The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-09
vIarian,s Fortune.

George Hallowel, of Elmsboro', died at
the age of eighty, worth 100000. Peo-
pie generally thought he had lived very
long time; but they could not deny the
fact that he had improved the time, and
got together very respectable fortune.
Early in his young manhood he had mar
ried Estelle Cleaves, the daughter of a
poor actor; and some incongruity of taste
or temper-nobody knew which, for Hal
lowell kept his own secrets, and death long
ago had sealed the lips of his wifc-had
separated them after about ten months of
married life.
The wife had gone forth nobody knew
whittier, and Iallowell had lived on in his
sour, crusty, and monotonous life in the
old home, where he was born, and where
before him were born his father and grand
father.
He never went into society, he received
no company, he had TO friends, and it was
great wonder to whom he would give his
property when he was dead.
And when the announcement came that
the Old man was gone, every one pricked up
his or her ears, and the wonder grew.
Three old servants-nearly as old as HIM
Self-a man and two women, had always
been with him, and constituted the only
family he had.
The only male servant was named Gill
bert and in his hands Mr.. IIallowell had
left his will,
The funeral was largely attended by the
whole neighborhood; and at its close, Gill
bert requested all those interested to remain
and hear the will read.
Of course, in matter like this, every
body was interested, and old Gilbert had a
good audience.
Socnrs rna1 tl,is ,r;lI I, eoo,,e
he had drawn it up year before for the
testator. Divested of its formaities, it
bequeathed handsome life annuities to each
of the three servants, two thousand pounds
10 each of the two churches in the village.
two hundred pounds for the support of Jim,
a large striped cat, which the old man held
in high regard, and all the rest of the prop
erty-houses, lands, stocks and money
was bequeathed, without reserve, to Ma
ian Esterly, the village school mistress
They were all stricken dumb with aston
shmcnt, and Miss Esterly was. perhaps,
more surprised than any Of them
a few words in pencil, in old IIalowell's
own handwriting, on the margin of the
will, explained his reason for this DISPOSE
ton of the property:
81 have been with nobody"-so ran the
marginal eference-''and people have look.
w hpOh lnc hS DciHp utstltutt hl inc AT
tributes of humanity, and it was my own
fault. l make no complaint. Only one OF
all my town people have seen deep ougl
below the surface to surmise that
old IIallowell might have feelings of hi.
own, and she has never passed me without
kind good day. And once when pass
ed by her little garden, she gave me
bunch of pansies. One / loved in you'll
was fond of pansies / think of her alwayi
when see them. And so, as Marion Est
erly has treated me as if had a soul,
bequeath to her the property which it ba
taken me lifetime to gather, and MAJ
heaven bless her in its possession"
All the villagers were jealous of Mis-
Esterly and all thought she had been very
well repaid for few kind words and
bunch of pansies. But no one could dis
pute old Hallowel's right to do as he chos,
with his own; and so the poor school
mistress passed peaceably into possession
Miss Esterley was an orphan, twenty
three years of age, tall and fine looking
and with more character than is general,
given to one individual. Now that she ha,
the power, she asserted herself grandly.
The Hallowell home place was put un
der a series of valuable Improvement
which soon changed its entire aspect. De
caying trees were cut down, fresh youn
ones were planted, a spacious flower garden
with extensive graperies and greenhouses
hourished where had been only a stretc
of dismal heath; the stock in the stabl
was overhauled, and great changes made
and Hallowell House was rebuilt and re
modelled until 1t was the finest residence i
the country around