Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-19
A MOST REMARKABLE WILL

one detail which does not matter. For the cake
OF avoiding blanks and da5hes, | will call IL
Chatteroury, as more or less applicable to
them all-at least, IN Miss Molloy's time She
was little eccentric In tribes; but In all es.
Seniial Things as VIGOROUSLY whole minded.
and strong minded too, as any lady OF sixty in
the Wnole Kingdom / nlrSt enter a little into
her FAMILY history; but only 80 far as Is need
ful. She had been the second Of three beau
titul sisters. the daughters and coheiresseS OF a
gentleman OF large estate IN Ireland. They
were much run after in their girlhood, and had
once been known as the three pocket-beau-
ues-lesS 10 allusion TO their size than to their
rsputatien - then somewhat uncommon in
Dubiin-of being worth marrying for some.
thing more lasting than beauty.
Well, to cut long story short before 1t Is
Wei begun, the eldest, Miss Luct5 Molloy "a
quaint first name; but it always struck me as a
Singularly pretty one for pretty girl1, eloped
with Sgentleman also descended from royalty
so far decended, indeed that there was
scarcely a further social depth left him to
descend to-named Fitzgerald OBirn: and the
youngest, Miss Judith, went of With a foreign
refugee. a sort OF gartan-G arman- Polish
FefentZ Is the Hungarian for Francis, / believe:
Steidl, fancy Is Bavarlan or Tyrole3e. Both
marriages turnedout mtserably-so rniserabIy,
that Miss Bridgita fOrS wore romance and even
matrL1oDy. and actually kept her VOW
She also kept more than her yow-she kept
her fortune. When the creditors got hold OF
handsome surplus left hun In cash and Consois
absolutely 20 his one wise daughter. Not
penny went into the pockets OF Count SteldI
or Mr.. U Birn. 1t was bitter appointment
70 ooth gentlemen; and believe they avenged
OF their Kind.
So while poor Madame Steldl suffered and
starved all over Europe and DOOR Mrs O'BIrn
starved and suffered In the larger aud darker
continent OF London, Miss Molloy lived alone
and In dignifled opulence at Canterbury. She
was was ilrst- rate economist, and her patrimony
had proSpered. She used to amuSe herself by
specializing in StOck-alway5 Shrewdly and
cautiously. By the time she was sixty, 1t was
reckoned that her income could not amount to
iess than SAFE twelve hundred year, OF
which she saved at least five.
Now what In the world was TO become of
al this money If Bridglta Moiloy ever hap
fencd TO die:
III.
One afternoon the matl.cOach from London
set down Two gentlemen at the Old Swan,
Canterbury. Both had remarkably little lug
gage for those days. when men could not run
from \ ork TO London and back again In a few
nour5 Both ordered bed both walked into
the coffee ROOM and one OF them rang the bell.
Wnen the waiter answered it, one OF the gen.
tlemen ordered cold brandy, the other not
whisky. And the walters report at the bar
was not fayoroble TO either. But with that
opinion lack of luggage may have had some
thing to do.
There was other resemolanees between the
TWO men. Both were well past middle age
neither looked like one OF the hunting men, or
Officers on half pay, or rheumatic patients, who
FORMED the bulk OF the male visitors to Chat
terbury. But there all likeness came TO an end.
He OF the whiskey was long lean man. with
nerce untrfmmed whtSkerS, a shiny bald head
bloodshot blue eyes. and a telI-tale nose
dressed IN the height OF fashion, with ten
ordered his grog In thick rich brOgue. He of
the brandy, on the other hand, was short and
squat, with dirty sallow complexion. thick
griZzled hair, and twinkitng black eyes He
wore the then unusual ornament, II ornament
IL De. OF Inustache; aud, for the rest, was
cleaa, or rather half shaved. and there was
something FTenchffied about his costume.
''Naitther.n said the Irishman. "If ANYBODY
calls here to dee or tomorrow for Mejor O'Birn.
I'm MejoT 0'B!rn."
