Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-04-26
THE LOST WILL.
4 Story Of Love.

buried, and all the dear five hundred
friends were in state of astonishment
and cons .ernation over his will, for it
named his pet ard protege. Marian Gray,
his sole heiress, while his nephew,
Robert Rushford, was not even men,
toned.
"There IL some strange mistake, Mr..
Wilde, the lawyer, said. "There was
later will than this drawn up after Mr..
Robert came home, and leaving the bulk
of the property TO him. In it Miss Gray
was generously remembered, too but
this one, which makes her heiress, was
made while Mr.. Rushford was ignorant
that his nephew had escaped. sup
posed that this will had long since been
destroyed"
"What caused him to suppose SOP"
was Robert Rushford's very natural
question; to which his lawyer replied
that his client had told him-on the oc
casion of his drawing up the second will
that it was his intention to put the
first one in the fire.
"And thought he had done so. I
never doubted but that this was the lat
est will. 1t seems, however, that we
have got hold Of the wrong document
the other is still in existence some
where. We will have thorough search
for it,"
"And until You find it, or if you fail
to find it, this one stands" said Robert
Rushford quietly, stating fact which
the lawyer was forced to admit.
Meantime the heiress by the first will
and legatee by the second had sat quiet
and still. She listened, with her eyes
cast down, but spoke no word.
While her friends and acquaintances
discussed her-not always quite inaudi-
bly--"What very awkward and pecul-
lar position for Miss Gray! What an
opportunity--if the second will did not
turn up-to show her magnanimity and
sense Of honor, by making over the
fortune TO young Rushford ! Doubt
less, in such case, he would be most
generous to her, and really, You know,
toa girl Of Miss Gray's birth and former
position, few thousands would be
fortune. Whas was her position? A
daughter to old Rushiord's housekeeper,
my dear, brought up for governess, or
something-came on a visit to her
mother while the old man was sick, and
nursed him so tenderly and skillfully
that he could not be persuaded to part
with her again. She had been as q
daughter in the house ever since, and If
young Rushford had never turned up-h
he had really been lost at sea, as was SO
long supposed-why, you know, rich
old men were eccentric, and there would
have been nothing very astonishing in
his making her his heiress after all. But
now--it would be terrible. Utter ruin
10 the young mans prospects in life.
vi course his engagement with Florence
Hnntley would be broken of. Florence
was not fit for poor mans wife-a
lovely creature--and he 30 infatuated,
my dear; it will break his heart to lose
herl"
And so ON, the stream OF gossip flowed
some portions Of it finding its way to
Marian's ears--until the searching party
returned. and announced that, as yet,
they had not found the second will.
There was q marked increase OF re-
spect toward Miss Gray after this in
telligence, and some would have con-
gratulatcd her. but she checked them,
1T is too early YET" she said, with
sad smile.
But the gossips agreed that her
chances were favorable.
And IL she really is the heiress. my
dear, why OF course it's dreadful for the
young man-terrible-but still"
Public opinion was disposed to be kind
70 the heiress in any case.
"she is not over eager-she bears her
nonors meekly--shouldn't wonder IL she
turns the fortune over 10 the nephew
after oil r was the comment of many
H'er they left the house and went their
several ways.
They would have judged differently II
'nsy could have seen her that night.