Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-01-21
gu Original sturg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
Z A N ITA,
THE CIRCUS GIRL.
BY MRS. HENRY DEAS
CHAPTER VII.


been frustrated by DR.. Hartwell's entrance.
It was written in a remarkably plain hand,
and was not very long. This much she saw
at glance. So much the better, as 1t would
take her but short time to find out what she
desired to know. With feversh haste she
ran her eye over all the tiresome preliminary
part till it lit on the various bequests.
They were few in number. First, to his
dear brother, John Blandford, all of his real
estate, comprising some valuable houses in the
city of New York, and his country residence,
Silverlake, with all goods and chattels belong
ing to the same: the latter residence to belong
to him only on condition of the non-reappear-
ance of his loug-lost child Caroline; in the
event of whose recovery, at any future time,
it was to revert wholly and absolutely to her.
Also, the sum of one hundred thousand dol
lars, in various securities. To his dear sister,
Emily Blandford, some valuable diamonds
and other heirlooms, and two very elegant
paintings, copies Of orig ginals by Guido. Io
his brother Johns adopted daughter, Estelle.
now known as Estelle Bandford, the sum of
ten thousand dollars, as slight testimonial
of his warm regard for her, and gratitude for
the kindness and fidelity with which she had
ministered to him during his long and trying
illness. Then followed certain smaller lega-
cies to friends and dependents, at which Es-
tele scarcely glanced. She had seen all that
concerned her.
Ten thousand dollars! Was that all
She was wofully disappointed. She had
not acknowledged to herself, before, how large
a sum she had expected but with her knowl-
edge of uncle Dicks immense wealth, vague
ideas of some wonderful, halffabulous be-
quest, such as would make her rank foremost
among the richest heiresses in the country. had
foated through her mind And now these
lofty dreams were dissipated, and she was
brought down from their airy heights to the
depths of little, paltry reality. Ten thous-
and dollars! What was such a sum as that,
out of the treasures with which the old mans
Golfers were overAowing? Had he been only
moderately rich, it would have done we'll
enough. Then, no doubt, she would have
been satisfied with it; nay, more than that,
she would have been thankful. But now she
was not thankful she was wretchedly disap'
pointed and thoroughly vexed. Was it for
this that she had shaved for weeks and months
in the sick-room, deprivng herself of air and
exercise, and losing her flesh and color, as she
knew she had-though she could never boast
much of either-and yielding herself to the
whims and caprices of fretful invalid? For
this! Why, could she have foreseen such a
result she would never have come on to the
North at all .! So she told herself, in her an
ger; but the truth was, she would have made
much longer journey, and endured much
greater discomfort, for the attainment of this
sum. 1t was not really that she scorned the
mouey-she, a pennless orphan, dependent
drop of kindred blood, for even the common
necessaries of life-but it was the discrepancy
between the amount, and the grandeur Of her
anticipations, which so irritated her.
She tied up the will again-she was afraid
to keep it open too long-and took up the
one of older date.
81 must look at this before burn it, she
said to herself "and see what changes have
been made in it."
She had not read far before she became
aware of one startling difference. In the be-
quests to Mr.. John Blandford, no mention
was made of Silverlake at all.
Eagerly she scanned each succeeding line,
until she came, at last, to her own name.
Suddenly a half:checked, involuntary cry
escaped her lips not loud enough, fortunate
ly, to be heard by any one in another part of
the house. The blood rushed in torrent to
her face she trembled violently, and her ag-
itation seemed nearly to stife her breath.
Siluerlake ,vas bequeathed to her.
eyes; there it stood, in unmistakable black
tensive and valuable domains, probably, in
4l.o al TO hor of
a time, too, when the testator was in perfect
soundness of mind and in much better bodily
health than when the second document had
been prepared. For what reason had the be-
quest been withdrawn and that inferior one
substituted? Had any one-had Mr.. John
Blandford, for misunderstanding aware of
his brothers intention, represented to him
the inexpediency of allowing so rich an estate
to pass out of the family? But even then,
had it been his desire to make her so large a
gift, why had he not left her sum more ade-
quate to supply its place?
"He has been tampered with" she muttered,
fercely clenching her small hands until the
nails hurt her flesh. "There has been foul
play But III not endure it-no no, will
have my rights Changed his mind! Why
should he change his mind? He has got
fonder and fonder of me, instead of liking me
less. I believe that last will was dictated to
him poor, idiotic old creature No doubt, the
LAWYER received instructions from home. Car
rie, indeed What foly-as if Carrie could
ever come back. She's dead and gone, ages
ago. That's just nice trick for father to get
it into his own hands. Of course, he doesn't
want me to have it. |, beggar-a nobody !;
T wbo boya eaton the bread Of charity for q
dozen years. must not be allowed now to hold
my head too high. The heiress of fSilverlake! !!
Why, the best men in the country would be
at my feet! suppose it's worth millions of
money"-she had very vague idea of the
actual value Of real estate-"and instead of
that, am to take miserable ten thousand ;
and suppose every one will expect me to: be
supremely thankful for the favor. No doubt,
they'd consider FIVE hundred a magnificent
amount for me e! But I'll be even with them,
see if am not. / won't be dccranded in this
shameful way!'
She threw the will on the table, and COM
menced to pace up and down the room, rap
idly, excitedly, still with vivid crimson spot
burning in each cheek. Wild and feverish
thoughts, eager desires, vague schemes of ven-
geance, surged through her brain. How could
She accomplish the end which she had in
view?
Suddenly tempting voice whispered in her
Nothing could be easier than to burn the
wrong viH"
She had been charged to burn one how
readily might she substitute the other Who
would know? There was no chance OF de-.