The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-29
G4re9nteuiqetrt
MISS BROWN.
A CHARMING LOVE STORY.

CHATTER VII.

Two or three days passed, and Mis-
Brown only grew more and more per
picked and uncomfortable, She felt tina
she ought TO give her answer, and shl
was more and more sure that she did no
want to say Yes. But then, II she refused
him. First of all there was the pain
which she would give He had come 4
call on her since her return home, and
had plainly showed that he was anxious
II seemed unfair to prOlong his anxiety
and suspense without meaning to recon-,
pGnsc him for them. Mrs. LOrimer had
also called, and had been unusually gen.
tic and conCiliating, with sort Of Sisterly
aileCtionateness Of manner, which seemed
to say that she was sure they were going
10 bc sisters And she had talked Of the
children, her "dear little nieces;" of her
anxiety that they should be in good hands,
and of the love that they had suddenly
cvnCGd for Cousin Priscilla. Once even
though in such q roundabout way
that it would have been difficult to reply
oit-she had limited at the advisabiIity
OF Miss Browns entrusting her fortune as
well as herself to such judicious
hands as those now ready to
take charge of them. ain these
days, my dear Priscilla, 1t is q terrible re.
sponsibiity Tor a single woman TO have
To look after her own property. Even
find it AS much as l can do 10 attend to
the little business connected with my
small jointure. And il l had great sum
To think Of, really, what with all these
dreadful railways and joint.stOck compa.
MES, and fraudulent schemes OF all kinds
to rob people OF their money, shouldn't
have moments peace, And one hears
such terrible stories about lawyers and
men of Enthusiastically, there's no know
ing whom to trust"
And then Miss Brown was very lonely.
She missed the friendly sociability of Elm
Grove. She found her house very dull
and she thought good deal OF Mrs
Barker, and OF how lonely and unhappy
SHE had been, in spite OF all this money.
She did not think sho could ever be 80
disconnected and unhappy as poor Mrs
Barker; but still II was dull 10 live alone
VI wish Robert had not asked nc" she
thought, ~ could have paid them long
visits Mt Elm Grove. should have liked
that; but now l can't go there ComIOrta.
bly, again, If ! refuse him"
She began to think that, on the whole,
she was wrong not 10 accept what was OF.
lrrcd her. What had she to do with any
lingering girllsh scntImentality? 1t was
her business us u sensible woman To con.
slider her position fairly, to acknowledge,
as she had already acknowledged to her.
self, that she did shrink from the thought
Of lonely, lOveloss old agc. Was II not
even ungrateiul TO Providence thus will. |
fully TO reject the very lot for which she
had onco so passlOnatcly praycdH What
il this lot were not exactly what she had
once pictured What right had sho TO
expect that II could be SOY She was prof.
icrcd secure home, an honorable posi-
ton, u sphere of interest and usefulness,
such MS, with her shrinking, timid temper,
she could never find for hprsGf II she con.
tinucd to live single. Was she to put
aside all this because she had lately be.
gun to regret, so Vainly, tho mistake |
which she had made long agOy She
might sec clearly enough now that sliO
had been very blind then. She might
wish that she had given her love then 10
the one she now knew TO have been tho
more worthy Of II; but 1t was no use.
The choice would not be offered her again.
II she married anybody now, 1t must be
Robert Dixon.
al believe, on the whole, II will be best
for me to take him." she thought. II can.
not bear to lose the only friends | have
gothic only people who seem really to
care for me. What Is done, Is done. lie
was so goOd-thCre was no ono like him.
All, how clearly seem to sec all that
now but why should keep thinking
oIhimY IdOnt know what hns become
ofhim; ! shall never know. 1t does not
signify to me now.
She had been Of home a few days, when
one morning she got visit from Mr..
Finch, her lawyer. lie said he had
brought Letter TO show her. =.
III is from Major FOrtCscuC's lawyer"
lie said, with a shrug, and with u look as
il hU meant to prepare her for something
lisagrCcable. Then he took out tho letter
aud opened IT, /
"Who is AlajOr FortescueH" she asked.
lie looked at her in surprise. Major
Forlcscuc Why, Miss Brown, surely |
Mr.. Dixon has told you about Major For
tcscue lie was to do so; at least un-
lIerstOod him to say so"
ii have not been told anything, so fur |
AS can remember" she replied nervous.
ly, recolleCting her stupidity and want Of
memory for business details. Il
"WGil, ia very odd. OF course, !
thought you knew oil about II" i
"hIaj0r FortCscuer' she repeated
thoughitully; surely have heard the
name"
"AIajor Fortescue Is the person to whom
hem well, | suppose there's no doubt
Of that, at lcast-Mr. Barker-Mrs; Bar
ker's husband, you know-intended toI
leave lis money!.
Miss Brown looked so bewldered, that
Mr.. Finch, seeing she understood nothing,
explained the case to her.
Mrs. Bankers money had been leit 10
her by her husband. But shortly before
his death, he had made another viii, ny
which he gave his widow only the lie.
rent Of his fortune, directing that, NJ her
death, II should go to q distant relation Oh
his own, a Blr. or Captain FortesCue.
This will had been duly drawn Out; DnI
Mr.. Barker had died suddenly, and WIN.
out signing IT, II was therefore put aslue
as worthless, and Mrs. Barker succeeded
Ia the money according to the terms OIL
the former will. The second one, how,
ever had not been destroyed, and had
been found amongst Mrs. BarkeI's papers.
It seems MS II she had hcsitated between
her inclination to carry out her husbands
clearly expressed wishes, md ller own
dislike To the man who was TO be benefit
ed by them. The latter feeling had pre-
vailed; but still she had kept the useless
will-why, no one could tell. ...
1t seemed that Mr.. Barker's intentions
i,,,,,,,,, a., d. in,Inr Noinr FOrlpscue Wns |