, 1882-01-13

Days slipped into weeks, weeks into
months, and it was nearly three months
later than the day she LETT Creyton, when
Ella was free to return there. Gerard
Cooper had been with his grandmother
week before she died, but no other re.
lative excepting Ella had come to Mag
nolia.
The funeral was over, and Ella was
alone in the little parlor, when Mr.,
Leigh, the lawyer who had been Mrs.
Coopers friend for years, and had known
Ella from her infancy, came in. In
spite Of the solemnity of the occasion
there was u twinkle in his eyes as he said;
"Have you seen Gerard Cooper since
we left the cemetery?'
"No, he has not come home yet"
"Did you know your Aunt Margaret
left a will?'
"A will thought she had no prop
erty?'
"She owned nothing but her clothing
and the furniture of this cottage. She
has left all that to you"
$50 she told me. But it is of no money
value, is it,"
THAT remains to be seen. Now, Nell,
make me a promise. Promise me you
will not accept any proposal of Gerard
Coopers without sending him to me-
Certainly" said Ella, rather be-
wilderOd.
"Do you want to sell the furniture?"
"It would cost great deal to carry it
to Creyton, would it not?"
Yes"
"And our cottage there is furnished.
"Then you do not care for the old
furniture. Some of this is very fine,
more than hundred years old"
But Ella was not educated up to old
furniture, and thought her pretty mod.
ern sofas and tables suited her little cot
tage far better than Aunt Margaret's
heavy large pieces OF mahogany and
black oak.
But for Mr.. Leigh's call she would
have closed mt once with Gerard's care
less offer
"By the way, Nell, my wife has rather
set her heart upon graudmother's furni-
ture, and had no idea she would will it
away. You won't want to move all this
stuff to Creyton. Suppose l give you a
hundred dollars for the lot, as it
stands"
Without warming, Nell would have ac-
cepted ut once, but, as it was, she was
surprised to see Gerard Cooper's face
grow black as she said:
"NIr. Leigh said he would see about
that for me. You can tell him you want
the furniture"
An expression more forcible than po-
lite escap ped Mr.. Cooper, as he strobe out
of the room, slamming the door after
him.
But three days later Ella began to un-
derstand the situation. In her quiet
country home, occupied by her domestic
duties, she had taken little interest in the
follies or freaks of fashion, seeing moth
ing Of them, and hardly needing what
she read. The value of old furniture
was unknown to her, and the fact that
her inheritance was choice and rare
one was something that had not occurred
to her.
But Mr.. Leigh was we'll aware of the
fact, and having cordial liking for Ella,
had resolved to make the legacy rs valu-
able as possible. understanding that the
furniture itself would be of very little
value TO her. A carefully worded adver-
tisement in the leading papers of the city
nearest to Magnolia, II circular letter to
some of the prominent dealers, were rs
high walls in the little plan Gerard
Cooper had made to buy his grand
mothers furniture for trihe. A sale
was announced and NJ: Leigh sent
an agent to put the cottage in proper
order.
"Snch Of the clothing as you can use,
pack up" he told Ella, "and send your
trunks to the depot. but let all the old
fashioned stuff go for costumes
Magnolia had never seen such sight
as the cottage on the day of the sale.
Every train brought crowds Of fashion
ably attred ladies and gentlemen, ,profes-
sional and amateur collectors, till the
house and garden were packed, and the
road in front crowded, when the auc-
tioneer stepped upon table on the porch
and opened the sale.
Ella and Mr.. Leigh were at the upper
window, looking through closed blinds
mt the scene. Gerard Cooper, with a
face darkened by frowns, stood leaning
on the fence, ready to make bids for
what he had calculated to possess more
easily.
1t seemed to Ella that she must be in
a dream as the bidding grew more ami.
mated. Could that old clawlegged table
actually be worth fifty dollars? Was the
man who gave two hundrtd dollars for
the carved black oak sideboard maniac?
Had she had actually heard bid of one
hundred dollars made for the high-post
bed that nearly filled the cottage bed
room?
Mr.. Leigh chuckled and rubbed his
hands; Gerard Cooper fretted and fumed;
and Elias eyes grew alrge and bright as
great possibility shaped itself into
certainty.
The partnership!
Already she could count upon her fin
gers more than double the sum required
IL / -,