Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-02-23
ONE FARrH1Na DAMAGES.
From London Society

III u udTkeDcu CHdiuuCts VAIN Will
the awful shadow still more than
with the lack of material light, four
persons were gathered around bed
on which lay man bearing in his
face the unmistakable sign of the
summons which none can refuse to
answer. A weeping girl knelt by
the bedside, her face bent over the
nerveless hand which lay upon the
coverlet, and which she held as
though by that convulsive clasp she
could hold her father still to life
At a table, covered with papers and
writing materials, sat the dying
mans solicitor, engaged in the prep
aration of his will. "What names
shall insert as trustees? You
should have two at least"
The dying man paused ere he re-
Piled with an effort.
"Geoffrey Howard, Major One
Hundred and Eleventh, now in In
Lia. have no other friend"
"In that case ! may venture to Of
fer my humble services, subject to
the usual proviso. / should be de-
| lighted to be useful to Miss Hope;
and if youl friend is abroad, there
may be difficulties
"True, Slythrope, I thank YOU
Make yourself trustee, then, with
Mi. Howard. Legacy-s2oo for
your trouble"
"Nay, my dear sir, quite unneces-
sary. l Ireally-"
But again the ready pen travelled
over the paper, and a quarter of an
hour later, Mr.. Slythrope announced
that the document was ready for ex-
ccution, and in low, mechanical
monotone, read over its provisions.
"Yes, that will do. Give me the
pen," he said; and with shaking
hand, affixed his signature. "rhank
God, that's sate!" he gasped.-
"Mary, my child, you and Geotfrey
you and Geottrey. What was |
saying? God bless you, my darling!
God bless"
These were the last words Bernard
Hope ever spoke.
y year had passed away since
Bernard Hopes death, and Kate
still remained an inmate of the house
of Mrs CARLYLE, the good woman
" hom we have seen i'll attendance
ut her fathers illness, and who, to
her occasional occupation as Il nurse,
added the more permanent one OF
letting lodgings. Kate's sweet face
and gentle manner had quite won
the heart of her good-natured land
lady, who was unceasing in her en-
deavors to soothe her grief and min
lister to her comforts. But she had
another trouble-none the less hard
to bear that it was one in which she
could have few contidants. Major
Howard, of whom mention has al
ready been made, was not only her
fathers most valued friend. but had
insrnsibly grown very dear to her
self, and when, six months before
Bernard Hopes death, he had been
summoned with his regiment to In
dia, he left Mary his promised bride.
Twice he had written within the
first few weeks of his departure, since
which time there had been Il terrible
silence. and in the same week which
left Kate fatherless, a second blow
fell upon her. The One Hundred
and Eleventh had been engaged in 4
smart skirmlsh, the number OF dead
and wounded being considerable
MAJOR Geotfrey Howard was report
ed among the fallen, and Kate had
| to mourn ut once her lover and her
father.
The death OF Major Howard, left
Mr.. Slythrope sole trustee of Mr..
Hopes will. This to Kate was a
matter of the utmost Indifference
Suspecting evil of no one, she was
as willing that her little fortune,
amounting to some five or SIX thou
sand pounds, should rest in Mr. Sly
thrope's hands as III those OF any
other person. But of late the attor-
ney had begun to persecute her with
attentions, which, under existing
circumstances, would have been dis
tasteful from any other, but were
doubly so from person whom she
could not help regarding with an
instructive dislike. And in truth
Mr.. Slythrope was not precisely the
person to win a Young lady's fancy.
Understood, hlgh-shouldered, with
blinking, lashless eyes, and Il gener-
al angularity, not to say knobbiness,
OF feature, he might have been ex-
pected to rise superior to any weak
ness rs to personal appearance, but
such was by no means the case:-
Mr.. Slythrope one morning knocked
at Mrs. Carlylc's door. That good
lady was at The moment engaged in
dusting Kate's room, and catching
catching sight Of his approach, ex-
claimed:
"There's that nasty lawyer again,
I do declare. Slythrope, indeed!
I'd Slythrope him!'
1t wonld be hopeless to endeavor
to express OH paper the Intensity of
meaning Mrs. Carlyle threw into her
newly-coined verb. Kate smiled at
the good lady's vehemence.
'Dear Mrs. Carlyle, you really
shouldn't be so severe. Mr.. Sly
thrope is little peculiar, but / have
no doubt he means kindly, and you
know he is the trustee of my papa's
will"
81 know he is, my dear, and wish
he wasn't. know he shouldn't be
trustee to n tomcat of mine, drat
him."
AT thisaoint the conversation was
interrupted by the entrance of the
gentleman in question, and Mrs
Carly passing him with final
sniff of adherence, quilted the apart
mcnt.
Mr.. Slythrope, for once in his life,
appeared ill at ease. He was got up
with his accustomed care, and the
suggestion of scented soap which ac-
conlpanied him was even stronger
than usual; bnt his usual self-sati>fi-
ed air was wanting. He evidently
h.i som.thiu,r IN his mind-sOme