The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-02

prove you, as 1 shall pay this note"
"You!"
81. gave you hard trial and find you
hard material. I'm glad of it. I'm .glad
there's somebody to uphold Eversley's name
when I'm gone. And that won't be long
first. For this thing-this finding my
brothers child a rascal-has given me
blow There never was blot upon the
name before"
1t was very plain it had given the old man
blow He stopped and picked up the note,
trembling from head to foot as Teresa did,
although making strong fight She crossed
over to his side as he turned to go, took his
two hands in hers, and kissed them.
They are clean hands" he said, looking at
them then in half-wanderng way. ''They
never did a thing I am ashamed of before
God. And if they have not been open hands,
it is because they have been busy ones. Well,
well, well, :" and he went stumbling down the
stairs and Teresa left the room to set her
girls their tasks through Miss Mahala.
How long that day seemed! And when it
ended, what then? To go home and keep the
horrid secret burning in her heart How ter
rible thing was life where lover failed,
brother betrayed, home was DESERT She
would have been glad to shut her eyes upon
it all that moment in the marble sleep from
which no one wakes. And leave Laura?
Poor little Laura No; there was one thing
left She would live for her, and feel re-
warded in the living
The effort she had made to control herself
had called up the richest color that the pale
olive of her cheek could wear, her eyes we're
full of a soft fulgent splendor, she was erect
and stately as any young empress, when
group came into the drawing-room where
her costumes were displayed-a dowager, a
pretty pleasant girl, and a plain little over
dressed creature, who tossed her head flip
PANTY, and whose sentences as she moved
alOnp enOka for har alnnsf MAINLY az If
her history had been pinned on her back.
Really" said Miss Mahala, this little
fiancee has been here before, and she has not
particle of intelligence"
But Teresa was acquainted with her. She
was the only child of the famous broker Bri-
arley, the heiress to his immense fortune.
Teresa had been at school with her, and
knew that if she was not hopelessly feeble
minded, it was because we do not call it so
when they are heireSses to immense fortunes.
And this gentleman who had paused in the
reception-room to take a check for their
wraps-Great heavens! could it be Harold
Van Duysen who had come with this fool to
buy her wedding garments? She had known
that Harold had been away with an explor-
ing expedition for year or two; she had
said to herself that she would do him the
justice to believe that it might be his abb
sence that had weakened the bond between
them rather than her assumption of these
him that he would sell himself for Julia
Briarley's money not although she had
heard that all the Van Duysen riches had
recently taken to themselves wings and
flown to the uttermost parts of the earth.
She had thought him high-minded, brave,
able to face frowning world if need were;
and il he were not all that she had never
deemed he could be ignoble.
The group had to pass her, but she beckon-
ed to Miss Mahala to serve them. Julia
paused on the way up to the room, however,
with the mermaiden smile that stretched her
mouth like fish's, and smpered. you see
/ am to be married, Miss Eversley Mrs
Van Duysen says it isn't etiquette for
Harold to come here, but l don't go any
where without him" But Harold looked at
her as if she were a stone by the way-side
that he had never seen before, and was never
likely to see again, and passed on. How
your arm trembles. Harold" said his moth
er. 81 ought not to have let you carry all
those wraps on it," And so they moved away.
Miss Mahala carried on the business dur
ing tie next six weeks or SO. Miss Eversley
was hanging between life and death. The
face that blanched that day so swiftly from
its superb carmne, the features that grew
ashen and pinched, the leaden circles about
the beautiful eyes, all told OF the shock the
brain had had. 1t was a fierce fire that
burned in her veins; but in its flames there
were certain things she could we'll spare that
were reduced to ashes. When she recovered
she found that Miss Mahala had taken back
to boxes and shelves and lay figures that
splendid Briarlev outfit, which was of no
use to the bride, who, on the first day after
her marriage, awoke to hear that her father
the great broker whose immense possessions
were thought to be as fixed as the value of
the Koh-i-noor, had failed, and had cut his
throat-the poor bride who did not know
enough to care about the loss of her fortune
till Harolds grip upon her arm and furious
look into her eyes had taught her what it
meant.
Uncle Trevor had shock last week, you
may regret to hear" said Trevor, with grim
at luncheon, when Teresa came down for the
third or fourth time to go out to her business
a little while in the middle of the day. Il
hope it won't give any of you shock. He
passed away day before yesterday morning,
and will be buried this afternoon. | suppose
we must wait till then for the will, but it
comes hard to do it"
Trevor! have you no decency left?" said
Teresa.
II will trouble you, Miss Eversley," said
that young man, ITO use different method
of speech toward me. Remember that now
at any rate, am the head OF the house, and
if you cannot address me with the respect
that demand, do not address me at ALL"
All the same they drove to their uncle's
funeral together, some hours later, and re-
turned to his dingy little parlor to hear the
will read by his lawyer. 1t was very brief
document, giving the expected legacies to
the other Eversleys, and a small one to
Laura. ITO my nephew and namesake Ire
vor." the page then ran. 81 give the contents
of the inclosed envelope marked with his
name, which my lawyer will hand him. and
which he is to open in the presence of his Sis
tiers. And all the rest and residue of which
1 die seized hereby give and bequeath to
continues the business in which she is now
engaged, and associates her sister Laua with
herself in the conduct of the same"
Mrs. Eversley threw up her hands with a
cry. CONTINUED" Bnt her voice was ar
rested by Trevor's groan. He was looking at
his legacy; it was only his forged note
at is terriblel 1t is mysterious" said Mrs
Eversley as they drove home