Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-11-22
THE LOST Will.

THE LOST Will.
Old Gerald Rushford was dead and
buried and all the dear friends were
i'm a state Of establishment and con
sternation 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, y
Mr.. Wilde, the lawyer said. "Ihere
was a later will than this, drawn up
after Mr. Robert came home, and leav-
ing the bulk Of the property to him.
In it Miss Gray was generously re
membered too; but this one, which
makes her heiress, was made while
Mr.. Rushford was ignorant that his
nephew had escaped. | supposed this
will had long been destroyed.
'What caused you to suppose sot'
was Robert Rushford's very natural
question.
The lawyer replied that his client
had told him-ou the occasion of his
drawing up the second will-that it
was his intention to put the first one
into the fire.
"And / thought he. had done so, |
never doubted but this was the latest
will. IL seems, however, that we
have got hold of the wrong document;
the other is still in existence some
where. We VIII have a thorough
search for it
"And until you find it, or until
you fail to find it, this one stands, ="
said Robert Rushford, quietly stating
fact which the lawyer was forced 10
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 friend ana acquain-
tmces discussed her not always quite
inaudibly.
what very awkward and pecu
liar position for Miss Gray What an
opportunity-if the viii did not turn
up-to show her magnanimity and
sense of honor by making over the
fortune to young 3ushford Doubt
less, i'm such case, he would be most
generous to her, and really, you
know to a girl of Miss Gray's birth
and former position few thousands
would be a fortune What was her
position, A daughter to old Rush
ford's hOusekeeper my dear, brought
up as a goveruess, or something
came ON visit to her mother when
the old man was sick, and nursed
him so tenderly and skillfully that he
could not be persuaded to part with
her again She had been as q daugh-
ter iu the house ever since, and if
young Rushford had never turned up
If lac had been really lost at sea, as
was long supposed why, you know,
rich old men are eccentric, and there
would have been nothing very aston
iShing IN making her his heiress after
all. But uOw,-it would be terrible.
Utter ruin TO the young mans pros
poets mn life. OF course his engage
ment with Florence Huntley would
be broken OIL Florence was not fl
for a poor mans wifc-a lovely crea-
ture and he So infatuated, my dear
IL would break his heart to lose her.
And SO the stream of gossip flowed
some portions ut 1T finding it's way
TO Marim's ears until the searching
party returned, and announced that,
as yet, they had not found the second
viii.
There was "a marked increase of re
spect toward Miss Gray after this in
telhgence, and some would have
congratulated her bat she checked
them.
But the gossips agreed thather chan
ces were favorable
And if she really is the hciress
my dear why G, course it's dreadful
for the young man terrible but
still
Public opinion was disposed to b,
kind to the heiresS Ina amy case
" She is not over eager she bears
her honors' meekly shouldn't won
der il She turns the fortune over t,
the nephew after all Y was the com
ment of many after they left th,
house and went their several ways.
They would have Judged different
ly if they could have seen her tha
night. locked securely i'm her owl
room. the blinds and shutters closed
no eyes save those of heaven upon
her. She unfastcued her dress au,
drew a sealed and folded parchment
from her bosom--it was the missiu.
Will; she gazed upon it long and earn
estly.
Miserable document. She wins
pered, If / should give You rs hin
now what ruin YOU would work fo
me. Yes, YOU would rob me of all
prize, and place II ii The keeping 8
another Aud who win lose Mis-
Huntley for being poor What is he
love worth, then And She is So dea
to him that it VIII break his heart 1
lose her as it would mine t. lose iii
one / love Whom | love Whom
loven she went ON, in the same loN