The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-29

Ne9ei NuhlluuGu MI. NlhSu1 "a IGiAklOl
and confidential friend could offer bette
advice than mere man Of business coult
do" :
but what ought l to doW And Mis-
Brown looked at him in her old helpless
alarmed way.
lie tidgeted little. He wished Mr.
Dixon had done as he had certainly seem
cd to intend doing, "Well, Miss Brown
al That can say is, that Mrs. Barker.
VIII IN your favor, cannot, in my opinion
DC set aside. You are perfectly sate. |
mal0r Eortescue goes to law with you
"0h, | cannot go to lGwP
but II Major FortesCue claims this for.
tune, you must go to law, if you mean "a
defend your rights, And, OF course, it is
my duty TO- tell you II you ask my advice
mat l think you need not fear the result,
MT. Bankers last will is, in law, use,
but why, then, should Major FortoS.
Major Fortescuo can only hope to
prove that undue influence was used 10
make Mrs. Barker leave you the money.
hrs. Barker, too, was peculiar woman,
and her peculiarlties may be exaggerated
80 as to make 1t appear that she was
not IN her right mind when she made her
will"
"You mean that they will prove that
she was out Of her mindp exclaimed
Miss Brown in horror. "Oh, they could
not do such wicked thing She was
curious, poor woman, but she was sane as
| am to the last day Of her lil6."
Yes, believe there can be no doubt
OF that. | believe the attempt to dispute
her will on such grounds will break
down. But Major FOrtcscuG has evident.
~ been misunderstood on some points,
and he ianCies tho case Is worth trying.
can't SEQ that hO has any chance; and
you need not be alarmed, even II he per.
slsts In his intention. Tho money be-
longed to Mrs. Barker; and even If he
was to prove himself her direct heir-at.
law-tor 1t seems he was related to her
US well ms to her husband-still, in my
opinion, he cannot prove that she had not
perfect liberty 10 do as no liked with 1t.
This, you will understand, Is simply u
lawyers view Of tho matter. am your
only lawyer; l should have been better
pleased It your cousin, Mr. Dixon, had
talked this over with you At first, as l
certainly understood no was to do
Mrs. Brown said nothing.
Alter u pause, MIR Finch told her that he
would SEQ her again next day, and hear
her further instructions. Then he got up
and took his leave, In his own mind he
was n good deal annoyed. Mr.. Dixon
had not behaved fairly either to him
or to Miss Brown; but he was aware that
some responsibility would DO thrown on
himself. "lT II does come to law sui"
he thought, "the case may DO made to
look awkward, even though my client
get the best Of 1t"
That afternoon. Mr.. Dixon received n
note from his cousin, saying she wished
to sec him. With d feeling Of pleasant
exultation-iOr ho thought he was sent
Tor to hear the answer To his proposal, and
that this answer would be In his favor,
he now hardly doubted-hC set oil to.
wards her house. On tho way, he turned
over in his mind two or three schemes
for the disposal Of her money which he
had been lately considering, and having
decided on which was the most advisable,
he knocked at her door with the satisfaC.
tory conviction In his mind that, when he
came out that door again II would be as
the future pOssessor Of her hand and for
tune. And both possessions had lately
obtained increased value In his eyes, since
he had been made to wait In little I'm.
certainty about them.
Miss Brown was not In her drawing
room. lie looked round the pretty, com. |
Portable room, comparing 1t with the
poor little parlor In which she had been
sitting when he came TO tell her Of her
good fortune, and with a'soi(er, tendcrcr |
feeling In his own heart towards her rs |
he reflected that she was going 10 give up |
her own pleasant, independent position
for his sake. The mir Of the room, too;
its grace and refinement pleased him.
The mistress Of this room would he q
pleasant and satisfactory mistress of his
house. lie thought he had never seen
any woman enter q room with such q
graceful, gentle, yet dignltlcd bearing
lie wondered how ho had during the lust
twenty years forgotten how pretty she
had been-hOw pretty she still was, with |
her fair skin and smooth, still brown hair,
and sweet grave eyes. A curious, almost
shy lover.like feeling came over him. lie
did not speak as he shook hands with her
but he felt happier than he had seemed to
have felt since he was boy, as he Oboyed
her sign and took q seat near her :.
II wanted to SEQ you, Robert. MIR.
Finch was here this morning. lie has
been telling nc something l did not
know, something l wish | had known
sooner" Then she told him what she had
heard. i
"Well," ho said, alter she had finished
and they had both sat silent for . minute,
lie had been trying " thinkhow he could |
best account TO her for not having kept
his word to Mr.. Finch and told her Of this
at first. Ho saw that even though she
did not like to approach him openly, her
grave, gentle manner expressed dlspleas'
ire at him for his silence. And now he
was curiously, sensitivoly afraid OF her
lispleasure. What could lle say to her!
How could he tell her that no had feared
stirring IN In her slow, unbusiness. ike
mind any doubts about the perfect legal.
ity of her claim to the money, until part
at least Of that money had been safely
lodged 10 his own bankH Al hrst, II nau
bccn mere prudent piece OF calculation
nm his mart, mingled with a dislike to
troubling himself with explaining things
to her which II scarcely nlattered she
knew or not, seeing that her own legal
claim To her fortune was untouched.
Later, hc had felt the awkwardness OF en-.