Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-10-06
Mrs. Pierrepoint.
PART L-pRlNcR's GATE.

-Hdrper's WeetiV.
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Mrs. Pierrepoint.
PART I.-PRiNCR's GATE.
The funeral was over the great mourn
ing coaches had deposited their highly re-
spectacle burdens at the door of the large
house in Princes Gate, and people, standing
in little groups about hall and dining-room,
were beginning to grow quite conversational,
and to forget, in the light from the freshly
unshuttered windows, what cause had
brought them together.
When man gets beyond the portion Of
life allotted TO him by public opinion and
the Bible, he must not expect to be very
deeply mourned when he does die and Mr..
Pierrepoint, at whose last rites his friends
had just assisted, had outlived by two years
those threescore and ten years " of Scrip.
ture. Under the circumstances immoderate
grief at his loss was not to be expected it
was reserved for disappointed legatees to
mourn, as a waggish cousin, a briefless
barrister," whispered to his neighbor.
Up stairs the newly-made widow was sit
ting, with clasped hands and pensive eyes,
alone in her dainty boudoir. There was a
tap at the door, and in answer TO her sub
dued L" come in a tall gentleman entered
whose stout proportions and sleek gray
head seemed thoroughly in keeping with his
clerical coat and CATERS. Mrs. Pierrepoint
rose and stood gravely before him. ado
you want me- uncle ?" she said.
"You had better go down stairs, my
DEAR" he answered; MIR Wormit is about
to read the will"
"Do you think it better that should be
present ?"
"Yes, do" said the dean, deliberately |;
ait was your husbands special WISH Now,
my dear Minnie, if you are ready, we will
go at once !" and, taking her on his arm, he
led his niece to the drawing-room, where
the people, including Lawyer Wormit, had
assembled. When man dies possessed of
something like 100000 year, his possible
inheritors acquire an Importance which they
had never had before. All eyes turned
openly or furtively on to the young figure
sitting near the dean, looking very pale and
pathetic in the heavy Grape dress.
Then the first tones of the lawyers voice
directed every ones thoughts to the matter
in hand. 1t was not a long will; in spite
of legal intricacies and repetitions, it took
hardly ten minutes to read. There were a
few legacies to relatives, few to servants /;
but the testator had Internationally be-
queathed the bulk of his huge property to
his wife--Mrs. Minnie Pierrepoint.
There was hush, pause; if the widow
had been an object of interest before, she
was one of something like awe now and
all eyes were turned upon her. Her face
was very pale her full, red lips pressed
tightly together her bosom rose and fell ;
for moment she closed her eyes-that was
all. She turned to the dean and spoke in a
low, tremulous voice:
please, uncle, would you see to all these
people have ordered dinner for them at
six; should like to go up stairs"
Certainly, my DEAR" said the clergyman,
Offering her his arm, and looking at her with
no little respect-he had had no expectations
| from the dead man, and consequently could
rejoice the more thoroughly in his niece's
good fortune.
Mrs. Perrepoint went back into her bou.
doir, which led into the great empty bed
room. She would stay there alone that
evening, and would not dine. She had a
subtler, more exquisite feast in store for
herself; she would not spoil the effect OF
either banquet be indulging in both at the
same time. Mrs. Pierrepoint drew a low
chair to the open window, and lay back
with closed eyes She could not believe it
could not realize it, that for which she had
given up so much was hers at last, her very
own, not held at the caprice of sickly, jeal
Gus old man. Only six months, and she
vas free :; long, dreary months of self-repres
sion they had been but they were over
and her reward was greater than she had
ever dared to hope, (though, to do her jus
tice, she had never much occupied herself
with unworthy speculation). She claspec
her hands tightly together, and the finger,
of her right hand came in contact with he
wedding-ring. Poor Mrs. Pierrepoint IL,
must have loved her very much to hav,
made such will. She really did feel sorry
for him. that he had died so suddenly. NJ
one should ever be able to say that she hat
not respected his memory. She rose and
taking a key from her watch chain, wen
toward an escritoire standing in far corne
of the room.
She sat down on the floor, and unlocking
it, pulled out little drawer whence came
faint scent Of rose leaves, from which sh
took packet of letters tied together with
blue ribbon. She took it out carefully
tenderly, and let it lie on her lap, with he
hands lightly crossed above it. Then he
thoughts wander far away, beyond the room
beyond Kensington, beyond great, smok
London. She is wandering down a deel
Devonshire lane, with its struggling vegeta
ton growing up the side of its reddisl
banks. Some one is by her side and the,
are laughing and talking softly together
AS they emerge from the lane, an ivy-growl
church comes in sight A picturesque oil
house, built of red sandstone, nestles clos
by, whence a white-haired clergyman passe
out into the churchyard. Agai
her thoughts take her back to the deep lane
Once more it is summer, and the same tw
people are there together, only they are no
laughing and talking as before. She
standing still, with downcast face, and he
companion, pale and trembling, looks dow
upon her from his great height.
The train Of thought broke off suddenly
Minnie stroked her letters, and presse
them TO her lips.
"Poor Frank" she thought; "poo
Frank 1t was cruel of me TO break hi
heart like that-but | was so young, s
easily persuaded; and who can resist tn
dean when he becomes argumentative
And Frank-how terrible he looked tina
day he came home from Cambridge an
heard about It'll l don't think ! shall eve
forget his face In the lane-it makes m
,hudder 10 recall it Win he ever forgiy
me, wonder ?" She leaned bac
against the wall with closed eyes, and a sol
smile broke over her face how inexpre
sibly sweet it was to be able to let imagine
ton loose aud think freely of Frank QuorI
ham, TO recall with less sharp pang of r,
morse those far-away days before Mr.. Pierr,
point had dawned upon her horizon. Loci
ing back, she seemed disposed 10 throw th
responsibility upon her friends, and forge
the remarkably clear-sighted, intellgeI
young woman who had given to Mr.. Pierr
l,oint the hand long promised TO another
and substituted in her memory a creature
her own imagination--an innocent, VI
formed thing, much more picturesque, an
IN every respect more satisfactory.
Long she sat there, deep in such thought
with closed eyes and half.smiling lips.
When she awoke from her reverie the su
had set, and the air was beginning TO bio
in chilly through the open window.
"Jenkinson," she said, when the woms
appeared, have any letters come for me
"a great number, ma am, did not like
disturb you"
Yes, of course, Please bring them n