Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-09-19

for me this situation =? But no, I am
sure that neither she nor any OF my ole
friends in fairfield know of my presen
the good Ged has provided thankfully
enough. And Mr. Doubleday shall
have no cause TO regret having held Oul
helping hand to me this day"
Having once acquired q knowledge oil
m aptitude for it, which astonished
himself, and caused MIR. Doubleday to
congratulate yhe Arm upon their acq uisi
ton Of the young mans services.
Mean while, Nell, who WAS now leading
Walters old life a. the dependent and
heir prospective OF Miss Mar tho Town.
shend, found the life so monotonsus, and
her duties 80 irksome, that 1t times II
was all she could do to preserve cheer.
full exterior. Poor Miss Martha WAS
now q bedridden Invalid. an affliction
which had not improved ner temper,
which poor Nell found 1t hard indeed
to bear with; indeed, she could not have
one NO but Tor her deep mpassion for
done 10 unloved and lonely, In spite of
her great wealth.
But the end was coming soon. For
some weeks Miss Martha had been less
querulous, aud her bursts Of rage not 30
frequent and violent, and one evening
Nell, who was situag at her bedside,
WAS surprised to hear her say, In q sim
gularly gentle tone:
Poor Walter, was hard very hard.
II l could but know that all is we'll
with you
"Aunt Martha" said Nell, would
you like to know how it has Jared with
Walter since you aud he parted"
Miss Martha did not answer in words,
but her eager look spoke volumes, and
responding TO that mute appeal, Nell
told her Of the young fellows early
strusg lies, and his I Inmate good fortune
IN obtaining em ployment with Double
day IL Co.
But Miss Martha was not satisfied
yet, she wanted to know how Nell be-
came possessed of ali This information,
and there was nothing for it but to con-
Tess the whole.
After she had heard all, Miss Martha
lay for long time without speaking,
until Nell, thinking she had fallen
asleep, arose TO lower the lamp, when u
voice from the bed startled her by say
ing:
"Elinor, will you place some writing
material on the little stand by my
side? and then 60 to bed, dear, l shall
not want anything more.
Mel. complied, wonderingly and
then novel by some sudden impulse
she stopped to kiss for the first time
the wrink,ed face upon the pillow.
In the morning she was glad of that
simple action, for 81 ent forever N iss
Martha lay there, the pouoil still clasped
within her rigid fingers, and tho last
words she mad Written were =" Dear
Walter
Underneath the scarcely innenced
letter they found a newly made will,
which, revoking all previously made,
gave her entire property in equal
shares to Walter Spencer and Ehnor
Page.
Not knowing what else to do, Nell
wrote At once 10 Mr.. Doubleday tell
ing him all that had occurred, and
asking him to break the news TO Wal
ter, and her letter was Immediately
answered by both gentlemen in per-
son.
Mr.. Doubleday had simply inform
cd Walter of Miss Martha's death, and
that q relative of hers desired his pres
enca consequently until Walter Ar
rived at the house and met Nell face
to face, he had no idea of the
identity of the relative, having long ago
forgotten the little incident with which
our story opened.
And Mr.. Doubleday is an old
friend of hers" he thought to himself.
Can this be the solution OF that which
so often puzzled me 2"
The will, not being Witnessed, was
OF course pronounced by the lawyer tC
be of no legal value whatever. And,
therefore, Neil would inherit every.
thing by the terms of one which had
been properly drawn up few months
prev iously.
~ do not regret this" said Walter,
after o long conversation with Nell, in
which she had In vain pleaded with
him to accept from her that which Miss
Martha had intended to give him. " At
least l should not, but for one thing"
"And what Is that 2" asked Nell.
1t would have placed me upon an
equality with you," he answered,
"and then could have asked you that
which do not dare, for fear of being
thought a fortune-hunter. But, oh,
Nell, IL Aunt Martha's money had all
been mine, would
go on" said Nell. why do
you pause You would-what ?" but
her face was crimson with bushes.
1 do not intend to say so much, and
you will despise me, perhaps, but l
meant that l would have asked you to
share it with me, as my wife, for l love
you, Nell"
Nell turned her face slowly toward
him. 1t was pale now with repressed
emotion.
| You would have me accept every
thing from you," she said, money
and love both but from me you will
take nothing. Walter" the low tones
were almost whisper now, ~ wish
Aunt Martha had left all her money to
you"
-
Well, it was just the same in the end
as If she had. Nell and Walter by mu-
tual agreement and to their mutual
satisfaction. are the co heirs.