Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1880-03-04
AUNT'S STEP BROTHER

Il ~ 1v l. NJ MI LII o1bo L lkl1ts
cit was just such aight as this,
SAID Aunt Edith to my
papa, with little shiver.
Exactly. papa replied, thought
fully. land the same time of year,
too
Suppose you tell the children all
about it," mamma said, quietly :" they
look as if they wanted to know very
much.
"Well, since it is perhaps time
they knew, l will tell you how Aunt
Edith saved my life,'' continued
papa, turning to Edgar, the eldest Of
us, long ago, long before you were
born, my boy
''Aunt Edith and l were only broth
er and sister; ever so much greater
crones than you and Edgar are,
Jessie, not only because we had but
each other to love, but because We
had TO make common cause against
an enemy, Jeffrey Lawson, our step
mother 5 son by Il previous marriage.
We lost our own dear mother when
We were babies. JEFF was ten years
older than | was, and aft-r our faith
er's death, which happened when ]
was eight and Edith six, we would
have had poor time OF it but for
Dame Turtle, OF dear old nurse. She
looked after our Interests and fought
all our battles yaiantly whether We
were in the right or wrong. Oul
/ stcp-mothcr was so wrapped np in
Jctf that she bestowed little uouhl.
upon us. l, especially, was no IA
vorite, for she got a silly idea into
! her head that | stood between JET
and the property of Garrick. III,
| was a fine, handsome fellow. lis / re,
| member him when | was fifteen ant
he iive-andtwenty; strong and dar.
ing, naughty in disposition and hast
III temper. could see even the,
that he bitterly resented my beinz
IN .1ster, and himself. AS it were, no
body; for all our servants had grown
old with us, and were staunci anc
| loyal TO us children OF the house.
| .'Our mother-wc called her so
! though she was little more than kin
and less than kiud'-resented it, too
and looked forward with very bite
/ feelings to the time when would b,
| twcuty~one; for then, according [,
| our fathers will. she was to icavt
! Garrick. the homestead, and rcsid
| in ittje cottage he owned in " ales
1t would be a different position fo
her, as she had but n small iointure-
all her own fortune had beeH spen
! on Jciirey-and by some ine:1plica
bic chain OF woman'S reasoning. sh
blamed me for what she was please
to call her untneIlich mistortuncs
Each year that passed made matter
| worse between us. AS | grew oi
der, many things in the management
of the property strnck me as yer
unjust The best of the timber wa
being cut down the house alIowe
TO fall into II state bordering on ruin
because my mother wnuid not spcn
.
to enjoy The benefit OF. Oar famil
lawyer was dead Jeffrey chose hi
mothers legal adviser, aud ncitbe
Edith nor | knew where TO look fo
advice or assistance. Things II
mained very much i'll this state till
was nearly 20, when one day jeff el
tered ny room in a state OF wild e>
citcment, and showed me Il will Tia
he had discovered in some QUITO
the-way corner. 1t was dated Il fc
DAYS before my fathers death; an
except 1t bequea1hed to Jeffrey I'll
sum of five thousand pounds, an
the reversion OF Garrick if L die
without heirs, it was substantially Il
same as the one already iii existence
II had my doabts about the valid
ty OF the document, but | passed L
comment; both the witnesses wei
dead, and l had not shadow
proof to advance. Suspicious
such case go for nothing, SO | bel
my peace, the more especially
Judson, our old steward, was pr
pared to- swear tony fathers sign
ture. So jeff Lawson had-his fl
thousand pounds.
"On the night of which | am g
| iBg TO tell you, there was a lars
part Of the moneyin the house. Je
was going to London the next NOR
ing: and as he meant to start earl
: he said good-by to us over night, Al
r-ent up to his room first, carryiI
tina money with him. Edith and
re.na 'ued in the dining-room a lit
lorgpr chatting on different matter
AMONG q, hers, of Jef's departure,
STRANGE j., >stlessness / had observ
J in his manner Of late, of the possit
date of his re, Urn; ana someho n
|ouite unintention. >iIy. l let fall hi
of my suspicious all out the will a.
discovered that tseyr coftespoha
exactly with Edith's. al iast, WI
7 the fire had burned quits OUT u
!! the candles were getting lo W Id ,h'
sockets. we went upstairs ,ose'h.
1t was a wild November night, WI
just such angry, impatient gus,s
1 wind and vagrsnt thunder-elaps
this. ]. occupied the west room
your aunt the one adjoining; al
{ jeff slept in the east room at the OF
er end of the corridor; while |
another had her apartments in. t
south wing. As bade Edith goo
, night the clock On the. stairs stru
twelve, and she merrily wished I
T" many happy returns of the day, for
had just entered on my twentie
birthday. In q few minutes me
my light was extinguished, and ! v
aos;ly wrapnaA nm, In less than h