The Penn's Grove record., 1884-02-02
r PUNISHMENT.

"Hasn'tthe lawyer come yet, Lola?"
inquired a feyerish voice. at must be
hours since l sent for him."
ut is only just thirty minutes by the
clock, dear uncle, since John started to
fetch him."
The sick man groaned, and moved
uneasily upon his pillow. Perfect
silence reigned as the ormulu clock
licked away fifteen minutes more within
that darkened, richly furnished apart
ment where old Martin Dillon lay,
stricken down with his last sickness.
The furniture was of the costliest, the
carpet thick pile of velvet moss. The
windows were darkened by the heavy
crimson brocade curtains, drawn
closely together. The old mans niece
sat by one window. her white face
bedded in the rich curtains, which she
had pushed aside just enough to enable
her to see out, her brain busy with the
projected visit of her uncle's lawyer.
She wondered if it portended evil to her
If her uncle thought to revoke a for
mer will which she knew was all in her
favor. Had his heart softened toward
her cousin Jessie, who had married two
years before and gone South with her
husband. heartlessly deserving him n
his old age, as the old man peevishly
declared? And although sweet Jessie
Carleton had been brought up as his
daughter, and with expectations of
becoming his heiress, the old man had,
in his unjust anger, made a will leaving
all to her cousin, Lola Desmond, who
had only been with him a few months.
Lola felt slightly consoled for losing
the man she loved, who had preferred
Jessie, when she learned that her
uncle's vast wealth was to be hers.
What if this too were going to be lost
to her nov? Her face grew dark at
the thought. Her meditations were
interrupted by a tap at the door, and
rising she admitted a little, wizen-faced
man, sharp and shrewd, who had been
her uncle's lawyer for years.
The sick mans face frightened as
Biggs came to the bedside with soft,
cat like tread, and bent over him. His
eyes roved toward his niece.
Lola, you may go and leave us
alone. | have some important business
with Biggs. He will call you as he
goes down." said the old man, feebly.
Lola arose and left the room. She
went down stairs, but Immediately tip
toed back again, and stopped, in a lis
tening attitude, at the door of the sick
chamber.
She could hear very little distinctly,
but that was enough to her to
clench her hands i'll anger and despair,
and she crept away, fearing she would
be discovered, and feeling that she had
heard all she cared to hear, when her
uncle told the lawyer he wanted to
change his will.
Like a Gagged tigress, Lola swept up
and down her room. Why, oh, why
were some to have everything, others
nothing? Jesse had robbed her Of her
lover, and now she would have her
uncle's wealth, while she must go forth
again to earn her own bread. Bitterly
at that moment she hated her absent
cousin; she almost felt there was
der in her heart toward her. All, if
she might but have that courage,
everything would yet be hers, perhaps
even the love of Clarence; and then the
girl grew cold, and shuddered at her
own dark thoughts.
30 Heaven" she murmured. SIS
my brain turning that l a think of
such terrible things?"
Then again grew strong upon her a
desire to hear of what those two were
talking, and, stealing back, she listened
at the keyhole.
"Biggs,' she heard the old man say,
put the will under my head between
the mattress and bed. 1t will be as safe
tltIS do any MltIes
Lola heard this, and knew that Biggs
was about to depart, 50 tip-toed back
A moment later she heard HIM call,
Miss Desmond Miss Desmondr' and
she FASTENED to her uncle's side.
This business has tired me, Lola"
he said feebly. II feel as if l could
drop asleep very easily. Sit yonder,
child, and remain with me. Don't
leave me as she did. You have been a
good girl TO me the past two years"
And he had rewarded her by turning
her psnniless upon the world again,
thought Lola, bitterly, as she gllded to
a chair by one of the windows and
gazed out upon the chill March weather,
with gusts of wind and itful dashes of
rain against the window pane. How
cold and dreary and desolate everything
was, thought Lola, quite in keeping
with her own sad thoughts.
fire had been burning upon the
broad hearth, and it was getting low
Lola rose to replenish it, when she saw
that her uncle was asleep-wlth the
paper that robbed her of his wealth
under his pillow.
"What I'm ] thinking about9" she
muttered, turning TO the fire; but she
hesitated and turned back again. then
stepped forward, then, closing her lips
together with a set, determined look,
moved stsalthily toward the bed, thrust