Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-05-13

WIN promise anything rather than you {
do such a drerdful thing. But-what-i
= he does not care for me as you think?"
u will risk that; | know he does. Al
ask OF you is to promise not to marry
him till he has solemnly sworn he viii
never touch card again. Give me youl
hand, child, and say the words over aftel
me-"
Laura Obeyed hm more calmly than
might have been expected under the cir.
! Cumstances.
God bless you! 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: 81 am not
sure, after all, but will would make
everything safer.
Then he ordered the attendant who had
lust come in to 90 and bring Mr.. Scribe.
"Can he be going to make will after
laIlr wondered Pauline. ''l'll wait and
lsee."
She resumed her listening attitude,
well screened from view by the shrouding
folds Of the heavy silk curtains.
To her amazenent she heard the sick
man debating a will to his lawyer, in
which he left everything he possessed to
Laura Work, absolutely.
MIR. Scribe ventured t0 demonstrate, but
it was Of no use.
81 know what am about" the i'm.
perlous 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
SIS it safe here2" Mr.. Scribe asked ~
see no key"
who would touch it2" the sick man
asked, irritably at would benefit no
one but Lewis, and the Vanwirts are not
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 yetp Go now, please, and tell
some one to send my grandson to me-"
Pauline would have liked to stay and
witness this interview also, but she did
not dare. Laura must be wondering
greatly now where she was.
| She found that Laura had come out OF
the sick room so agitatcd that Mrs. Beck.
ct, the housekeepcr, had made her lie
down, and was now sitting with her.
The night was by this time so far adj
vanced, ard Laura seemed so i'll, that it
was decided that the two girls should
remain till morning.
Pauline took the housckeeper's place
beside her friend, and in a short time
Laura fell asleep As Pauline sat there
watching the white, childish face of the
girl she pretended to love, her brain was
full OF wicked, enYious thoughts.
Laura was already rich, she was poor,
and yet to her who had already so much,
the great Vanwirt property had Just been
given. She cnyied her the handsome lover
with whom she herself was more than half
in love, and whom, hitherto, she had not
been without hope Of winning away from
Laura.
"But of course he will have to marry
her now, she thought bitterly.
Suddenly as she sat there, the deep
silence was broken by the sound OF some
commotion in the house-she heard steps
and excited voices.
"What can it be-" she wondered. "Mr.
Vanwirt must be worse"
She sat listening some moments, then
she rose softly. Laura was still sleeping.
Pauline succeeded in opening the door
without disturbing her, and stole out into
the hall.
From the landing she could see the ser.
wants below hurryinG about with awe.
struck looks.
An impulse Of ungovcrnable curiosity
seized her. She watched her chance, and,
gliding down the stairs, slipped through
the open door without being seen, and
passed swiftly along the vcranda, till she
came to the window where she had
already spent so much time. One glance
at the bed told her what had happened. |
Ethan Nanwlrt was dead. A sudden awe
and horror seized her. She was about to |
flee the spot when her eyes fell upon the
desk in which she had seen the will plac.
ed. 81 wonder if it is there yet2' she
thought.
No one was in the room at the moment, |
though the door in the next one stood
open, and she could hear voices.
81 am sure can reach it from here. |
should know it at Il glance" she muscd.
She put her hand in and raised the lid.
There it was.
A wicked thought crossed her What it |
she took itP No one would ever know.
The lawyer would think Mr.. Vanwirt had
destroyed it, as he said he might, and
Laura could not get the Vanwirt fortune
without it. Besides that will in her
possession might somehow help her town
Lewis Vanwirt, after all.
At that thought she snatched the will,
and hiding it in the folds of her dress, she
hurriedly retraced her steps.
She was too hurried now to be as
cautious as she was when she came out,
but as it happened she regained her room
without any one seeing her, Laura still
slept.
Ethan Vanwirt had been dead about
month. His grandson had entered into
possession Of his estate without any
hindrance. There were rumors about
will; but when 1t could not be found Mr..
Scribe concluded that the old man had
destroyed it, and refused, when question.
ed, to tell who was named in it.
Pauline Ruble was still visiting Laura
Work, although, to tell the truth, her
welcome had grown somewhat cold, both
on Laura's part and Mrs. Works.
Laura was very unhappy. Lewis Van
Writ scarcely ever spoke to her, except in
the most formal manner, though he came
to the house as often as formerly. Appar.
emily it was to see Pauline now; and
though the gentle girl strove to feel the
same towards her false friend, she could
not quite do so.
Mrs. Work, beholdiug the detection OF
young Vanwirt from her daughter, wished
most heartily that they had none Of them
ever seen Miss Ruble.
There was a certain rejected suitor Of
Laura's named Robert Lester, who about
this time took advantage of the situation
to renew his devotion to her. Laura had
never liked him, and liked him less than
ever now; but in spite of her coldness he
was always beside her now, and more
than once she fancied that Pauline had
deliberately contrived to fasten him upon
her for the evening, Il
81 must bring matters to n crisis soon,
thought Pauline one night, as she wreath.
ed her brilliant Fnnn with e,nilns and nrn. |