Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-04-08
MisrfllanfGns.
THE LOST WILL.

! DQTItu, anu AL luC 0Ca& clV lAichAS WI =
| in state of astonishment and consterna-
ton over his will, for it named mis- pet and
protege. Marian Gray. his sole heiress,
not even mentioned.
There is some strange mistake" Mr..
Wilde, the LAWYER said. There is later
will than this drawn up after Mr.. Roberts
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 supposed that
this will had long since been destroyed:
What caused him to suppose so p
was Robert Rushford's very natural ques-
ton; to which his lawyer replied that his
client had told him-on the occasion OF
his drawing up the second will-that II
was his intention to put the first one III the
| fire.
..And | thought he had done so. never
doubted but this was the latest will. 1t
seems, however. that we have got hold OF
the wrong document; the other is still IN
existence somewhere. We will have
thorough search for it"
s.Apd until YOU find it, or if you fail to
find it, this one stands" said Robert Rush
ford quietly, stating fact which the law
yer was forced to admit.
Meanwhile 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 acquaintances
discussed her-not always quite inaudibly
What a very awkward and peculiar
position for Miss Gray! What an oppor-
tunitv-if the second will did not turn up
to show her magnanimity and sense of
honor, by making over the fortune to
Young Rushford Doubtless. in such case,
he would be most generous to her, and
really. you know, to girl of Miss Gray'ss
birth and former position. few thousand
would be fortune. What was her posi-
ton? A daughter to old Rushford's house,
keeper. brought up for governess. or
something-came on visit to her mother
while 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 daughter In
the house ever since. and if young Rush
ford had never turned up-if he had really
been lost at sea. as was so long supposed
why, YOU know. rich old men were &C.
centric, and there would have been moth
ing very astonishing in his making her his
heiress after all. But now-it would be
terrible Utter ruin to tire young mans
prospects in life. Of course his engage
ment with Florence Huntly would be
broken off. Florence was not fit for a
he so infatuated, my dear; and it will
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-until the searching party
returned, and announced that, as yet, they
had not found the second will.
There was a marked increase of respect
toward Miss Gray after this intelligence,
and some would have congratulated her,
but she checked them.
at is too early yet" she said, with a
sad smile.
But the gossips agreed that her chances
were favorable.
.And if she really is the heiress, my
dear, why of course it's dreadful for the
young man-terrible-bu still"
Public opinion was disposed to be kind
to the heiress in any case.
"She is not over eager-she bears her
honors meekly-shouldn't wonder if she
turns the fortune over to the nepew after
all - was the comment of many after they
left the house and went their several ways
They would have judged differently il
they could have seen her face that night
locked securely in her own room, the
blinds and shutters closed, no eyes save
those of heaven upon her. She unfast,
ened her dress and drew a sealed and
folded parchment from her bosom-it was
the missing will.
She gazed upon it long and earnestly
miserable document" she whispered
''If should give you to him now what
ruin you would work me. Yes, you
would rob me all prize, and place it in
the keeping of another! And will he lose
Miss Huntley tor being poor? What is
her love worth, then?
And is she so dear to him that it will
break his heart to lose her-as it would
mine to lose the one whom | love? Whom
| love Whom love ~ she whent on, in
the same low whisper, clasping her hands
in burst of anguish. ''Whom | love
but who has no thought for me. Only fol
her-and will my action part them? |:
it a sin? Will he ever, ever forgive me
truep We shall see-for if they are, pov
ertv will not part them''
When she lay down to sleep that nigh
the lost will lay under her pillow. and &
sealed letter beside it addressed to Robert
Rushtord Marian kissed that name before
she went to sleep.
"He will forgive my sin when he read:
this letter." she thought. Il do but ODE,
the dead"
Il must obey the dead" she told her
self. II must obey the dead -
At last they gave up all hope of the los
will. Robert resigned himself to wha
seemed hard fate, and Miss Gray was
declared Gerald Rushford's lawful heiress
Mr.Wide made no secret of his disgust
There might be some arrangement
made by which you should fulfill the wish
es of the dead Miss Gray" he said. 81
judge You are hardly one to play the
cuckoo by pushing the true bird out of the
nest in order to occupy it yourself. car
remember the terms of the second will. ;
/ To this broad hint she answered. quiet
ly: The will may yet be found. sir. Ex
cuse me if hesitate to tax your memor,
while that chance remains. Believe me
my most earnest wish and endeavor is
TO obey the dead -