Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-07-29

els anxieties, slumbering till then. awoke
to full life, and communicated themselves
to her children.
His occupation was gone with his failing
strength. The experienced fingers which
had handled so many choice things lay idle
now, with nothing worth handling within
reach. Life had lost it's SAVIOR for him; he
| made haste, as it were, to be gone from it.
| And almost before his family realized that
there was cause for alarm, all was over.
The last morning Of his life he was lif-
ted, at his own request, into an ancient
ebony chair, spoil of some Siennese palace,
which was one of his special trea surers.
s'My little Rose" he said, after a long
silence, II should like you TO keep this
chair. You are the only one who cares
for such things. Keep it for your own,
my dear. The rest wouldn't value it. I
made my will while ago." he continued,
after short silence. II have tried to do
fairly by you all, and to act justly. Some
of you have thought hard of me at times,
Pm afraid, for buying so many things, but
you'll get over that later. All the arrange
ments are made for the sale of everything
advertising and all. You are not to have
any trouble in the Understanding to his
wife he said; "All is left in the hands Of
Leonard Ashe. He knows the full value
of everything, and will see all properly
done. The sale is to be advertised for two
months beforehand. Ashe will attend to
all that"
s:Yes, my dear, yes,'' replied Mrs. Bev-
ell, soothingly. ''Don't worry your poor
head about those old things now;" while
even at that mournful moment Matilda
could not refrain from glance at Maud,
which meant, Poor papa! still harping on
that absurd craze of his.' Only little
Rose, with pitiful tenderness, stroked
and kissed the wasted hand. Misunder-
stood in death as in life, old Mr.. Bevel
passed from his narrow corner of this mar
row world into the wide liberty of the
next,
The will was read in due time. Matters
proved to be in worse condition than
even the family had feared. There was
small life insurance for the benefit of the
widow, five thousand pounds in consols,
the house-that was all, save the collec-
ton, Wuose proceeds-so the will ran
were to be divided among the six heirs
Mrs. Bevel was stunned, the others indig-
nant.
ut was really like insanity" protested
Maud. IF we had only guessed it, and
stopped papa, in time! Why, Arthur es-
Inmates that pa could not have spent less
than seven thousand pounds in buying
those trumpery things, Seven thousand
pounds! And think what that would be
to us now"
"Oh, dearl how comfortable we all could
have been!" moaned her mother, while
Matilda, between angry sobs, protested
that she "never should be able to forgive
pa quite. 1t seemed dreadful to say such
thing, but she couldn't helpit. 1t SEEM
ed as if he hadn't cared bit for his own
family: only for those horrid, useless old
buds, which nobody would ever want so
long as the world stood.''
''Oh, Matte! don't talk so,'' urged her
mother. "Your pa never meant any
wrong. 1t was just disease with him to
buy such things. And they'll fetch some.
thing, / dare say. We shall get part
back.''
Yes. a couple of hundred pounds, per-
haps. What's that out of seven thousand
pounds? I declare, to think of it makes
me feel as if should like to bite some
body" remarked the amiabIe Matilda with
click of her sharp little teeth. The 9TH
ers, more outwardly respectful, were no
less inwardly miserable. None of them
had any hopes from the sale.
The two months advertising were duly
fulfilled, and the collection removed to
the auction-room Very bare did the old
house look after it was gone; but that
mattered little, for its occupants were pre-,
pairing to move as soon as the sale was
over. They waited for that, but with so
little hope or interest in the affair that it
was out till late in the afternoon of the
third day that Bryan troubled himself to
"step down" and learn the result. He
came back so red and excited that his
mother turned pale with apprehension,
while the girls crowded about him.
whats the matter? Has it all gone
wrong?"
81 always knew it would"
''Havn't they fetched anythinq9" this
from Matilda.
"Anything! I should say so. Mother
my father was right all through, and the
rest of us pack of fools. What do you
think the things have sold for?"
1.-TWO hundred" Five hundred" GA
pounds,'' the last in timorous
voice.
GA thousand! just wait and hear
They were selling the last lot when I got
there. By Jove, it was the old signboard
we all jeered at. Well, that brought thir-
ty-two pounds!"
"Oh, Bryan. perfectly impossible!'
"It did, though. we'll, that was a stun
ner; but when at last got hold of Ashe
and heard the full amount of the sale, you
might have knocked me down with pin
feather. Now listen! what do you think
three thousand pounds7''
Tableau.
Mrs. Bevel nearly swooned
''Ah, my poor dear John!'' she cried |
when she came to. s'And me thinking |
him so silly all alongl''
s'Silly! He was the only knowing one
among us, " declared Bryan. eff he had |
put the amount-the whole cost-at COM