Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-04-17
SELECTED STORY
COOLING N VIM.

L
for me to know what is in that will
The speaker was bright, handsome
girl of seventeen-Rena Crocker-the
granddaughter Of rich old Stephen
Croker, whose death day or two be
fore had brought sorrow to few hearts.
Two grandchildren-Horace Warton
and Reha-were hi; only relatives, and
constituted his family. Horace was as
mean OF act and di position as the old
man himself. Rena was beauty, and
an amiable girl, whsl she chose. There
certainly were Intervals when pride and
disdain were her more marked, charac-
teristics, but Rena's eyes were her
grand irresistibility. Talk of diamonds!
the flash and play of those wondrous
living gems offered something infinitely
more l,tstrously changeable. 1t was,
however, brilliancy as restless, as
little to he caught and fathomed, as
the bright vagaries of a JACKIE lantern
on a wall. Young as she was, Rena
was worldly minded coquette to the
very core already. She had inherited
all the disposition and qualities of her
mother, a celebrated 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 we'll
married; that is to say, to some person
of wealth and station-both together,
if possible, but the former preferable,
and then to enjoy herself at the utmost
swing of fashionable, dissipation and lux
ury for the remainder of her existence.
81 don't see how it would be any
HARM" continued Rena, ''as L wouldn't
do anything but read it, and there is no
knowing how it might be tempered
with by that rascally cousin of'lnine be-
fore it is read next Saturday. l mag
inc grandfather left the bulk Of his pro-
perty 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 acs' with her. She knew
that will drawn up and signed by the
old man year before his death was in
the dingy old library. She had often
seen it, and wondered what were the
contents so closely sealed from her eyes.
1t was dusk, and as she stole along
through their dreary hall, she relented,
and finally paused on the very TIRES
hold of the room she was seeking.
Then, Gliding herself for her weakness,
she stole in, got the key Of her grand
fathers desk, and opened the drawer.
There lay the will sealed, as she had
often seen it.
"But I'm no better of than before, :"
she nuttered;; 81 can't open it.,
1t was no use to peep into its folds
only detached words could be seen.
But Rena was not inclined to be baffied
in her curiosity. And she was as
fertile in herresource as the whilst of
her sex. Lighting gas jet, she
warmed the large wax seal; then with
the blade Of pocket-knife, she care
fully lossened it. 1t was done; the do
cument lay open before herl Her eyes
rapidly devoured its contents, and her
cheeks paled with anger.
'The miserable old dotard!' she
cried.a
The cause of her displsasure was the
unpleasant and surprising fact that her
grandfather had not left her q solitary
cent. Every; 'psftpfe ofhis SIMPLE for
tune, went to Horace Warton, Her
first motive was to destroy the will;
but second thought detained herIshe
feared the consequences of such All act.
Again slightly heating the seal, she
reafixed It in its place, replaced the
will in the drawer, and went back to
her room.
After the first gust ofrage had sub
sided, she sat down to quietly think the
mattel over. There seemed to 1'be but
one way to regain any portion Of the
property, and that was BY marrying
her cousin Horace. She hated him
heartily. but her vanity had always
told her that he admired her. She
knew her beauty, and oyerestimated Its
affect upon her stolid cousin.
n But Ave days remain before the op
sI0;n6 Of the WILL" she unused, s'before
chat time / must lure Horace into an
Offer of marriage
Aboatt :h time that Rena wa, gain
ING haf = i11fIrspkitions knowledge Of the
4fll - q cousin Horace was seek
= II s 6aine inforrnxfS IN