Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-12-31

ket; and then in the quiet twilight came
the slender figure, clad in deepest sable
of the child whom her death deprived
of even the poor semblance of a mothers
love and care--the desolate orphan
whom almost her last act had left, moi
only motherless, but homeless and penni.
less, and, save for one true heart, friend.
less, except for such careless and self.
ish friendliness as the world bestows.
"Oh, marmie! marmiem moaned Kate,
returning at that last hour to the caress.
ing title of her infancy; 'oh, marmie! il
only you could speak once, or open you1
eyes, or lift your hand to say you took
back the dreadful curse you threatened
if married Hal For ! love him SO,
mGrmie, aDj rov. You are gone he is all
| have, and must-oh, ! must be his
wife! never could-not even to please
you, my darling!-I never could be
Dick Halstead's wife. l don't want the
money, and l do want my own darling
| SltlllbLudl W bllC COuSCulbp duN
will love me and won't curse mer'
"No, she is not here" whispered Kate
to herself, as she stood looking down at
the pallid face, her own of q sudden
almost as white and chill; "she is not
here. can speak to her all the better
away from this that was her. Was, but
is not! Good-by, dear body! You
are not my grandmamma any morem
An hour OF two later two other of
Nine. Silsbies mourners looked in
upon her, but not to weep, or tenderly
apostrophiZe, or caress her IS she lay
there with her useless wealth about her /;
for these were Richard Halsted and his
mother; and, standing there beside the
unregarded corpse, they spoke of the ar
rangements for the gorgeous funeral to-
morrow, and coldly settled its details,
alluding only to the inanimate clay as
if it had been some tiresome bit of lum-
Der to be gotten rid of with as little per-
sonal trouble as might be, and as little
expense as was compatible with a GO
geOus parade.
1--WE must remember that it is our
own money we are spending now" re-
marked the mother; ''for she told me
just before she left home that she had
made will by which Kate was obliged
to marry you or lose everything, and
you both were to be bound to keep every
article of that silverware, and leave it to
your children"
why didn't you tell me all this be-
fore, should like to knowP ] don't
believe itn' int errupted Richard bru-
tally; but bis mother was too well used
to his style of interruption to resent it,
and calmly replied:
"Why, you know she said something
of the sort before, and l told you, and
you borrowed money on the strength of
your expectations, and then she made it
up with Kate and let the old will stand,
leaving everything to her except mis-
erable ten Thousand dollars to me, and
you were so cross and disagreeable about
it all, and l had to tell so many lies to
get the old lady to pay up your
debts, that | made up my mind then I'd
never repeat such a thing again until
you were dead sure it couldn't be taken
back, and that wasn't until now, and
now it is. "
YES" replied Richard, with devil
ish sneer, Il fancy she's dead sure not
to change her mind again, or if she does
she can't let everybody know it."
you're right, Dick" replied his
mother, philosophically. And now all
we have to do is to coax or bully Kate
into the arrangement"
Coax before marriage, bully after
ward, that's the idea," interposed Dick
Il shall rather enjoy bringing that
young lady to terms, and showing her
who is master of her and hers"
Poor Katem exclaimed Mrs. Hal
stead, involuntarily, but in n moment
continued, with cynical Indifference
"Well, when she's your wife you'll dc
as you like, so far as she is concerned,
but rs for the property, trust madame
there for tying it up fast and hard. All
this plate, for instance, is just so much
capital sunk and useless"
what nonsense! I'll manage a way
to sell, or at least pledge it, pretty quick,
you'll see."
mo, you won't, sir. The old lady
chuckled n good deal over the pains she
and her lawyer had taken to make sure
you shouldn't. You forfeit nearly all
the property with the first piece you dis
pose of, or pledge, or give, or lend to any
| human creature. Tomorrow, after the
funeral, it all goes to the safety vaults,
and there it stays until Kate and you
are married, or one of you is married to
somebody else; that means that hateful
Hazeldine, ! suppose; and then the sill
yer all goes to cousin Ralph Morelar |,
with revcrsion to his children"
"Ah, ha! Tomorrow, is it?" asked
Richard, in a sinister tone; and with his
fingers at his lips, in a way he had when
deep in thought, he walked up to the
sideboard and attentivcly examined the
glittering array upon its shelves.
"Who has the keyp" suddenly de-
manded he.
'Mr. Wilson, the lawyer and execu-
tor, has one, and the other is in sealed
package in my care; sealed with the