The other started for a moment and LAID his
glass down.
shall comprehend. Monsieur, he asked,
that you give your name?"
ale name? And why wouldn't ! give me
namtE Sal0 OBlrn With little leap IN his
Chair. IT'S none TO be ashamed or, anyhow.
Ia ike to see the man with name to his back
as good as OBlrn.'
lone hundred thousand pardons Monsieur.
/ an glad that know-that is all. En- but one
hundred thousand pardons, Monsieur Fitzgerald
OBirn."
nose grew suddenly pale.
''Sure, now, ye're not goin TO tell me ye're
ole Of thin biagyard Jews" cried he. sure
twould DE too crool an all, when I've come
down to see me own wife'S Sisther. that's roiun'
over and over IN j0OlS an gold. An we've fol-
loved me all the We down here; an this is
free country! An bad luck TO the country
where an officer an gentleman mustn't pee
visit TO his wife'S relations without being
hunted by ali Jerusalem in full cry Come,
Moses. ye II give roe another dee"
Anal SO you think no one shall know your
name but the people which shall hold your
bills Monsieur O'Btrn? hold not your bills:
am not fool. You come down to see Mdlle.
Br!dgita. then, shall comprehend"
''Sure, then. It's the divyle We are, But that's
better, anyhow, than oein' what thought
You shall not be so sure, Monsieur. I shall
know your Christian name. and / shall know
the Christian name OF the sister of your Wife,
because | am FerentZ SJeldl, Monsieur O'BlTn.
Aha: you shall have the tremblement perceati-
'.Hwhat7' cried the Major leaptng to his feet
with shout and glare. "Ye SIT there In cold
blood. and ye tell me. Major Fitzgerald O'Birn,
yere MISREPRESENTATION blagyard-rhat
snake In the grass-that drinkin swlndlln',
spirited under handed, slandherin muir
derin', onrespectable thief OF the whole world
Ferentz Steldl? And We think TO escape from the
fist OF gentlemen this deco
Patience, patience, mon b'du freiP," said
Steldl, without the slightest change OF tone.
Fine wo rds shall not butter what you call the
pdHdtS. 1t Is you who shall escape from me.
GU shall leave this town. / shall guard Mdlle.
Molloy, sister OF my Wife, aunt OF my son, from
you. For that am here"
something In the significant calmness OF his
foreign brother-ln-law Gained the Major down.
lie returned to his chair. shifted his glass on
tue table, and said:
Al us LOT l0at N mere, 100, said he,
m here TO defend me own SiSther, an me
Wifes sisther, an me gurls aunt, from all the
counts out OF Hungary an the Siven DyleS. An
yell move from your safe II We dare
/ shall not desire said Steldl. "a am well
where ain. desire TO have the eye Oh yOu my
beau. mere. While you shall sit tlere | shall
SIT here. II 1t shall be to the death, Monsieur
O'Birn. 1t shall be the duel Ia mort. Mon
seur. and we shall fight with the bottoms OF
the chairs.
Then, faith. III SIT like the hen OF Banao-
her-an she sat TIL the 500 uBdher her began to
crow, SO ye think Miss Biddy'll open the crack
OF her door to the likes or you >"
why net? She Is sister OF my wife, and
aunt OF my SON.
Aunt OF my daughter. We name Poh
whatd she know or son or yours?"
You mock OF yourself. my beau- mere. Have
she not buy my son FerentL the commission OF
the Foot, and keep him, So lonG he see not
me
Then ye lie In your throat. Ferentz SteldE
It's me own daughter, an her own goddaugh-
Ter an niece, Lucis Bridgita, that she's kept al
school at her own charge, an keeps in pocket
money as long as i don't see ner more than
woOnst year"
she do that for your daughter: Impossible
Monsieur"
:, ,sne do that for your son? Mr. SteIdl, ye
The way In which these two gentlemen quar-
relied. without showing the least sign OF COM
lng 10 plows, gave the waiter, who was not lar
on, an altogether fresh view OF the possibilities
OF human nature. obviously there was world
In which gentlemen cared more Tor their physi-
cal than their moral skin.
Take yourself of, my beau fl'eJ'e. In effect