Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-03-15


an old woman's most hearty blessing
I cannot pay you, Ella, nor leave hlm
fortune. | have nothing, DEAR but
,ho few chairs aud tables in The house,
bu, God will reward you for love aud
care TO me-.
DAYS slipped into weeks and weeks
into months. aud vas nearly three
months later than the day she lett
Cre,ton. " len Ella was free to return
there. Gerard Cooper's friend Tor
oars and had known Ella from her in
fancy, came in. In spite oI the solem-
,;tv ot the occasion there was twinkle
in his eyes as he said:
Have Y Gu see Gerard Cooper since
we left the cemetery"
No, he las not come home yet
did YOU know your Amt Margaret
left will?'
"A will! thought she had no pro-
perty?' ,,,
SHE owned nothing hut her clothing
and tbe furniture OF this cottage. She
has left all that TO YOU
SO she told me. But it is OF no
money value, is lt:'
.T,ot r,mains TO be seen. Now,
Nell. make me promise. Promise me
YOU will rot accept any proposal oil
Gerard Cooper's without sending him
to me-
Certainly said Ella, rather be-
wildered. ,,
DO ,ou want to sell the furniture"
III would cost good deal to carry
1t 10 Crcyton, would it not"
Yes
And our cottage there Is furnished. }
Then YOU do not care for the old
furniture. Some of thisls very line,
more than a hundred years old.
But Ella was not educated up 10 old
furniture. and thought her pretty modern
sofas and tables suited her little cottage
far better than Aunt Margarcts heavy
large piece of mahogany aud black oak,
But ior SIR. Lelgh's call she woulu
have closed at once with Gerard's
careless offer.
.By the way, Nell, my wife has rather
set her heart upon grandmother's iuT-
niture. and had no idea she would VIII
it away. You won't want to move all
this stuff to Creylon. Suppose l give a
hundred dollars Tor the lot as 1t stands
Without warning, Nell would have
accepted at once, but as it was she
was surprised to see Gerard Cooper 5
face crow black as she sald'
Mr.. Leigh said he would see about
fiat for me. You can tell hm you
want the furniture
An expression more iorclOle than
polite escaped Mr.. Cooper as lie stroGe
ont Of the room, slammlh5 tic door
after HIM.
But three days later, Ella began 10
understand the situation. ln her quiet
country home, occupied by her domes'
tic duties. she had taken little interest
in the follies of fashion. seeing noth-
inc Of them and scarcely needing what
she read. The value Of old furniture
was unknown 20 her, and the fact that
her inheritance was choice ahd rare
one was something that had not occur
red 10 her.
But Mr.. Leigh was well aware "l
the fact. and having a cordial liking ior
Ella. had resolved TO make The legacy
"a valuable as possible, understanding
that the furniture itself would be oil bn'
lille value TO her, A carefully worded
advertisement IN the leading papers cl
tbe cities neares, to Magnolia, clrcu'
lar letter to some Of tie prominent
dealers. were as high wall III the little
nlan Gerard Cooper had made to buy
his orandmo,her's furniture for a lrile.
A sale was announced, aud Mr.. Leigh
sent an agent to put .he cottage IN pro-
per order.
Sach of the clothing as you can use
spi:k up be told Ella, and send the
trunks TO the depot, but let all the ola
fashioned stuff 90 for costumes
Magnolia had never such a sight as
the cottage on the dry of the sale.-
Every train brought crowds OF fashion
ably attired ladies aud gentlemen pro-
fessional and amateur collectors TILL
the house aud garden were packed
and p,e road III front crowded when The
auclioneer, stepped up on a atable on the
porch and opened the sale.
Ella and Mr.. Leigh were at an open
window, looking through closed blinds
ot The scene. Gerard Cooper, with
face darkened BY frowns, stood leanlnl
on the lence. ready TO make bids iol
what he had calculated to possess muci
more easily.
II seemed TO Ella that she must d
in dream as the bidding grew NOR
! animated. Could the old claw-legge'
table actually be worth fifty dollars
Was the man who gave two hundred
| dollars for the carved black oak sid