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

IL
had already dragged by, and no one
knew how quarter of a million of money
for rumors said the OLD mans wealth
was no less-had been bequeathed !? With
real reluctance Grey made known the
facts. There had been a will he and
the postmaster were executors; it had
been posted for him on the night after old
LaWrence's death, and nothing more was
known about it,
The excitement in the town was ten
fold, a hundred fold greater now than on
the occasion of the testator's sudden
death. Our post ofice-was besiged, and
the clerks piled with questions, while I
kept myself safely out of sight in the
inner office, brooding in perplexity over
the singular occurrence. [ coald arrive
at no other conclusion than that the
packet must have been slipped irto the
wrong bag, and so mis-sent. OF course
there wore worrying inquiries made by
the London authorities, to which | could
give no other reply than this supposition.
The affair was of such Importance that
ot1lclal CIRCULARS were dispatched to most
OF the offices in the kingdom, requiring
Information concerning any mis-sent let
tiers and in the course of a few weeks a
handsome reward was offered for the dis.
coVery OF the missing document.
About i've weeks after old LaWrence's
death, l received a summons to present
myself before the surveyor of the district,
Mr., Talbot, who lived sixteen miles or
SO from Thornbury. He, too, was an old
friend of our family, and had assisted in
obtaining the post office for my father.
He was one of those jovial, courteous old
gentlemen of past generation, who liked
to make his own and every ones life as
easy and agreeable as possible, and who
had somewhat of an aristocratic contempt
for the exacting public-far less exacting
than now. [ received cordial greeting
from him, was set down to a good dinner,
and forbidden to speak Of business until
he began, which he did over our wine.
NOW, Harry, just tell me all about it,
and as shortly as possible" said Mr.. Tai
bot, and I obeyed him
z 'But this is a deuce of a mess I" he ex-
claimed, when | had finished "the will
must be found, sir. The authorities insist
upon it, and will not answer for the
consequences if there is much longer de-
lay. Do you know what your toWnsfolk
are saying, my boy?"
His manner had changed from conster-
nation to anger, and then into compassion
as he spoke; but [ only looked into his
friendly face, and shook my head in re-
ply.
''They say just this" he continued :;
neither more nor less-that the will isin
your possession. They say you are going
to marry Parson Lawrence's only daugh-
ter; and by keeping back the will YOU
expect her to come into possession of all
the property"
Il should be fool if I did" l answer
ad, stammering; for this phase of my
position had not failed to occur to me.
GA COMPOUNDED fool" he added, drily /;
''the estate will be thrown into chancery,
and the lawyers will get the best pickings
out of it. Come, Harry, we are old
friends. | knew you when you weke
baby, and your father and mother years
before. You might tell me any thing,
my boy
Thank you," cried, grasping his of
fered hand, "but ] have nothing more TO
tell. swear know no more about the
Will Gnan you &c.
could anybody else know of it's being
in your office besides you and the clerks ?"
asked Mr. Talbot
Strange to say-so strange that mar
yelled at it myself-until that moment
had altogether forgotten, or it had been
kept back from recurring to my memory,
that Katie had been with me when my
mothers agonized voice called to me.
Like some vivid revelation made by
flash of Lightning, lurid and binding,
came back the position in which we
stood, and the last words | had uttered.
The events which followed had been so
hurried and engrossing, the sleep succeed.
ing them so exhausting, that the impress
sion must have been for the time almost
obliterated. 1t returned all the keener
now; and my pulse stood still, and my
heart sank heavily. Katie had been
there Katie had seen her uncles will I
had left her behind me in the office alone,
answered incoherently, contradicting
myself, and at last, for. almost the only
time in my life, fairly burst into tears
Never did poor, weak wretch appear
more guilty than I did My triend-for
he was truly my friend urged me, i'm.
plored of me, in vain, to confess all and
make him the confdant of my tempta
lions and my fault; he gave it no harsh
er name. 1t was impossible for me to
cast suspicion upon Katie, though as I
came to think quietly over it in nv bed
room--I raved all night at Mr.. Talbot's
Il could not Danish from me the dread
that here lay the solution of
the mystery. / said to myself that at
first It would be nothing but girls
thoughtless curiosity, which had changed
into shame and terror upon facing the
consequences of her action; and that ev.
ry day had made it more impossible for