The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-05-23
Frederick Deans Will.

"Well, since you are both so urgent,
and since making a will won't end my
life, III do it at once, and you shall
witness il"
And the speaker, white-haired old
gentleman, laughed pleasantly, and
drew toward him an old book lying on
the table at his side. Selecting one OF
the two or three blank leaves at the
end, he took up pen and dipped it
into the ink.
81 confess 1 was not prepared for
such prOmptitude," smiled one of the
gentlemen in reply; "but we shall be
only too happy to serve you," adding,
little dryly: "DOn't you think, how
ever, it would be just as well to get a
sheet of paper?"
"Not a bit of it," returned Mr.. Dean ;
"this leaf is as good as a Sheet" and he
proceeded to pen, in bold characters :
"The last will and testament of Fred
erick Dean"
GAS you like" said the other, ex-
changing an amused smile with his
companion. "Only insure Nannette a
comfortable future, and remember that
to insure it you must cut out that leaf,
and place it where it can be found by
the proper person when needed"
A pre-occupied nod answered the
counsel, and for little while nothing
was heard but the hurried scratch of
the pen. At last the writer threw it
down, and leaning back in his chair,
read the document aloud.
"Does that suit you ?" he asked, turn
ing to his visitors as he finished.
An eager affirmative answered him.
'"rhen remember" he said, with
sudden earnest gravity, "to see justice
done if my Nannette should meet with
trouble. And now we will sign"
The signing was done, the book
closed and pushed aside till the fare
wells, which had been deferred quite
long enough, were spoken, and within
an hour, the two visitors were on board
a steamer bound for Europe.
For few minutes after their depar-
ture, Mr.. Dean sat lost in thought,
then, arOusing himself, he took up the
morning paper, and turned to the
financial column. He had just finished
il, and was carefully cutting out the
article, when the door opened, and a
young girl entered, her fresh face
bright with smiles.
"Ah, my dear, just in time" said
Mr.. Dean, fondly. "Get the mucilage." +"
"Oh, papa! that everlasting, musty
financial !" laughed the girl, with a
mock horror. "Why don't you let me
cut you out love story, or a bit of
poetry, and paste in here' Who but
you would ever have thought efa scrap
book of tinanciais?"
''You need not laugh, my dear"
smiled the gentleman; "those 'tinan-
cials, have had something to do with
your future"
"With my futureP" exclaimed his
adopted daughter, raising her eyes
from the book she had just drawn
toward her, and opening them very
widely on the old gentleman.
eyes, my dear; they have helped me
make fortune, and that fortune will
some day be yours. / have made you
nv sole heir-have willed you my
whole property. Remember that,
Mamie, and, if need be fight for your
rights. My brother is no friend to you,
as you we'll know"
Nannette sprang to her feet and
threw herself on the gcntleman's s
bosom.
"Now, papa" she murmured, chok-
ingly, "don't say 'wlll' to me again.
want you and nothing else"
In few minutes she returned to her
task, but It was with the feeling that
the shadows of death had settled over
the house. All that day, and all the
next, this miserable feeling clung to
her, and at the close OF the next the
substance was there as well as the
shadow. The hale old gentleman had,
through a strange casualty, passed into
the spiritual world.
The one near relative "a wealthy
brother), and various remote ones,
gathered to pay the last token of re-
spect and hear the will. But no will
was found. Consequently Mr. George
Dean was triumphant, without the
need of blackening his hands and con-
science.
Night after night had been secretly
and fruitlessly spent in rummaging
the escretoires, etc, of his departed
brother, with the firm determination
that Nannette should never touch d
dollar of that brothers money. The
morning after the funeral he sent foi
Nnnnette TO meet him In the library
She came in, pale and weary-lookinl
n little surprised in her soft eyes. Mr.
Dean was prompt. Majesticolly wov