The Newtown bee., 1880-03-10

we were none the wiser, and we did not say anything about it to Amelia when she came in with Francis, who had met her at the station. She gave us no time, in fact. tor as soon as she had thrown off her cloak and furs she plunged into the German lesson that Francis was giving her, while Anne sat by with trembling lip.
 It was at about this time that one day we found Grandmamma Gresham sit ting dead before her glass.
 It was great shock to us. But don't think it was any greater shock than it was to see Amelia quickly and quietly go to grandmamma's drawers and take out the jewels and laces there, carry them away to her own room, and come down to dinner that night with the dia- monds in her ears. We were not quite prepared for her taking the head of the ta ble; but she did, and of course Ann said nothing.
 On the day after the funeral, having assembled us all in grandmamma's sit ting-room, she produced the will, and requested Dr. Dinsmore to read it. It gave everything to her.
 II am very sure there is later will than that, miss," said Rose, firmly.
 Amelia dismissed her on the spot, as Rose might have known she would but Rose repeated firmly what she said, and then MT. Dinsmore calmly told Amelia that she could not afford to let such 9 statement pass as that. But of course we could not have overhauled Amelia's trunks if we had wanted to do so, that is, without more publicity and scan- dal than we cared to have, although, to tell the truth, on hint from Rose, we had already privately looked in every nook and corner that we could con- mand, and had taken down and opened every book in the library, but to no pur- pose. There had been something in Grandmamma Gresham's manner to- ward Anne, especially of late, that made Georgie and me think she could not be meaning to leave her altogether unbe- friended; the more, too, because she seemed to feel bitter and ashamed con- corning AmeGa's conduct. I will con- fess that I was more malicious than avaricious about it, however. I knew that Fran cis Evans was only thinking of Amelia's inheritance, that in his heart it was Anne for whom he cared, and he was selling his souls birthright for a mess of pottage, and I should have liked to balk and baffle him.
 "A family physician" said Amelia, with a great dignity that did not become her sort of nose, is allowed some license, but perhaps so much will not be taken again when it is known that I now have aprotector-"
 "A protector!" said Georgie, with out thinking.
 Yes" she answered. And i will tell yon now, because we are going away for week, that I don't suppose it will be particularly pleasant for you to be here on our return, as Francis and I were married this morning."
 There was dead silence for moment in the gloomy room that dark winter morning, and then the report of a can non rolled through the air, followed by another, and I remembered, as I ran to the window, hardly knowing what I did, but doing anything in my embar- rassment, that it was the twenty-second of Febl uary.
 "Washington's birthday" said Geor- gie, feeling just as did. 'Dear me ! I should think the father of his country might have had powder enough in his lifetime" But she stopped, for Dr. Dinsmore was speaking, and I never shall forget how proud I felt as turned and looked in his honest eyes.
 'tNe cannot congratulate you Ame- lia," he said, " on your choice of hus- band who has been willing to play so infamous part" All at once the room was illuminated by mighty flash, and a report clapped through it and out again, and seemed to shake the very ratters of the roof and the stones of the foundation. The great gun on the hill- side had burst, and at the same moment Grandmamma Gresham s swinging glass in which her own grandmother had dressed to be married, as she so many times had told us, answered to the fear ful vibration, rent in cracks, like the rays off great sun, from side to side and from top to bottom, in countless splint- CTS, and the shivered, shattered bits tumbled out upon the floor, and with them large folded sheet of paper.
 "'Out flew the web and 1oated wide;
 The mirror cracked from side to side;
 "The curse is come upon me, cried
 The Lady oi Shalott,'"
 I exclaimed, in sort of hysterical ex- citement, as l saw that paper and sprang for it.
 Amelia's quick eyes had seen it too, though, and she also darted in its direc- tion. Rose was before her. Ut is madam's last will" she said. It is just her way. She was always hiding her things. I knew it. She tucked it between the blackboard and glass, you see. knew it, for I witnessed it, though she bound me to silence.' And she gave the paper to Dr. Dinsmore.
 It was very brief. But when it was read. it was found that out of the greatly diminished estate Amelia had an annu- ity of four hundred dollars year; and the mansion-house, with all it con- fairod and with auprytbipr oIco ba