The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-04-17

Janet looks Ut him unbelievingly
She has been fooled once this morning
and does not intend to submit tamely
to what she considers her brother
second attempt.
eff you must joke, Dick" she says
calmly, her voice and manner strange
ly contrasting with his excitement
'pray don't take such subject. You
are playing your part very well, l ad
NIT; but still / remember aov what day
it ISL
"But Pm not joking; it's fact
Here is letter from the dear old boys
lawyer. Look at the postmark; look al
the letter-head; read the message" he
goes on, excitedly, running around to
his sisters side OF the table and spread.
ing the envelope and its contents Out
before her.
He is certainly not fooling her now,
as she is compelled to admit when she
is thus presented with the evidence.
The same heavy style of writing that
was without is within.
81 Richard Roy. Esq:
DEAR SIR lit begins)-I have pleasure in in.
forming you that the will of the Late Arthur
Roy, Esq.,, Of this city, beaueaths to his great
yourself and aister) each the sum of fifty thou
sand dollars. These amounts are invested in
United States Government bonds and shall be
:" i have the honor to be your obedient servant,
j. MADISON PERRY, Executor"
The effect of the reading on Janet
is quite the reverse of that on her
brother. Instead of breaking forth
into joyous shouts. her sensitive nature
causes her to burst into q flood of
tears.
Dick looks at her in establishment.
What can she be crying for? he thinks.
A legacy of fifty thousand dollars he
does not consider cause for weeping,
and concludes that lis sister has be-
come mystifed in regard to the time
to weep and the time to laugh.
"What is the matter with youp" he
asks, when the first outburst has SUBJ
sided into occasional suppressed sobs.
"Oh, Dick!' cries Janet, wiping her
eyes, 81 believe you have no feeling at
all. just to think what dear, kind
uncle we have lost! How good of
him to remember us!''
"Very good of him indeed adds
Dick; "but can't see that that ought
to make one sad. Rather a cause for
rejoicing, l should say. Poor fellow,
he was so old he couldn't enjoy it, and
l dare say he's better off where he is;
that is, if he was as good as his will
makes me think he was.''
Janet is really grieved; her nature is
so intensely sensitive that great
kindness invariably has this effect upon
her. She refuses any more breakfast,
and goes hastily up to her room,
where she spends the morning in try
ing to picture her uncle as he was
when, SO many years ago, she sat on
his lap, and child-like ran her tiny fin
gers through his long gray beard.
What an addition the legacy will be
to her income, how many more lux
uries it will secure her, scarcely comes
to her mind. Her whole thought is
conferred On him who from the kind
ness of his heart remembered her.
All through the morning, as, think
ing thus, she sits diligently sewing,
tears ever and anon well up in her
eyes and 60 trickling down her cheeks
before she is aware of their presence.
AS anatural consequence, twelve o. clock
finds her with very red eyes and nose,
and a general appearance of having
gone through a most heart-rending
atfliction. This is her condition when
Sarah knocks at the door, and on en-
tering announces that Miss Taylor is
in the drawing-room.
"Oh, what shall l do?' exclaims
Janet, in perplexity, as soon as the
maid is out of ear-shot. "She will see
l have been crying, and will want to
know all about it; and l really can't
talk of it now. l wonder where Dick
is; he might 60 and see her, and ex-
plain that I'm not we'll; but, dear me-"
up and smoothing back her
hair with both hands-''I suppose he
is out somewhere. He never is about
when he's wanted, but is sure to be
here when he's not.'' So, wiping her
eyes for the bundredth time since break
fast, and giving her nose the tiftieth
gentle blow, she goes softly down to
the drawing-room in search of her Wis.,
itor. Nellie Taylor-a rather short,
plump girl, with charmingly pretty
pink and white face-rises quickly as
Janet comes in.
"Oh, Jeanr' she says, going to meet
her, and presenting a countenance that
for signs of weeping is not whit bet
ter off than Miss Roy's, 81 do so SYM
pathize with your
Janet is much surprised at these
words. On what account does she SYM
pathize with her? Surely she cannot
know why she has been spending the
morning in tears.
"Come and sit down by me-" Nell
goes on, taking her hand and drawing
her to sofa. "Trouble comes to all
of us some time, you know"
But" begins Janet thoroughly
puzzled, as they sit down together,
"There, now" interrupted she,
"don't speak to me of it; don't tell me
how much worse you feel than I.
know you think SO; but, indeed'' and
the tears begin to trickle down her
cheeks again-"you do not know how
/ loved him."
Suddenly it comes to Janet that per-
haps her great-uncle was related to the
Taylors also.
"Was he" she begins; but before
she can finish the question Nell an
swers her:
EYES, (sobbing). Didn't you
know it? Oh, why didn't some one let
me know that he was SO ill? l would
have SO liked to be with himr'
Janet looks pityingly at her young
friend. Surely her uncle must have
been very lovable old gentleman to
inspire this affection.
''But how strange it u.s." she thinks,
" that never knew we were even dis
family connected with the Taylors.
Perhaps Dick knew it, but I'm sure he
never told me-" Then she begins sob
bling again for mere sympathy, and for
a moment not word is spoken.
"Was he so very dear to you?'' asks
Janet, bringing the cambria into play
again.
"Oh, JEAN" Nell answers, also wip-
ing away the tears, "you cannot imag-
inc how we loved each other. There
was no time set, but then it was un.