Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-09-04
In The Cleaning.

heart, but do not think your future prom
ises much happiness as the wife of Godfrey
Hill. Remember who and what he is. :"
These were the woEss over which Alice
Hill pondered as she walked slowly through
the grove at Bellows Falls. 1t was her
favorite walk, when she wished for solitude,
though il lay at some distance from her
home, the stately house that crowned an
incline stretch of ground overlooking the
village.
Remember who and what he isl
Mrs. Hill had said these words very
slowly, and with due emphasis, only few
hours before, when Alice had read to her a
letter in which Godfrey Hill had asked her
to be his wife.
Who was he, then! He was the second
cousin of Alice, a man of about twenty
seven, who had been brought up by his
grandfather in the house upon Bellows
Heights, and had supposed his inheritance
of house and fortune assured.
Alice and her widowed mother haG never
entered the stately house while old Mr.
Hill lived, but had supported themselves
by keeping a school for young children,
after Godfrey's cousin, Alice's father, had
died.
1t had never crossed their widest imagin-
alton that the old gentleman at Bellows
Falls would remember them by even a
trifing legacy, and they were inclined to
think themselves the victims of a practical
joke, when they received the lawyers letter
informing them that Alice was the heiress
of the entire estate of John Hill, of Bel
lows Falls.
1t was like dream, to come to the
splendid home, to know there were to be
no more weary struggles for daily bread, to
wander through magnificent rooms and ex-
tensive grounds with the deliciously novel
sensation of ownership.
And it must be confessed that Alice at
first thought but little of the dispossessed
heir.
But he introduced himself soon as a
cousin, and visited the house as a welcome
guest. s.s---
. For, in answer to the second clause of
Mrs. Hills question, what was he? Alice
could have answered truly that he was the
most fascinating man she had ever seen.
And Alice Hill, though bread winner
In the busy world, had moved in good So
ciety. having aristocratic family connections
both on her fathers and mothers side.
She was no novice to be won by mere
ly courtly manner, but she had never met a
man whose intellect was so broad, whose
courtesy was so winning whose face was SC
handsome as were those of Godfrey Hill.
And vet there was letter in her writing
desk written by the dead man whose heiress
she was, warning her that, "because he is
unworthy, because he has betrayed the
trust put in hlm, have disinherited God
frey Hill"
There was no specific charge, no direct
accusation, but the young heiress was
warned against her cousin.
Yet, in the many long conversations the
two had held together, Godfrey Hill had
endeavored to convince his fair cousin that
his grandfather had been influenced by
false friends to believe statements to his
discredit utterly untrue.
He had almost convinced her that he
was an innocent victim to unfortunate cir
cumstances, a victim to mistaken sense of
honor. H. .
She was young, naturally trustful, and
her heart was free; 80 it is not wonderful
that Alice Hill was inclined to restore the
disinherited man to his estate by accepting
the offer of his heart and hand. Absorbed
in her reflections, Alice did not notice that
clouds were gathering, till sudden sum-
mer shower broke with violence above the
tree tops.
The rain came through the branches sud-
denly, drenching through her thin black
dress, and she ran quickly to the nearest
house for shelter.
The nearest refuge proved to be the Get
tage where Mrs. Mason, who did the wash
ing for the great house, lived with her
daughter Lizzie, one of the village beauties.
There was great bustling about when
Alice presented herself at the door.
eMercy sakes You're half drowned, u
the old woman cried, hurrying her unex-
pected guest to the kitchen fire. "You're