Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-04-26

fastened her dress and drew q sealed and
folded parchment from her bosom-it
was the missing will
She gazed upon il long and earnestly,
Miserable document, she whispered.
"HI should give you to him now what
ruin you would work me. Yes, you
would rob me Of all I prize, and place it
in the keeping Of another And will he
lose Miss Huntley for being poor? What
Is her love worth, then? And Is she SO
dear to him that ii win break his heart
to lose her-as it would mine TO lose the
one whom l love? Whom I love
Whom ! love |! f" she went on, in the
same low whisper, clasping her hands in
burst Of anguish. nwhom love, but
who has no thought for me Only for
her-and viii my action part them Is
it sin ? Will he ever, ever forgive me2
Is II sin to part true lovers. but are
these true? We shall see-for, il they
are, poverty will not part them
When she lay down to sleep that night
the lost will lay under her pillow, and q
sealed letter beside it, addressed to Rob-
crt Rushford; Marian kissed that name
before she went to sleep.
"He willforgive my sin when he reads
this letter." she thought. 81 do but
obey the dead"
And all next day the will lay warm in
her bosom, while Robert and MIR. Wilde
searched carefully and YEARLY through
al the house. 1t was hard TO see his dis.
appointed face, and feel that she could
make all well 30 easily.
II must obey the dead, she told her.
self. 81 must obey the dead /"
At last they gave up all hope of the
lost will. Robert resigned himself to
what seemed hard fate, and Miss Gray
was declared Gerald Rushford's lawful
beiress.
Mr.. Wilde made no secret of his dis.
gust.
"There might be some arrangement
made by which you could fulfill the
wishes Of the dead, Mss Gray, " he said.
81 Judge you are hardly one to play the
cuckoo by pushing the true bird out OF
the nest in order TO occupy it yourself.
/ can remember the terms of the second
WILL"
To this broad hint she answered, qui.
etly: "The will may yet be found, sir.
Excuse me if / hesitate to tax your
memory while that chance remains. Be-
lieve me, my most earnest wish and en-
deavor is-to obey the dead"
He did not understand.
"She puzzles me-, he said to Robert,
"but somehow l fancy she'll give you
your money after ell; yes, l do believe
it,"
$50 do not J." replied Robert.
Women are mercenary. See how
quickly Florence Hnntley has thrown
me over. 1t was worth the loss Of the
fortune to find her out. Fancy marry
ing girl in the bslief that she really
loved you, and afterward discovering
that she only wanted your purse. That
would have been my fate il I'd got the
fortune. / was hard hit, too, while
thought her woman with loving
heart, but shall survive my disappoint-
ment. IT, thought there was any dan
ger of Miss Gray's indulging in any
Quixotic acts OF remuneration / should
take measures TO prevent it; but you
won't find much of that kind Of thing
among women, believe me-"
And Mr.. Wilde began to think the
same as time went on. For six months
Marian went quietly on her way, obey
ing-while the lawyer accused her of
ignoring--the wishes of the dead.
Robert was an apt writer and had OBJ
tanned employment on the press, where
by he made living. Marian rolled by
him in his uncle's carriage in the street.
II seemed as il the ungrateful cuckoo
had pushed the trrse bird out Of the nest,
after all.
"Mercenary-mercenary to the core y
was Roberts reflection, as he lifted his
hat to his uncle's heiress as she rode by,
and admired, in spite of himself, her
sweet, pale face. "Looks as if there
might be heart and soul behind those
soft dark eyes-looks like woman to
love and be loved, butthey re ail alike
mercenery to the very corep
And he was sensible of a feeling OF
disappointment over Marian.
"She should be q higher, truer, bet
ter type of woman than Florence was, II
appearances go for anything at all. She
should have been willing to give up to
me the fortune. I wouldn't have ac-
cepted the sacrifice; but / could have
admired and respected her for being
ready to make it But they're all alike"
Reaching his lodgings he found Mr..
wilde waiting for him in . tremendous
state Of excitement, andholding an open
letter in his hand.
"Look here just received this.
Listen !"
DEAR sIa Be good enough to call upon me
at O'Clock p. m. and bring Mr.. Rushford with
you. The win ia found. have sincere pleas
ure in placing the true heir in possession OF his
own at last Very respectfully
MARIAN GRAY.
"Where was IL found? Where was IL