The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-03-11
His Only Chance.

the will"
The speaker was bright, handsome
girl of seventeen = Rena Crocker-the
granddaughter of old Steven Crocker,
whose death day or two before had
brought sorrow to few hearts. Two grand
children - Horace Wharton and Rena-
were his only relatives and constituted his
family. Horace was as mean of act and
disposition as the old man himself. Rena
was beauty, and an amiable girl when
she chose. There certainly were intervals
when pride and disdain were her more
marked characteristics, but Rena's eyes
were her grand irresstibility. Talk of
diamondsl The flash and play of those
wondrous living gems offered something
infinitely more lustrously changeable. 1t
was, however, brillancy as restless, as
little to be caught and fathomed, as the
bright vagaries of Jack-o'-lantern on
wall. Young as she was, Rena was a
worldly minded coquette to the very core
already. She had inherited all the disposi-
ton and qualities of her mother, cele-
brated beauty in her day. In other respects
Rena Crocker was decidedly young lady
of the period. Very certainly she belonged
to her times in her resolution to get well
married, that is to say, to some person Of
wealth and station. Both together if pos
sible, but the former preferably. And
then to enjoy herself at the utmost swing
of fashionable dissipation and luxury for
the remainder of her existence.
"I don't see how it would be any harm"
continued Rena, Gas wouldn't do any
thing but read it, and there's no knowing
how it might be tampered with by that
rascally cousin of mine before it is re ad
next Saturday. 1 imagine grandfather
left the bulk of his property to me, but
there's no telling what notion the old fool
may have got into his head"
Rena was alone in her chamber. To
think was to act with her. She knew that
will, drawn up and signed by the old
man year before his death, was in desk
in the dingy old library. She had often
seen it, and wondered what were the con-
tents so closely sealed from her eyes. 1t
was dusk, and as she stole along through
the dreary hall she half relented, and finally
paused on the very threshold of the room
she was seeking. Then chiding herself
for her weakness, she stole in, got the key
of her grandfather's desk, and opened the
drawer. There lay the will, sealed as she
had often seen it.
"But I'm no better off than before, y
she muttered. 81 can't open it."
1t was useless to peep into its fold
only detached words could be seen. But
Rena was not inclined to be baffied in hel
curiosity. And she was as fertile in re
sources as the widest of her sex. Light
ing gas jet she warmed the large wa'
seal Then with the blade of pocket knift
she carefully loosened it. 1t was done
The document lay open before her He
eyes rapidly devoured its contents, anc
her cheeks paled with anger.
"The miserable old dotard ~ she cri
ed.
The cause of her displeasure was til,
unpleasant and surprising fact that he
grandfather had not left her solitar
cent. Every particle Of his ample fortun
went to Horace Wharton. Her first motiv
was to destroy the will; but secon
thought detained her. She feared tn
consequences of such an act. Agai
slightly heating the seal she reafixed it i
its place, replaced the will in the drawe
and went back 20 her room.
After the first gust of rage had somt
what subsideG she sat down to quietl
think the matter over. There seemed br
one way to retain any portion Of the TO
tune, and that was by marrying her cousi
Horace. She hated him heartily yet ht
vanity had always told her that he admire
her. She knew her beauty, and over-est
mated its effect upon her stolid kinsman.
"But five days remain before the opel
ing of the WILL" she mused, "before thi
time must lure Horace into an offer
marriage"
About tho time that Rena was gainir
her surreptitious knowledge of the col
tents of the will, her wealthy cousin Ho
ace was seeking after precisely2similar il
formation. Betaking himself to the Off,
of Harmon Nesbit the lawyer who ha
been intrusted mainly with the legal bus
ness of his grandfather, he found that ge
tleman alone. He knew something Of ii
lawyers character and at once proceed'
to business.