The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-07-21

heavy eyellds thaI shrouueu Ihem. lHe
mouth was spiritual in expression. the lips
thin; but the face was lacking in one quail
ity, lacking which, it lacked the power
which is the highest form of manly beau>
ty; and that quality was determination.
He sat drumming it'll his white, taper
fingers upon the table, and looking down,
with gloomy shade upon his handsome
forehead.
The scene was alawyer's Office in Gray's
Inn. There was third person present,
an elderly lady, rather faded beauty in
appearance, and very much dressed. She
took no part in the conversation, but sat
in an easy chair by the blazing fire, turn
ing over the crisp sheets of the Times news
paper, which, every time she moved them,
emitted sharp, cracking sound, unpleas-
ant to the nervous temperaments of the
younger lady and the gentleman.
The gentleman was a solicitor, Horace
Margrave, the guardian of the young lady,
and executor to her uncle's will. Her
name was Ellinor Arden; she was sole
helress and residuary Iegatee to her uncle,
John Arden, of the park and village of
Arden, in Northamptonshire; and she had
this very day come ofage. Mr.. Margrave
had been the trusted and valued friend OF
her father, dead ten years before, and OF
her uncle, only lately dead; and Ellinor
Arden had been brought up to think that
If there were truth, honesty, or friendship
upon earth, those three attributes were
ceEtered in the person of Horace Mar
grave, solicitor, of Gray's Inn.
He is to-day endeavoring to explain and
to reconcile her to the conditions of her
uncle's will, which are rather peculiar.
'In the first place, my dear Ellinor,
he says, still drumming on the table, still
looking at his desk, and not at her, "you
had no particular right to expect to bC
your uncle, John Arden, of Arden's
heiress."
81 was his nearest relation" she said.
"Granted; but that was no reason why
you should be dear to him. Your father
and he, after the amiable fashion of broth
erly love in this very Christian country
were almost strangers to each other fol
the best part of their lives. You, you
uncle never saw, for your father lived OF
his wife's small property in the North O
Scotland, and you were brought up in tina
remote region until your fathers death
which took place ten years ago; after you
fathers death you were sent to Paris, t.
be there educated under the surveillanc
OF your aunt, and you therefore neve
made the acquaintance of John Arden, Q
Arden, your fathers only brother"
S my father had such horror Of beini
misinterpreted; had he sought to make hi
daughter known to his rich brother,
might have been thought"
THAT he wanted to get that rich broth
er's money. Itmight have been thought
Ny dear girl, it would have been though
Your father acted with the pride of th
S Northamptonshire Ardens; he acted lilS
a high-minded English gentlemen; and h
acted, in the eyes of the world, like foo
: You never, then, expected to inherit you
. uncle's money!
o Never Nor did ever wish it. NJ
IS mothers little fortune would have bee
: enough for me-"
e 81 wish to heaven you had never had
penny beyond itr'
r As Horace Margrave said these fe
N words, the listless shadows on his fat
IS swept away for moment, and revealt
, settled gloom, painful to look upon.
d He so rarely spoke on any subject wha
IS ever in tone of real earneerness, that E
= linor Arden, startled by the change in b
manner, looked up at him suddenly al
Is searchingly. But the vail of wearine
1t had fallen over his face once more, al
u he continued, with his old indifference
II ITO the surprise Of every one, your u
:, Gle bequeathed to you, and to you alon
- his entire fortune. Stranger as you we
y to him, this was an act, not of love f
~ you, but of duty to his dead brother; b
:! the person he really loved was unconneC
IL ed with him by the ties of kindred, al
= he no doutS considered that it would
y an act of injustice to disinherit his on
- niece in favor Of a stranger. This stra
" ger, this protege Of your uncle's, is the S,
g of lady who was once beloved by hil
q but who loved another, poorer and hun
" bier than Squire Arden, of Arden, a
who told him so, candidly, but tender
;, as good woman should tell man of til
" which she knows may shiver the whC
" fabric of his life. She married this poe
er sutton, George Dalton, a young surgec
in small country town. She MARI
u. :. him, and, three years after her maria!
she died, leaving an only child, boy.
~ This boy, on the death of his father, viii
" happened when he was only four yea
III old, was adopted by your uncle He nj
~ er married. but devoted himself to the
4! ucation of tie woman who had reject
oi him. He did not, however, bring up t
on boy to look upon himself as his heir;