The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-09-20
THE HEIR.AT.LAw.

Yes, was really engaged to be married.
And marriage was quite an event in our
family since Ellen and sophy and Prudence
were all settled into old maids, and mamma
was a widow of twenty years standing.
Nell had been engaged once, but her lover,
poor soul, was wrecked in the "Arctic,n
and Sophy was plain, and had never received
proposal at all, and Prudence had always
been too busy in caring for the household
and nursing mamma to think of such thing
So that we had lived like a sisterhood of
nuns in the old Hall since l could remember.
1t was a moldy, musty sort of an old
place although in bygone years IL must have
been stupendously grand. There was q
conservatory where no flowers ever grew, a
dining-hall with arched and paneIed ceilings,
which, instead Of being sacred to the rites Of
hospitality, was crowded with old packing
boxes aud broken furniture, a great, m,lsty-
smelling picture-gallery, where solitary
portrait Of d h-shouldered vensilio anoes.,
tor hung by . broken red cord, sad relic Of
all the departed nrt-treasures. There were
deserted lawns, where big-eyed COWS and
hocks Of sheep grazed up to the very door;
there were dilapidated fountains, whose
water-ducts were choked up with dry leaves
and dust paths grown over with weeds box
monsters distorted out of all shape, roses
grown to tangled wlldernesses And we,
the Widow venville and her four daughters
lived in one wing, keeping as comfortable as
we could, and trying to be ladies on On in
come which would have pinched char
woman.
Until Helen Devereux, who had married q
young lawyer and gone to live in a fiat in
New York, invited me to come and visit her.
Me, Tilly venville, cherry checked girl
of eighteen, with round blue eyes and deal
of inexperience, and became acquainted
with Mr.. Lillume
He was a lawyer, too. He used to come
home with Mr.. Devereux to tea sometimes.
and he took us to drive in the Central Park,
and I liked him. And before I knew it, the
liking changed to love.
~ My little bcnuty," no safd to mo onv
day, "you deserve prince Do you think
you could be happy with poor young
lawyer 7"
am used to poverty" said, brightly.
eve have been poor oil our lives--mamma
and the girls and mel And,n suddenly
hiding my face in the window-curtains ST
think could be happy anywhere with you !
But. sa8N4 |
swell, little Tilly,p he said, caressingIy,
"what is the but ?"
Mamma, and Prue, and Sophie, and
and Nell | could not leave them |"
and you need not, lilly" he said.
They shall all come and live with US. My
home may not be splendid place. but it
will shelter all who are dear to you |"
So came home with the good news, and
we were all happy together, until Prudence
remembered.
1.-The heir-at-law! !" she exclaimed, sudden
ly, with lengthening face. We haven't
told lilly about the heir-at-law !"
"What of him ?" said I. He is of in
Switzerland He neadp'i .->'.hia u.s.
"But he has come back said mamma.
He ia going to be married. And he intends
to live at the Hall himself--and there are q
lot of upholsterers and decorators, and car
penters coming up from the city. And Miss
0ctavia Fuller, the sources daughter, drove
up yesterday to look at the place-and do
you know, lilly, we shrewdly suspect that
she is to be the lady of Heart HALL"
Well, she's welcome to it," said 'sLet
Mr.. Heart have tho old place. John and I
are going to make home for you and the
girls 1t may not be IN old palace of o
place like this, but am quite sure that it
viii be happy home, mamma, dear"
But still, after had laid my head on che
pillow atnight the tears kept coming into my
eyes at the idea of the old home passing into
the hands OF strangers. For although the
blood of the Hearts might run in his veins,
this distant relative of my mother had spent
all his life in foreign countries, and could
have no sweet associations connected with
the old Hall. He could not know, as we
did, where the trouts darted swiftest In the
pool, nor where the earliest violets opened
their blue eyes. He could not gather the
blood-red jacqueminot roses out OF the
tangled briers, nor tell on which of the
ruined espnliers the juicy pears ripened the
sweetest. He did not know in which of the
angles of the picture gallery the echo linger.
ed like disembodied ghost, nor from what
window the finest view spread itself out, a
living panorama. He might own the place,
but he had not grown up ia it, as we had.
Miss octavia came the next day in her
little pony phaeton and rustling silk skirts.
She was tall and handsome, and masculine
looking, with the least soupcon of black
mustache on her upper lip, and perfume Of
ssWest End" which surrounded her like an
atmosphere. She nodded to me in pa
tronizing fashion as she came in.
$50 you are back again, Matilda" said
she. "And engaged, they tell me, to a very
worthy young man. I'm sure hope you
viii be happy Yes" to mamma, we must
have a 5outloia thrown out here to the south.
The bride must have her complete suite
Of apartments all the style now. The
conservatory will be extended, and stocked
by La Silliere. The frescoes are in charge
of Monsieur Dupresse. The furniture will
be supplied by yarnish g. sattingley, and
Mr.. Heart has purchased some valuable
paintings in France and Italy. which will set
off the old gallery to good advantage. We
are excepting the renovations to be quite
complete be September And of course"
With that ineffably patronizing air again,
"Mr. Heart will be charmed to have you
visit the Hall, and see the improvements at
any time you choose"
Prudence and Nell were silent, 5ophy
never looked up from her sewing My face
crimsoned, but did not speak, and mamma
broke the awkward silence by saying;
at is very kind of Mr.. Hear, we
shall be with my daughter lilly, by that
time"
ooh I" said Miss Octayia laughing. "St
the young lawyer marries the whole family
does he? Well, really, suppose 1t is thu
best arrangement that can be made"
And when she had swept away, leaving
the "West End" perfume behind her, W.
looked at each other.
81 shall not think much of my cousin MIR.
TT u L. ID. 10 n hou0htv