Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-02-28
R0LLIN WEST'S WILL.

wen, declare
Miss Chlrrup was always "declar-
mg-might be said, indeed, to be in
the indicative mood, was verb intransi-
tive unless the notes of admiration with
which she invariably followed it might
be taken to be its object.
Well, [ declare" said Miss Chirrup.
in shrill whisper.
:" Did you ever ?" said Miss Chirk, in
another.
1t was Rollin Vests will that the two
were discussing. 1t was very brief and
explicit. Z" bequeath my entire estate,
real and personal, to my niece, Ruth
Morgan" with date, signature, and at
testation, was all that there was of it.
The Misses Chirrup and Chirk were
too distantly related to the testator to
have entertained any considerable hope
on their own account. A trihing re-
mlndcr, IN reference to family etiquette,
was as much as either had right to ex-
pect. But that Rollin West should
have left his whole fortune to one of
his nleces, to the exclusion of the other.
whom everybody had supposed to be his
favorite, took more than the Misses
Chirrup and Chuk by surprise.
Mr.. West had been for many wears a
widowcr. His children had all died in
infancy, and a couple of orphaned
meces, cousins to each other, and reared
under his roof, constituted his house
hold. That his fortune should be left
to them equally, was a point people took
Tor granted; but should any discrimina-
ton be made between them, nobody
would have hesitated to say it would be
IN favor of Mllly Granger, her uncle's
pet, whose blithesome smiles he had
been wont to call the sunlight of his
life.
Milly's loving heart was too full of
sorrow at her uncles death, and of
gratitude for his kindness in bvgone
years, to leave room for any feeling of
reproach at his last unaacountable act,
which the Misses Chirrllp and Chirk so
earnestly protested against.
An elderly maiden aunt came to live
with the two young ladies' and the
household remained unbroken. Except
the changes caused by the vacancy in
their home, the lives of Ruth aud NIilly
continued as bofore.
1t was not till the cousins had re-
sumed their places in society that Millv
began to notice the difference made nv
her altered prospects. 1t was Ruth
now, and notherself, that was the center
of attraction.
To be rid of the common herd of fops
and to be no longer pestered by their
silly tlattery, Milly felt was thing to
be thrukful for. But when OrviIle
kyors TUNED his back upon her, and
joined the ranks of her cousins adj
nllrers, she must have been other than
woman not to feel it.
Mr., Ryors was the pet beau of Billing
oaie' Handsome i'll person, accomplished
IN manners, and of fascinating address,
ne was not one whose attentions were
hkely to prove distasteful in any quart
er, and when they were directed toward
Mllly Granger in manner sufficiently
marked to excite no small degree of en-.
Wy, we may not be surprised if, instead
OF repeillng, she just little encouraged
them.
1T would have required close,
analysis than MilIy had ever made OF
her feelings to show her how little she
cared for MIR. Ryors, and how much she
cared for Arthur Warren, whom She
had known and liked since thev had
played and, sometimes, uuarrelied TO-
gether lp childhood. But Arthur S self
ezau' lation had gone deeper. He de