The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-05-21

eagerly.
Mrs. Work was quite an invalid, and
| could not accompany her daughter so
| she also was very glad to have Pauline
GO with her.
| AS the carriage drove off with the two
1 girls, Pauline sank back upon the couch
with a thoughtful look.
at must be something about his
! grandson. / hope Laura won't be
| silly
The ladies were shown at once into
| Mr.. Vanwrit's apartment.
| The sick man frOwned at the sight of
Pauline.
Il wish to see you alone, Laura, my
! child" he said.
"I'll wait for you IN the next room,
darling" Pauline volunteered promptly,
and departed.
Mr. Lewis has come, SIR" the servant
| SAID, as he was leaving the room in obed-
| fence to an imperative gesture from his
1 master.
Let him want" said the old man
grimly-
The night was warm, and the windows
were all open. The sick room and the
| next one to it both looked upon wide
| veranda, which ran across the entire
| front of the grand old mansion,
1t was an easy thing for Pauline TO step
out upon this veranda without attracting
attention, and pass along TO the window
of the sick room.
| II want to know what he wants OF
her 80 she said to herself, land Laura is
such an obstinate little child sometimes,
that as likely as not she wouldn't tell
| me-"
81 have sent for you, Laura Work, y
| the dYivg man was saying, ito ask you
if YOU love my grandson"
Laura's sweet face clouded with GRIM
son, and then grew white AGAIN. She
was trembling so, poor child, she could
hardly stand.
my dear" he said, 81 am dying, or
would not ask you such question.
Lewis is my only sons child. If l die
without a will, the whole Nanwirt prop
| ertV will fall 10 him as the natural heir /;
but the boy has taken 10 bad habits late
ly, | am afraid. He CANDLES, | have
heard. His father did before him. The
taste for it is in the Vanwirt blood. 1t
| came near being my ruin at his very
age. But promised the woman | mar
rIed l would never touch IA card again,
if she would have me, and never did.
| My grandson loves you as only Il Van
writ can. 1t is my only hope for him.
Am wrong, my child. in believing that
you care for him?"
Laura's pale lips opened, but she did
not utter 4 word.
Little fool" thought Pauline
Listen to mew old Ethan Vanwirt
said, lifting himself upon his elbow in
his excitement. IF you love Lewis,
promise me that before you consent to
| marry him you will exact from him the
same pledge my wife did from me, and
he shall be my heir. If not, my money
goes away from him. Speak childI
My lawyer is waiting now to make my
will"
Laura burst into tears.
| II do love him." she Stammered.
II will promise anything rather than
have you do such a dreadful thing.
But-what-if he don't care for me as
you think ~
81 will risk that; / know he does. All
| | ask of you is to promise not to marry
him till he has solemnly sworn he will
never touch card again. Give me your
hand, child, and say the words over after
me-"
Laura obeyed him more calmly than
might have been expected under the cir
cumstances.
God bless your he said, as he let her
hand go. You have made my dying
moments almost happy"
AS Laura quilted the room sobbing,
Pauline was about to join her, when she
heard the sick man mutter:
Il am not sure, after all, but "A will
would make everything safer
Then lie ordered the attendant who
had just come IN TO go and bring Mr..
Scribe
"Can he be going to make will after
all 2" wondered Pauline. "1'll wait and
see'
She resumed her listening attitude,
well screened from view by the shrOud
ing folds of the heavy silk curtains.
To her amaZement she heard the sick
man debating a will to his lawyer, in
which he left everything he possessed To
Laura Work, absolutely.
Mr.. Scribe ventured to demonstrate,
but it was of no use.
Il know what am about" the impe-
rious old man said, and would hear
nothing.
The will duly signed, witnessed and
sealed, he told the lawyer where to put
it in his desk, which stood within his
view
as it safe hereg" Mr.. Scribe asked
II see no key"
"WhO would touch it?' the sick man
) asked, irritably. st would benefit no
one but Lewis, and the Vanwirts are moi
: thieves, whatever else they may be. Be
, sides, how do you know that may not
change my mind at the last moment and
destroy it yet? Go now, please, and tell
, some one to send my grandson to me.''
2 Pauline would have liked 10 stay and
witness this interview also, but she did
not dare. Laura must be wondering
; now where she was.
, She found that Laura had come out %
the sick room SO agitated that Mrs. Beck
ct, the housekeeper, had made her lie
down and was now sitting with her.
The night was by this time so far adj
vauced, and Laura seemed so i'll, that il
was decided that the two girls should re
main till morning
Pauline took the housekeeper's place
:. beside her friend, and in short time
5 Laura fell asleep. As Pauline sat there
: watching the white, childish face of the
girl she pretended to love, her brain wa:
|. full of wicked, envious thoughts.
e Laura was already rich, she was poor
! and yet tn her who had already so much
5 the great Vanwirt property had just beer
5 given. She envied her the handsome
' lover with whom she herself was NOR,
than half in love, and whom, hitherto
she had not been without hope of win
a ming away from Laura.
3 "But of course he will have to MARI,
e her now" she thought bitterly.
!. Suddenly as she sat there, the deep 81
!. lence was broken by the sound of som,
I cOmmotion in the hOuse-she hearC
c steps and excited voices.
"What can it be-" she wondered, "Mr
a | Vanwirt must be worse"
!, She sat listening some moments, theI
/. rose softly. Laura was still sleeping
r Pauline succeeded in opening the doc
2 without disturbing her, and stole o 1t in
! 10 the hail.
5 From the landing she could see tn
/. servants below hurying abo:t with awe
l., struck looks.
h An impulse of ungOvernable CURIOSITY
e seized her. She watched her chance
o and, gliding down the stairs, slippet
!. through the open door without beine
f seen, and passed swiftly along the yer
a anda, till she came TO the window whert
J she had already passed 50 much time
b One glance al the bed told her what haS
II happened. Ethan Vanwirt was dead
o A sudden awe and horror seized her
E She was about TO flee the spot when he
d eyes fell upon the desk in which sh,
E had seen the will placed. II wonder i
5 it is there yet :" she thought
No one was in the room at the mo
# ment, though the door in the next room
e stood open and she could hear voices.
n al am sure / can reach IL from here
j. | should know it at a glance" SIN
5 unused. She put her hand in and RAISED
J. thelid- There it was.
b a wicked thought passed her VIVA
e if she took ite No one would eve
l. know. The lawyer would think Mr.
b VanWirt had destroyed il, as he said Il,
II might, and Laura could not get the Van
Il writ fortune without it. Besides, tina
It viii in her possession might somehow
; help her to her TO win Lewis VanWirt
Nma& All