The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-07-25

the Will, and threatened all sorts of dread
full things, and at last she became hys-
terical, and screamed until the neighbors
began to run out into the street. Finally
the boys had us pack all Aunt POwelPs
trunks, and then they gave the maid fifty
dollars to take them away and be satisfied,
and so they sent the hateful thing away,
and we saw her no more.
In due time Abner Powell and Lawyer
Bonney started away for Maine to take
possession of things. l wanted Lem to go,
too, but he said it wasn't the thing for
recruits to be too fresh, and he would stay
home and sit up with Ward. The rest of
us whiled away the long days of Ahner's
absence by planning and quarreling in the
most excited manner, now and then tor
meuted by the sight of Sarah's disap-
pointed face, although she seldom met us
now. Before Abner went away he resigned
his place as superintendent in the paper
mills and Ward, who needed it so much,
was appointed in his place.
$50 that, after ALL" said Sarah, 1--WE
have got something out of Aunt Powell's
will"
Seven long, long, weary days, eight days,
nine days, and no Abner. We began to
speak darby in separate groups, and
watch Jennie closely, for we suspected
that Abner had embezzled all the property
and ran away to Europe, where Jennie Snd
the children would join him. But on the
tenUh day, when most of the family was
assembled in Abner's house, the stage
drove up from the station and Abner stag
gered into the house.
Haggard, pale as a ghost, his beard I'M
shaven, his eyes sunk in his head and
glaring like maniac's, his hair tangled
his clothing rumpled and awry, and his
whole appearance rough and unkempt, the
'nan looked so gray and CHASTITY we were
afraid of him.
"What is it?" screamed, seized with a
horrible fear. "Abner Powell, what have
you doue with my forty thousand dollars?"
"Whece is my bank stock?" shrieked
Maria.
"Where is my wife's dollar?" roared
Ward Martin
"ManH' shouted Hamer Powell, Selling
him by the collar, 'don't tell me you have
been gambling on the cars, for I'll strike
you dead if you do!'
"Where is our aunt's legacy?" roared
'Siah Bradley, eollaring the ha ggard man
on the other side.
The wretched creature gasped twice or
thrice, and said, in a hoarse, strange voice:
''There amt none"
"Then what have you done with it, YOU
wretch" we all screamed, gathering close
around him.
The very life seemed to die out of his
| face, and only the glariug eyes turned
toward US as he groaned: "There never
was any"
Liar" everybody shouted. go. you
awful liar! You ISbber! You thief! O,
you miserable scoundrel. You dreadful
thief"
And Hamer Powell started Alice's bow
off on the run to bring policeman and the
burgess and the bank Waterman to arrest
the brazenfaced embezzler.
But just before the policeman made the
arrest, Lawyer Bonney, who had stopped
at the bank on the way to get Aunt
Powell'S tin box, came in and told US
everything, for Abner was now incapable
of coherent speech.
Aunt Powell's ''manor- house" at Sken-
adoquonookss was little four-room
cottage, swallowed up clear out of sight
Lawyer Bonney said, by two mort ga yes
aud tax-title, and that was all. She
never had a dollar in the world beyond her
| savings from her salary as a school
teacher, and those were all spent since she
came to Gloster. The pine lands on the St.
CroiX, the railroad and mining stock and
Bangor town lots described in the will were
pleasant tictions of Aunt Powell's brain
There was one hope left. The sealed and
brass-locked tin box. While we sat,
stunned and dumb, staring at each other,
the box was opened. 1t contained all our
letters of years past, written to her when
we thought she was very wealthy. Only
these and nothing more.
There was hollow groan run all around
the room. "For mercy's sake" said Alice,
''do pull down the blinds, somebody"
And then the boys and Lawyer Bonnev
counted up all the expenses of the funeral
and Abner's trip and the lawyers expenses
and fees, and we had to throw in and
make up the amount All but Sarah's hus-
band, he only grinned when Hamer told
him what his share would he.
Not a cent" he protested shaking his
reSolute head. 'Aunt Powell didn't leave
me anything in her will"
SIT seems to me-" says Lem, by and by,
breaking an awful silence with the well
come sound of the human voice, ''that our
Aunt Powell kind of played it on u.s."
THAT amt the worst of it," groaned
Abne1, rolling his hollow eyes. up to-
We caught our breath and waited.
''Tell US the worst, man." said Hamer.
"She amt our Aunt Powell, and never
was, " said Abner, speaking like a diving
man. 'Father's sister Lucy married q
| ship builder and moved down to Bath
| fifteen years ago, and she's living there
now. This woman was her housekeeper
when she lived in"
| If he finished the sentence nobody heard
him. When four women faint and one goes
into Mysteries at the same time, nobody in
that room pays much attention TO CONVEX
sation.
| Well, Lem was tender as a mother to me
that night. Once only, after he had put
me to bed and got me quoted down, and
was smoothing away my headache, he
said, ''Well, Pm only a Powell by brevet,
and [ never can take full rank, but"
! But | guess | looked too miserable to be
leased, for he smiled stopped to kiss me,
and suddenly changed his tone.
"And, after ALL" he said, ''Ward and
Sarah are the only ones who got anything
out of Aunt Powells will. The guerillas
are in luck. "-R. j. Burdette, III Harpcr'S
Aagdziae.