The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-07-29
Rollin Vests Will.

We'll. declare!
Miss Chirrup was always declaring y
might be said, indeed, to be in the in
dicative mood Declare, we may add, in
her idiom. was a verb intransitive. unless
the note of admiration with which she in.
variably followed it might be taken to be
its object.
Well | declare y said Miss Chirrup,in
a shrill whisper.
Did you erer p replied Miss Chirk, IN
another.
1t was Rollin Vests will that the two
we're discussing. 1t was very brief and
explicit. i bequeath my entire estate,
real and personal, to my niece, Ruth
Morgan with date, signature, and attes.
tation, was all there was Of il.
The Misses Chrrup and Chirk were
200 distau,y related to the testator to
have entertained any considerable hope
on their own account. A trifing remind
e., in deiercn,e to family etiquette, was
as much as either had u right to expect
But that Rolin West should have left his
whole fortune to one of his neces. to the
exclusion Of the other, whom everybody
had supposed to be his favorte, took more
than the Misses Chirrup and Chirk by
surprise
Mr. West had been for many years a
widower His children had all died in
infancy, and couple of orphaned nieces,
cousins to each other, and reared under
his roof, constituted his household. That
his large fortune would be left to them
equally, was point people took for
granted but should any discrimination
be made between them, nobody would
have hesitated to say it would be in ia.
vor of Nlllic Granger. her uncle's pet.
whose blIhesome smiles he had been wont
to call the sunlight of his life.
Miles loving heart was too full of
sorrow at her unce's death, and of graft.
tude for his loving kindness in bygone
years, to leave room for any feeling of re-
proach at his last unnaccountable act,
which the Misses Chirrup and Chirk 50
earnestly protested against.
An elderly maiden aunt came to live
with the two young ladies, and the house
hold remained unbroken. Except the
changes caused by the vacancy in their
home, the lives of Ruth and Milie con.
tinued as before.
1t was not till the cousins had resumed
their places 10 society that Millie began
to notice the difference made by her al.
tered prospects. 1t was Ruth now, and
not herself, that was the center of attrac.
tion.
To be rid Of the common herd of fops
and TO bo no lonsor poetorod by their silly
fattery, Milie felt was thing to be
thankful for. But when Orville Ryor,
turned bis back upon her, and joined the
ranks Of her cousins admirers, she must
have been other than woman not to fee
it.
Mr.. Ryors was the pet beau Of Billing
, dale. Handsome in person, accomplished
in manners, and of fascinating address, h,
was not one whose attentions were likely
to prove distastefu in any quarter, and
when they were directed toward Millit
Granger in a manner sufficiently marked
to excite no small degree of envy, W
need pot be surprised if, instead of repel
ling, she just little encouraged them.
1t would have required closer analy
sis than Millie had ever made of her feel
ings to show her how little she real
cared for Mr.. Ryors, and how much sh
cared for Arthur Warrep, whom she ha
, known and liked since they had playe
and sometimes, quarreled together i
childhood. But Arthur's self-examins
tion had gone deeper. Ho devoted
loved Millie, and kne,o it. If he ha
never said SO outright, it was from me
tives of delicacy prompted by the diffel
ence of their positions. She was pro-
pective heiress he was without fortune
and void Of expectations, save those who's
realization depended on himself.
Having never spoken out, it may |
that Arthur Warren had no right to ie
aggrieved by the attentions paid by Nj
Ryors to Millie. He should have n
membered that young gentlemen WI
have nothing TO say for themselves al
not privileged TO stand 10 the way
others who have.
But Arthur was not reasonable. II
was not even candid. He quarrelled vii