The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-05-26

Good, or bsdi"
II don't quite know which you will think it,"
| Bad, then, il it means change We have
| had fairly happy time lately, and, according
| to past experience, trouble is due: what
quarter can it come from 7 Whiteclif Bay
and Babette, guess She has quarrelled with
Ars. Maynard, or perhaps in fit of desperation
over the eternal stocking darning she has
rushed into come silly Irritation, or engaged
hersel If imprndently, and they want you to in
| terfere"
"Quite wrong what could make you think
of suoh o thipgi It's odd how even the sens-
blest woman's thoughts always fly off to love-
maxi ing"
Indeed, John, it was not quite n vague
| guess ifyou had read Babette's late letters as
sttentively as ! read them, you would have
| noticed the hints that gave my thoughts that
impulse"
darDing or dawning loye,-whioh -
II think i detect a combination of both
states of feeling"
"Hum; we may have to inquire into that by
and bye; but the news of to night, which l
have Just read in one of those letters brought
in my pocket from Ballyowen, concerns very
d different matter from marriages or giving in
marriage Bride, our granduncle, John May
nard is dead"
Dead Well, suppose he was a great age;
where did he dief Had he any friend near
him ~
"I don't know about a friend. His lawyer
James Clarke was with him. The old man
sent for him to Florence when he was taken
i'll, and he stayed till after the funeral. 1t is
he " no writes to me about the will"
"Well, we'll, John, You know what want to
ask. How is it after all ! Has he died rich or
poor Has he divided his money fairly among
all his dutiful, exPectant relations excepting
our twoselves. or has ho left it ell to hospi-
tai Z"
"He has left very large fortune indeed
much larger than any one expected fancy,
and he has not divided it. With the exception
son."
"And the lawyer has written about it to you
to you. John I" A vivid color flashed into
Brides face ; she rose from her chair and held
out her hands to her brother. He crossed the
hearth and took both in a firm clasp.
mo, Bride, that thought must go out of
yonr head at once. l am not the heir. 1t con-
Germs nearly though"
"Then it s Lesbia."
"Yes, it is little Lesbia. Old John May nard
has left the bulk of his great fortune to her
the child-our child is a great heiress now /;
that's TIE news th at has come tonight"
II can't take it il Baby-our poor little Ba-
bette"
'Rtoh little Babette, you mean. She need
never break her heart over stocking-baske ket
again ; as to the incipient lows making, that
will have to be looked after perhaps"
"How will she feel about il when she hears
-Babette a great heiress! / always thought
the old man would ward for sending her
away by remembering her in his will, but that
he should pass many other relations
| his fortune is different from what expected
Our mother was his favorite niece till she
married. fancy he always secretly intended
to make her children his heirs, and as we cut
ourselves off, there was only Lesbis."
"How should like to be near her and see
her face, when she is told: 1t is seven years
since we have seen her. oh, John, does not
| this, at all events, end her bauishment Shall
| we not have her with Us now I"
"Of course. This will please you. You and
| 1 are left sole guardians. A proof that, how
ever angry the old man professed to be, he re.
spected our conduct at the bottom. He has
left us each legacy of four thousand pounds
looking after the young lady and her property
till she marrie6."
"a salary for taking care of our own little
sister, whom we have provided for since she
was five years old Can we bear that John T.
II suppose it soothed the old man at the last
TO do Us SO much of justice without altogether
revoking his threat. We must take it as he
"But how about the other relationship Jo
ssph Maynards 7"
"They have o legacy equal to ours"
"Apd the bulk of the old mons rich hoards
goes to Lesbia! How strange it will be to the
Joseph Msynards to see her set up on such
pinnacle of fprosperity-the little cinder girl o
their house this seven years. 1 am afraid they
will be very angry"
"They won't like it but they have no more
right to grumble than you or l., except tha
they have been kept longer in suspense, Ole
} John made AL his money himself. and had 1
right to do what he pleased with it,"
} lift had pleased him to spend some of it ii
helping us when we needed help serely, wha
| RtAboiui 70 uo hnN0 AOA hi
death bed p
LET that thought rest now he has gone"
"It shall. l don't suppose, though, that Mrs
Joseph Maynard will be as silent over tn
wrongs of her preciors boys. Lesba will no
have much comfort after the news of her fort
! une reaches Wbiteoliff'
I'VE will send for her soon possible"
, "How strange it will be to have her again
/ girl of seventeen and an heiress, instead O
7 the little clipging thing used to dress, an
9 ooddle and teach, and work my fingers to tn
| hona for han ahn mt nnh Cho aG
John, do you remember the night we resolve
J, to separate ourselves from her seven year
I Sgof how my heart schedV
q Yes, it troubled you more to part fror
1 Lesba than to give up your chance of inherit
4 ing the great Maynard fortune"
g I'VE elder ones had choice We coul
: not promise to disown our father, or not to &
d back to him if he wanted us, and coul
q not foresee he never would. l think we ba
8 only two or three letters from him during tn
} next six months, and ten we heard of hi
It death in Canada. The decision could not
II recalled then"
e "Why, you have never wished to recall it