Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-08-07
THE FORGED WILL.

folded his hands tightly across his breast
and turned a shade palcr than usual; then
/ slight trcmor ran through his frame, and
ne repcatsd his wor Is this time giving
them more stress than before;
''Ycs, it is done :"
"Wel 1T was but ono little word,
and only one syllable, and it was spoken at
his side, and in such an authoritative tone
it made his very teeth chatter in his head
and his finger tips grow cold. although
it was midsummer -"wcll Meredith ?"
And now small white hand was laid,
not gently, upon his arm, and the speaker
turned and looked into her companions
face.
"Ill-I'll tell you!" he whispered,
turning still paler. "See-see this ~ and
he drew from his pocket thin muslin
sunhat, and making an effort to pull
it into shape, held it before the face
of his companion. know you this ?' he
asked
"Yes; but what of that? 1t tells mo
nothing she replied.
"Oh, will you thus mercilcssly force me
to relate this tale o" horror, Arabclla :"
he cried. "rhen know he added after y
short pauSe, during which he tore the sum
hat into strips and cast it into the sea-
"then know that l saw the little boat rid
ing upon the waves US it was driftcd fur
thcr and further out, and then swallowed
I'll, &c l.,
respect-from the boat, as it went down,
tn re came Il long, Wild shrek, which still
rings in my ears!'' he fairly hisscd, clap
ping his hands over his elrs, as though he
would shut out the memory Of some horri-
Bio deed.
"Hu>h, Meredith! l do believe there
is somebody hiding behind that rock, whis-
perel his companion.
at is but the roar of the sea-" he re-
Piled. 1--WE shall, fear ArlbelLl, always
imagine that there is somebody near us, "
he added in a husky tone.
Arabclla Anderson and Meredith Weston
were, as the reader has doubtless OWNED,
clyaged lovers. II had been, however,
Only conditional up to the present time.
! Ar2hclla had made the conditions such that
for months Meredith had refused to listen
10 them; but finally he had become so
much enamorcl OF her, that he had agreed
to abide by them, and promised, should he
/ fail to accomplish what she desired, to
, leave the country at once, and never to re-
! tr,H.. Fortune-or misfortune more prop
! crly speak iu1-i.ad th@oNn them tog,t ,thcr
IA IL manner which rendered daily inter
, con Sc someNh hat aceess my. Arabclla was
4 distant relative, but hired companion, to
an cl tvrly widow laiy of fortune, whilst
/ Meredith Weston was also distant re-
/ .st.y- oi tue late Ms WintocK, the lady's
deceased husband, AMI be.n.; q fAvorite
! viii. tart gentleman in his Lifetime, had been
! selected by Lis wi,,ow rs .. sort OF contidcn-
! tiAl business man; and being a young man,
and without family, had by her request
t.tkcr up his abode at W;Htock Park, and
the Old ltly lad become quite fond of him,
as also had she of her companion, who had
been with her even t4iorc the death of her
! husbnd; aud in fact she treated them
! both Ike children. T.:ey were always
with her In summer they would leave
Wintock ptrk, which WAS situated in
MonMoutnshire and retire to a small but
cosy retreat at the ae;.sil-; and here they
had been for seycr,t. weeks, at the time of
which we write.
A few weeks previous to leaving the park,
as Mrs. Wintock's S residence WAS generally
termed, that lady had stated her intention
to her confidential relative of making u
will, but had failed, however, to do 80.
She had put it of, she laughingly said,
from time to time, on account Of a SUPER
stitious dread of such things. But after
they mad got well settled in their summer
retreat, she had Meredith draw up the
document according TO her dictation, and
having signed it, took it before IA notary
! and h I'd it leSaiizei. Tlis viii give Ara
bella Il small annuity as long as she re-
NAMED single and ut her marriage u we'd
/ ding present of 4 hundred pounds; whilst
| thousand pounds, to be paid within one
year after her death Arabella had not
even been called in to witness the will, as
Mrs. Wmtock wished that she should not
know of it, and SO the gardener AMI upper
houseinaid had appended their names to
! the l-e4mont, knowing nothing of its con-
tents.
/ Now Arabella, having seen the will, the
existence Of which Meredith felt bound TO
acluant her with, became enraged that
She had not been more generously rcmem-
beroi. and kuowing her influence over her
, lover, had no struples about eX2rting it to
it's fullest extent, sac had promised some
months previous. to marry Meredith. pro-
,idoG ne would agree TO aid her in putting
Mrs. Wintock '',ut of the way" us she
called it, aad i'll FORGING II viii winch would
give 10 them, on condition they married
, together, the bulk of her property. The
present will instead Of giving it to them
as they desired, had given the larger
part to Il nephew, an oticer III the Indian
service.
This is much easier to manage now,
Merciith." she said, having pcrused the
document. Here it is, even drawn up by