New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-10-17

fathers livid face and halt-closed eyes was
sufficient He was no more
From the moment of my fathers death
Hannah's manner to me changed entirely,
She became deferential and subdued, and
asked my authority for every thng she did.
l was the master now, she told me.
Before l went to bed that night the
woman who came to do the last offices for
the dead brought ME bunch of keys.
"They were clenched up in his fingers" she
told me. The strong box that was in my
fathers room l permitted to remain there;
bat | locked the room and put the key in
| my pocket. Despite my anxiety to know
how his property had been disposed of, l
| was determined to act with due form and
| deliberation.
MIR. Bruf came next morning with two
tall, bouv gentlemen, in black dress suits,
| Mr.. Bruf informed me that he had copy
| OF my fathers will. under which these gem
| temen were appointed executors. They
We're cousins of mine, and honest straight
| forward men, and l made no objection to
their taking the management of affairs,
being glad indeed to be relieved of all re-
| sponsioility. l handed to them my fathers
keys, and told them what he had said as to
the will. They found an envelope indorsed
| MY last Will and Testament in nv fathers
| handwriting and took it away with them
not intending to disclose it's contents till
after the funeral. No alteration was made
in the household, except that Bridget, the
housemaid. was sent off by Mrs. Hannah,
her services being no long ar required.
The day of the funeral was cold and
snowy. and the drive to the distant church
yard dismal in the extreme NV uncle
was there, the dissenting minister from
York, and three more tall, bony Yorkshire
cousins as well as the two executors. The
will was read after we came back. 1t bore
date about year previously. All my
fathers property was left to trustees, the
five hony men, in trust TO pay an annuity
of fS00. for the term OF her natural life, to
Hannah BrOokbauk, the housekeeper, pro-
vded that should she marry after the ties.
tator's death the legacy should be null and
void, and merge in the residue of the estate.
Hannah was to have the house, too, for her
life, on the same conditions. ether, to
pay to his son, Richard Hargrave, an an
nuity OF flOO, with proviso that should
the said Richard at any time sleep for three
consecutive nights at any place distant
more than six miles from Halton Cross, or
more than seven nights in all during any
one year, the annuity should cease and de-
termine, and go to increase the annuity of
Hannah Brookbank. The residue was to
accumulate during the lives of Hannah
Brookbank and Richard Hargrave or till
the determination of both their interests,
and was then to be divided among testator's
next of kin.
My uncle cried that the will was most
Ubiquitous one, and that it must be upset:
but the five bony cousins shook their heads
and said that law was law. and must be
stood by" These five cousins, it may be
said, were to receive each of them five
gu guineas a veal, for managing the estate.
They or their descendants would be the
next of kin also who would finally inherit
the property, unless married and had chill
dren. Thus there was no danger of the pro.
visions of the will falling into allegiance,
Hannah was interested in keeping watch
upon me- the trustees were also interested
in looking after both.
To me the situation was extremely cruel.
l was confined for all my life it seemed, on
a wretched pittance, TO the dull precincts of
this most hateful place. True, could re-
nounce the bequest, but what was to turn
to l was beyond the age at which youths
are put to any business. | had no means
of my own; no chance of making a liveli-
hood in any one way.
Even my uncle, after his first heat was
over, confessed that he thought ought to
take up my annuity and comply with it's
conditions. There was livelihood for me
here; elsewhere l should probably starve.
So he eaid as he took leave of me, for he
was obliged to start at once in order to
reach home that night.
The five bony men departed, having
80 ~ Nv SoAOhe VI cttOuR dlo anu ttupllbu
five bottles of funeral port. They had also
consumed round of cold beef and huge
York ham. Each one shook hands with me
sOlemnly as he went out. Eye nun abide
by't, Dick" the first one had said as he de-
parted, and the four others repeated the
same formula. Yes, must abide by it,
there was no doubt of that; but what lot
to look forward to!
The lawyer remained behind. He came
to me as | sat BY the fire gloomily brooding
over past and future, and put his hand
cheerlly upon my shoulder. you mustn't ]
despond, my dear sir," he said. st seems
hard, this disposition of the property, but
you must remember elderly people are like
children in their affection for those about
them and their speedy forgetfulness of the
absent. Take my advice, and keep on good
terms with Hannah. She is good creature
at heart. She will be very glad, she tells |
me, that you should remain here at present"
1t was hard enough to have to listen to |
this-to be told that might remain on sui. |
ferance in house that had been my fathers |
and that ought to have been mine
II shall leave here tonight" replied. |
trying to assume an indifferent tome ~ |
can sleep at the inn, and l won't intrude |
upon Mrs. Brookbank's griefs" Saying |
thus, went out, slammlng the door heavily |
behind me, and took my way through the |
village street, intending to have long walk |
over the moors, that l might be alone to
wrestle with my own thoughts, and to try |
to strike out some way of life that should |
save me from dull, broOding despair.
couldn't help thinking very bitterly of |
nv father, who had done me this cruel in
Jury, who had 80 cunningly planned to tie me
down to way of life l detested. There |
was crafty malignity about the disposition |
Of his wealth that struck me with astonish-
ment: What an evil man he must have
been |" l could not help saying to myself. |
And yet perhaps in disposition he was no
different from myself This lonely seclu-
sion had soured his blood Just such
another morbid, wretched creature should
become in this aecursed prison house.
As was passing one OF the cottages an
arm stretched itself forth from the door and
plucked me by the sleeve. l turned and
saw that it was Sarah, who was beckoning
me to come IN.
"Well, lad" she cried eagerly, as
stepped inside, "whats been done with the
"6h,' 1 said, bitterly, "Hannah gets
everything; only pitifui flOO a year"
my zOOdness!" she cried; "the brutee.
have they treated you like that? And
what'n you do! You'll have the law of
Dickf"
'HOw can take the law of theml I've
10 money for that, even If it were any good,
what's more, muatn't be away from here
more than three nights at once"
"Eh, it's shameful" cried Sarah. "But
lever mind, my lad, they shan't have it all
heir own way. Well fettle 'em yet"
But what Sarah could do, or how in any
,ossioie way my enemies were to be fettled,
could not conceive.
CHAPTER II.