The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-03-19
MY GODMOTHER'S WILL.
An English Barrister's Story.

III bObInO 1lblt W w llQs
An English Barrister's Story.
II, Clarissa Bamford, ct cetcra, ~
cetera, being of sound mini, ~ cetera. ct
cctera, do hereby leave and bequeath all
my READ and personal property (aud here
long list followed. and my heart beat
50 that | thought the lawyers would hear
it, unto Claude Elliott Rivcrslale, bar
rister ri law, Of Gray's Inn, London,
(hcre | hrca:hed freely again. and tried
to look uIicuucemCd,D on cunui'ion that
the said Claude Elliott RIvrls,a con-
SCENTS Ia espouse within six calendar
months. dating from the day of nv de
cease, Mary Beatrice Elliston, of Horny.
III the county of Northumberland.
Should either OF the aforc-namNd parties
refuse 10 fulfill the above condition, do
will and bequeath my entire property
unto whichever ii them do declare his or
herself to be willing and ready L. obey
my last wishes"
II burst upon me llk, a thuldcr-clap.
For Il moment | was too utterly astunIs.:-
ed, coulounded and disSusted to b.
capable of either speech or movement:
q second more, aud IA full sense 81 III"
disgraccful way IL which / had been
treated rushed INTO my mind, filing nv
heart with gall ana bitterness. Was It
FOR this that my Infant wears has been
Made Il bmden to me with black draugL ais
and catechism; that INV SchUol-buv DAYS
had been Cmbitt,red 1 should say sweet
ness, perhaps, Tat 1t Is no Iok" Ia me,
with birthstone and trcacle, and my col
lege terms ron Tered vapil by hcr aetI4,
her veto u4 cigars?
Was It for this that had dincl with
her twice a week since my arrival ia Lon
don eating milk pUddings and drinking
NillaInUls port ? Was it for this | had
cut her canary biri's to- nails, taught
her poodle 20 ring tine b, II, condemned
French novels, and called the pope Ar
tichrist ? oh. if she coull but have
lived again one hour, one httl" hour,
wouldn't have kicked the pooIln ami
stranglod the canary wouldn't / have
SMOKED the strongest prOcurable ch"roots
under her very nose and read French
novels aloud in her drawing room?
As Tor marrying the said Mary Bca-
triCe Lliiston, | never for One moment
thought of such a thing did NOT even
know who she was; had ncv, even heard
my GpdmOther mention her. ~ any rate
il = not matter. | had had enough of
Miss Baiuf rd's taucics ami predictions
stIfiet down my throat, and Submitted
patiently enough, but II wife Of her
choosing WAS more than even my long
suffering nature could contemplate; AMI
l mentally cOnlurcd up an awkward,
In sN-sh0nldered lassic, with strong
north country accent, and contrasted her
Wit certain tall, hright-eytd young
LAD !n the square hard by.
GeoIEle and | were no, regularly en-
gage, but We understood each Other
perfectly, and she knew as well as | did
that a5 soon rs | came into possession oi
IA, godmother's property and it would
b lni at her feet. And II WIS this very
understanding Of ours which caused ne
to gard Miss Balnforl's will with SC
much Indignant disappointment. What
right had the horrid old woman to keel
me in bondage vile and scrvitude most
CALLING 70 drag me to missionary meet
ings whor, il WAS considered impious not
10 eat cuITant buns and drink innumcr
able cups Of weak tea mt some uncarthl,
hour Of the afternoon, and to announc,
publicly that she considered me rs hcl
itil 'tlltl lllNl Nli'', anu lCuNC Lle Il't iOT
tune on such conditions Us made il I'M
possible for me to accede to them?
positively hadn't the courage to go {,
Bryanstonc Square that day. / thought
of poor Georges disappointment (fol
she was really fond OF me, poor littl,
girl!D, and ! Thought what Mrs. Lomax'
face wOuld be when, as III honor bOunC
l shoull announce to her my altered
prospects.
On the whole l thought il advisable t,
defer my visit until my ans for til,
future were matured, and as a prelim
mary step sat down and wrote to Mis-
Mary beatrice Elliston's lawyer, anC
announced to him that / refused TO nc
cept the C ndition which would mpos
his client upon me.
Would you believe? The next da,
but one brought me letter from tn
young person. won't call her lady
herself, positively Offering herself To me
Yes; after the decisive, manly, disinteI
ested letter l had written to her lawyer
this badly-brOught up young woman ha,
the impudence to beg me-fOr my owl
sake, fOIsooth.-tO reconsider my deter
mination; and then, after such braZeI
beginning, went off iuto long rhapsod,
about natural dclicacy-can't say per
eivedit-trying position, extreme rcgre
at being brought into collision with IN,
interests, and such like rhodomoutadc
ending in proposal that / should pa,
her and her aunt, or grandmother, hav
forgotten which, Il visit, in order that w
might make each others acquaintance
The letter was certainly beautiful,
written-indeed, l never remembers,
having seen so pretty and clear Il hand
but then we all know that the most TN
educated people often write well, and O
course she had taken pains in pennin
the epistle, Which, as she thought, woul
win her husband. / fancy my answe
must have undeccived her forever.
hatter myself that | can write good dea
of substance in few words, and neve
tested my powers more carefully than
did when answering the communicate
Of that presumptuous female, Miss Mar
Beatrice Elliston, whom | assured in til
plainest language gentleman can use
would never be wife Of mine.
Having thus relieved my mind, fel
equal TO calling in Bryanstone Square
aud met with Il rather better rsceptio
than / had anticipated. Mrs. Iona
talked "a good deal about young people
imprudence, but she did not forbid m
to think Of her daughter, as l had hal
expected she would do, though she di
stIpdlate that our engagement, ifengagt
ment there must be, should be keJ
strictly private. They were off to Bade1
Baden Immediately, she said; 80 mui
say goodbye to them for some month";
She supposed there was no chance nov
with great stress, of my running ovt
there to pay them visit. Georg
!, took my altered prospects very quictl,
"It's very tiresome, Of course" 81
said, "but it's no use worrying onese
about what can't be remeaied. You mu
work hard to get on while I'm ava,