Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-07-21
MRS. PIERREPOINT
a sketch in Two Parts.
PART /.

PART /.
PRINCES GATE
The funeral was over the great mourning
coaches had deposited their highly respecta-
bic burdens at the door Of the large house in
Princes Gate, and people, standing in little
groups about hall and dining-room, were be-
ginning to grow quite conversational, and to
forget, in the light from freshly unshuttered
windows, what cause had brought them to-
gether.
When a man gets beyond the portion Of life
allotted to him by public opinion and the Bi-
bic, he must not expect 10 be very deeply
mournud when be does die and Mr. Pierre
point at whose last rites his friends had just
assisted, had outlived by two years the "three-
score and ten" of Scripture. Under the cir
cumstances, immoderato grief at his loss was
not to be expected it was reserved for disap-
pointed legatees to mourn, rs a waggish cOus-
in, q "briefess barristor," whispered to his
neighbor.
Up stairs the newly. y.made widow was sit
ting with clasped hands and pensiyo eyes,
alone in her dainty boudoir Tho sunlight,
falling upon her, called up points of gold in
the rich brown of her thick, coiled hair and
put to severe test the delicate purity of her
skin. There was a tap at the door, and in an
swer to her subdued "come in a tall gentle
man entered, whose stout proportions and
sleek gray head seemed entirely in keeping
with his clerical coat and CATERS. Mrs. Pierre
point arose and stood grHvely before him.
do you want me, uncle y she said.
You had better 60 down stairs, my dear"
he answered. "Mr Wormit is about to read
the will"
DO you think it necessary that should be
present p
"Yes, do" said the dean, deliberately :;
ttit was your huebapd'e cpaoial vyigh Aud
my dear, if you are ready, we will go at once"
He offered her his arm, aud led her TO the
drawing room, where the people, including
Lawyer Wormit had assembled. There was
little hush as the widow came into the room I;
naturally enough, she was the subject of no
small amount OF speculation and curiosity.
When a man dies possessed of something like
c20, 900 year, his possible inheritors acquire
an importance they have never had before.
All eyes turned openly or furtvely toward
the young figure sitting near the dean, look
ing very pale and pathetic in her heavy Grape
| dress.
Then the sound of the lawyers voice drew
everybody thoughts to the important matter
in hand.
1t was not a long will in spite of legal in
| tricac;es and repetitions it took scarcely ten
minutes to read it. There we're few leGa-
| cies to relatives, few to servants; but the
testator had Internationally bequeathed the
bulk Of his huge property to his wife--Mrs.
| Minnie Pieuepoint.
There was pause-a hush if the widow
had been an object of interest before, she
was one of something like awe now, aud all
eyes were turned upon her. Her face WAS
very pale her full, red lips pressed tightly
| together; her bosom rose and fell for a mo-
ment she closed her eyes-that was all. She
turned to the dean and spoke in low, trem.
ulous voice:
Please uncle, would you see to all these
people? have ordered dinner for them at
six. l should like to go up stairs"
Certainly, my dear" said the Clergyman,
Offering her his arm, and looking,at her with
no little respect. He had had no expectations
from the dead man, and consequently could
rejoice the more thoroughly in his niece'l
good fortune. Certainly. l suppose you
will dine in your own room 2"
mo, thank you, uncle. Jenkinson viii
bring me up some tea presently. am moi
hungry"
Mrs. Pierrepoint went back to her boudoir
which led into the great empty bedroom
She would stay there alone that evening, and
would not dine. Not that, as a rule, she was
indifferent TO delicate cookery; on the con.
trary, there was a good deal of the epicure il
her nature. Indeed it was this very epcure
anism which led her to fast tonight. Sh,
had subtler, more exquisite, feast in stor
for herself, and she would not spoil the effec
of either banquet by indulging in both at the
same time. There was a soft, golden light il
the little room, a soft breath of summer blow
ing in through the open window beyond tn
roofs she could see the tops of the trees il
Kensington Gardens, standing out against
sky bright with all the glory of the declining
day. Mrs. Pierrepont drew low chair I,
| he xyindnug laxy han usN
eyes. She could not believe it, could no
realize it-that for which she had given up S
much was hers at last-her very own, not he'll
at the caprice Of a sickly, jealous old man
Only six months, and she was free. Long
dreary months of self-repression they ha
, been but they were over, and her rewar
was greater than she had ever dared TO hop
[though, to do her justice, she had neve
much occupied herself with unworthy specu
lation). She clasped her hands tightly tC
= gether, and the fingers of her right han
came in contact with her wedding ring. Poe
[ Mr.. Pierrepointl He must have loved hC
= very much to have made such a will. Sh
really did feel sorry for him, that he had die
so suddenly. No one should ever be able I
say that she had not respected his memory
4 She took key from her watch chain, anC
? rising, went toward an escritoire standing
5 a far corner of the room. On the way 81
e, paused before a tall mirror let into the wal
8 and stood pensively observing her own reae
a ton.
: Minnie Pierrepoint was not tall womal
! but the exquisiteness of her proportions mao
o up for any deficiency in height nor was 81
: very slight for her twenty-five years-indee
j kind friends were fond of prophesying Il
I her an obese middle age, grounding their pr
5 pheoies on a certain by no means unbecomir
o fullness and roundness in her form.
j. She stood for few minutes gazing grave
Q into her own large gray eyes, critically obser
d ing the curves of her short nose and red lip
: which latter, some one had often told he
Il looked as though 'some bee had newly stuI
= them" Perhaps il was this thought tn
o brought the flush TO her pale face, and Sci
y her on to the escritoire. She sat down on Il
d floor, and, unlocking it, pulled out lit
Is drawer whence came q faint scent OF ro
n leaves, from which she took packet of lette
tied with blue ribbon. She took 1t out te
! derly, and let it lie on her lap, with her han
T. lightly crossed above ID. Then her though
g wandered far away-beyond the room, beyol
D. Kensington, beyond great, smoky Londo
Is She is lettering down deep Devonshire Ian
10 with its struggling vegetation growing up
% the sides of its reddish banks. Some one
ot by her side, and they are laughing and tai
10 ing softly together. As they emerge from
70 lane, an ivy-grown church comes in sigl
A picturesque old house, built of red san
stone, nestles close by, whence white. hair
IF clergyman passes out into the ohurchyaI
Again her thoughts take her back