South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-03-12
Whilst thou lies. warm at home. secure and safe,

4 III oSstci VI WOISe.
'For worse, think" said Tom.
flush, hush, dear! None love SO
well as those who have suffered together.
Some day we shall tell all this to our
grandchildren when we are rich & pros
porous, how grandmma and grandpapa
lived in one miserable little room, and
dined off bony fish and weak tea :" and
Lima laughed merrily.
you are downright angel from hea-
ven to me, Lima" he said, his voice full
of emotion.
Nonsense, dear Tn a very ordi.
nary little mortal and your loving wife,
that's ALL
Heaven bless you. darling but it
| is dark"
"The darkest hour is always nearest
dawn" said Lima. ..IIark what's that?'
rs heavy footstep was heard ascending
the stairs.
Its that COMPOUNDED old mother
Croucher after her money, as she calls
1t, again." cried Tom, irascibly. There,
L told you so,'' as sudden knock came
to the door,
1t was Mrs. Croucher, indeed but not
after her rent. In her hand she held
large blue packet, sealed with tre-
mendous black seal. AS she flung it
down disdainfully on the table, she said
with snort:
Some folks has fine friends as seals
their letters with coat of arms. It's
a pity as some folks don't get their
fine friends to pay an honest woman
her rent"
And with another snort she departed.
| ho 4
Tom turned the letter over and over
in his hand, and examined the seal. az.
ter the foolish fashion most of us have
OF mastering whom n letter in an un.
known hand can come from, when the
simple process of breaking the seal
would solve the mystery.
1T looks like lawyers letter" he
said
But we don't owe anybody anything.
do we?' exclaimed his wife. anxiously.
Not silver, except to that old har-
Ply, Mother Croucher.'
/ And he tore open the seal.
"Halloa! What's this?" he cried. rs
he ran his eye down the sheet of blue
woven paper. Can believe my eyes?
| IIurrahn ~
''Oh, what is it dear?" said poor Lima,
white and trembling. rs she sat down
again on her chair, from which she had
arisen.
Darling; it's all GOOD news. Lis
ten And he read cut:
''BEDFoRD Row, July To-
"To Thomas Harrison, Esq lately employed
in the firm of Chisei & Grasp, Minories.
"From Messrs. Bothermau and Dodgett
] t,w AZ l.
by the decease of our client, Mrs. Rebecca Sturt
and by her will, as duly proved by us at Doc
| tors Commons, we are empowered 10 make over
TO you forthwith the of Two thousand
pounds, three per cent. cons6ls.
AN early call at our Office, with view to an
Immediate settlement OF this little matter, will
oblige, sir, your obedient servants,
"8OTHERMAN, rODGETT & CO."
This little matter" murmured Lima.
but who is Mrs. Sturt, Tom, dear?"
II haven't the least idea, except that
she was jolly old brick
IF It should be hoax suggested his
wife, faltcringly.
Tom turned pale, but said resolutely:
"Oh it can't be that Its all right.
Look Mt what they say about lately en-
/ ployed iii the firm of Chisel & Grasp
/ Besides, the seal bears the name of Both.
erman d Dodgett, an eminent firm of
| lawyers
The seal certainly did so; for it was
only Mrs. Croucher's ignorance or spite.
or possibly inability TO read. which had
converted the name Of the firm into a
coat of arms.
| you'll go TO Bedford Row tomorrow
at ten o'clock, won't you DEAR" asked
| Lima.
cor course I shall, pet. shan't rest
till know about it one way or the other"
ooh, how l wish it were tomorrow
morning" sighed his wife.
At ten o'clock next day Mr.. Thomas
/ Harrison was closeted with Messrs. Both
erman & Dodgett in the private room Of
their Office in Bedford Row. There was
no sort OF difficulty in proving his iden-
/ THY, and the lawyers quite conclusiyely
/ demonstrated that, however rich and &c.
centric Mrs. Rebecca Sturt might have
been, she was a woman Of good sound
sense. and Of remarkable business ca
pacity.
"She remembered you quite we'll. Mr..
/ Harrison said tho senior member OF
the Grin, although you seem to have
( quite forgotten her
II must confess, sir" said Tom. with
] puzzled look, that never remember
/ knowing any one Of the name"
ala ha - laughed Dodgett. chat Is
because. though You knew the lady. YOU
/ did not know the name"
We'll, we'll" put in Mr. Bothcrman.
I'VE won't puzzle you any more. sir
Here is copy Of our clients will You
can read IL. Mr.. Harrison"
Tom did 50. From the will it appear.
ed that Mrs. Sturt. on the occasion OF a
visit to Chisel & Grasp, who were her
brokers, had, on stepping from her car
riage, trodden on piece Of orange peel.
sprained her ankle. and pushed into the