Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-07-25
THE LOST WILL.
a Story of LOUe.


buried, and al the dear five hundred
friends were in state of establishment
and CONSERVATION over his will, for it
named his pet and protege, Marian Gray,
his sole heiress, while his nephew,
Robert Rushford, was not even men
toned.
"There is some strange mistake" Mr..
Wilde, the lawyer, said. "There was
later will than this drawn up after Mr..
Robert came home, and leaving the bulk
of the property to him. In it Miss GRAY
was generously remembered, too; but
this one. which makes her heiress, was
made while Mr.. Rushford was ignorant
that his nephew had escaped. l sup
posed that this will had long since been
destroyed"
"What caused him to suppose so?"
was Robert Rushford's very natural
question; to which his lawyer replied
that his client had told him-on the oc
casion of his drawing up the second will
that it was his intention to put the
first one in the fire.
"And thought he had done so. I
never doubted but that this was the lat
est will. It seems, however, that we
have got hold of the wrong document
the other is still in existence some
where. We will have thorough search
for it"
"And until you find it, or if you fail
to find it. this one stands" said Robert
Rushford quietly, stating fact which
the lawyer was forced to admit.
Meantime the heiress by the first will
and legatee by the second had sat quiet
and still. She listened, with her eyes
cast down, but spoke no word.
While her friends and acquaintance
discussed her-not always quite inaudi-
bly-"What very awkward and pecul-
lar position for Miss Grayl What an
opportunity-if the second will did not
turn up-to show her magnanimity and
sense of honor, by making over the
fortune to young Rushford ! Doubt
less, in such case, he would be most
generous to her, and really, you know,
to a girl of Miss Gray's birth and former
position, a few thousands would be
fortune. What was her position? A
daughter to old Rushford's housekeeper,
my dear, brought up for a governess, or
something-came on visit to her
mother while the old man was sick, and
nursed him so tenderly and skillfulIy
that he could not be persuaded to part
with her again. She had been as a
daughter in the house ever since, and if
young Rushford had never turned up-if
he had really been lost at sea, as was so
long supposed-why, you know, rich
old men were eccentric, and there would
have been nothing very astonishing in
his making her his heiress after all. But
now-it would be terrible. Utter ruin
to the young mans prospects in life.
Of course his engagement with Florence
Huntley would be broken off. Florence
was not fit for a poor mans wife-a
lovely creature-and he so infatuated,
my dear; it viii break his heart to lose
her
And so on, the stream Of gossip flowed
some portions Of it finding its way to
Marian's ears-untl the searching party
returned, and announced that, as yet,
they had not found the second will.
There was a marked increase of re-
spect toward Miss Gray Gfser this in
teligence, and some would have con-
graduated her, but she checked them.
cit is too early yet, she said, with q
sad smile.
But the gossips agreed that he1
chances were favorable.
"And if she really is the heiress, my
dear, why Ct course it's dreadful for the
young man-terrible- still"
Public opinion was disposed to be kind
to the heiress in any case.
"She is not over eager-she bears hel
honors meekly-shouldn't wonder if she
turns the fortune over to the nephew
after all {" was the comment of many
after they left the house and went theil
several ways.
They would have judged differently i
they could have seen her that night
locked securely in her own room, thu
blinds and shutters closed, no eyes save
those of Heaven upon her. She un
fastened her dress and drew sealed and
folded parchment from her BOSOM
was the missing will
She gazed upon it long and earnestly
Miserable document, she whispered
eff I should give you to him now what
ruin you would work me. Yes, yoI
would rob me of all prize, and place i
in the keeping of another f! And will b,
lose Miss HuntIey for being poor? VIVA
is her love worth. then? AulE is she 81