he was reading The letter
was brief, but he read it over twice. It
seemed very long pause of suspense to
me. yet | supposed three minutes had
scarcely passed.
"He says he never has head old Law
rence's death p exclaimed Mr.. Shape at
length che knows nothing about his
will-has never received it p 5l
"Never received it !" repeated mot
received it! But could take my oath it
wentAspm this office"
'fDid you see it go into the bag your
self?" asked Mr. Shape.
hesitated minute or two, for that
deep, lethgaric sleep I spoke Of had dim
med my recollections of that night re-
membered it was the night had left the
two under clerks to do all the work
alone, while | was watching beside my
father; but recalled also the exact spot
where / had left the will on the counter,
reared up against the folded money order
account, which had been duly acknowl-
edged as received. If one lad gone safe.
safely, why not the other.
NO." | answered, after long pause !;
81 took it in, and left 1t here on the
counter but the clerks did the work
that evening. 1t would be impossible
for them to overlook it. Besides, we
should have found it the next day, if it
had been left behind, and / certainly
should have informed you of the irregu-
larity. No, 1t must have gone from
here" 54e
So said the elder clerk, when we ques-.
toned him ip the morning. He would
not positively swear to it, because they
had been hurried and Hurried over their
work; but he was quite sure it must
have gone, if it had been on che counter
as / described. The other clerk, who
had taken it in, and knew it to be old
Lawrence's will, had not made up the
London bag, or he would have taken
special notice of it, and would have been
able to swear to it.. Still, both of them
were very positive that it had not been
left behind; though it might have got
into the wrong bag, and then missent.
"I'll go up to London by to-night'S
mall" said Mr.. Shape il
Nothing could be more significant of
the Importance of the document; for a
journey to London by coach, occupying
sixteen hours at the swiftest, was not
undertaken for a trife The anxiety
which had been devouring me was now
sharpened to a keener point; but both
Mr.. Shape and myself wished to keep
the affair quiet as long as possible, and |