The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-03-07

I " 1n0
somebody said the acitch was all out of
Hazel tonight, and that snip of a Frank
| Simmons said: But not the witcherv -
1 What did l care for their nonsensel
No more by thee my steps shall be,
| Forever and forever"
LATER.-Rather may say earlier, for it
| is almost morning; still | will write another
page-if l can.
Just as l stopped writing there came the
| lightest tap at my door, and when openeJ
| 1t there stood Aunt Nora. She had on her
palm leaf dressing gown, and her nightcap
| edged by a row of little curl-papers, but
| she looked a beauty all the same.
you naughty child" she said, ''to be UP
till this time o. night. was sure 1 heard
| you stirring"
81 am glad you are come" / said, ''ySu
| will cheer me up bit"
Il am sure of it," she said, brightly ,"b4t
| first let us mend the fire."
When fresh log was blazing, and had
been wrapped in my fur cloak, she said:
"Charlie staid behind the others because
| he had letter to give me from his father.
| made him stop till ] read it, and the1f Ii
was so late and cold that kept him for ri
| night | put him in his uncle's roonA7
| Charlie has .lways called them aunt ans,
uncle, though they are really second cous-i
| ins), because that room was warm, as I
was there to-day beginning the packing.
|
ingly see occupying my brothers. rooms"
thought she meant TO give me a lesson,
| in forgiveness, and remained mute. n
81 wish you would read that aloud,nss
said presently, handing me the letteY
had heldipl Sar-hond. -allshe tigrle.V'nF
what the letter said:
WASHINGTON, JanuaryI4
| Mrs. NORA FAIRFIELD ROsENCRANS:
| DEAR COUSIN-The year allowed fdr the
settlement of your brothers estate lbs ex.
| pired, and as yet the will of whose existence
! still do not despair, is not found. 1t lbrefore
wish to inform you that have deedet to you
| forty-two years ago your brother mIulsively
| Willed to me. | have delayed actioI, hoping
that the discovery of later will would con.
firm you in possession of what is yours in
law and equity and still hope by bequest.
However that may be, my own course is
| clear and unaltGrable.
| Allow me here to thank you fOryOur kind.
ness to my boy. Since his mothers death
| left me homeless have found ditractionin
public life But have always objected to
my sons entering it, and have at a personal
sacrifice encouraged his sticking to the old
town, the old friends, and adopting my, old
profession. hope yet to return to end my
days amid the scenes of my youth, and shall
expect you to welcome me back as a neigh.
| Dor. Believe me yours sincerely,
ALFRED FAIRFIELD.
As I finished as best | could, Aunt Nora
unfolded document that she said was the
deed.
just threw my arms about her neck
and cried like baby, and she cried too.
think the first coherent thing l said was,
"Char-Char-Char will Iever forgive
men
Eyes, he will" she said, decidedly.
''HOw do you know?-did he say so?"
"He said as much-he said great deal
about you"
WHAT" l gasped.
80, that he liked you all the better for
treating him so abominably-b you
thought this place would become his
GAS though his having the place could
possibly make me treat him well"' l ex-
claimed.
"He says it has made some of the girls
treat him too well by hail." Aunt Nora
said, dryly.
"Ah, | know who one of them is-the
minxesn' l cried. but, Auntie, did he
really say that he liked me?"
"N-o, not exactly" chow my heart sank,
she said that he loved you"
''Aunt Moral"
eyes, he did-and now. deary, can't you
part with that aspeny The life seems to be
pretty well shaken out of it."
tossed the poor thing into the fire, aud
snatched my roses from the vase. Pretty
soon Aunt Nora said good -uight and left
me to my demonstrating dreams. | hope
| sha'n't awake and find it is a dream.
| THURSDAY NIGHT.-AT HOME: | didn't
find it a dream-at least the dream goes on,
1t was ten O'Clock this morning when
| Aunt Nora and | sat down to breakfast, to
the CONSERVATION of Phoebe, who had never
been subjected to such irregularity before.
We were just beginning our coffee when
Charlie appeared. | declare | thought
should sink through the floor, and wished
might. But he kissed Aunt Nora and
shook hands with me, and said good
morning as cool as you please.
After Phoebe left the room, Charlie said
Last night, late as it was, [ took down
one of my uncle'S volumes of Shakespeare
| to recall the exact connection of the rose
with any other name.'" He didn't look at
me, but all the same | grew hot and red as
| fire.
did my uncle use any of those volumes
just before he had the stroke?" asked
Charlie.
81 think he may have done So" said
| Aunt Nora. "a number of books lay
about the room, and if remember, some
of those volumes were among them.
| WHY"
Charlie drew paper from his breast
pocket and rose to give it to her, saying
81 found this between the pages of Romeo
| and Juliette.'"
"Read it for mel left my glasses up
| stairs" said Aunt Nora. Besides, she was
trembling from head to foot.
Charlie read Feeling strangely unwell
| Nloh w pun lhuO "liblnS L
have so foolishly neglected doing-my will,
bequeathing to my beloved sister Nora all
of our fathers property, thus annulling all
previous wills made by me. The final dis
posing of the property leave to my sisters
sensible and charitable mind, duty for
which she, far better than L, is fitted. |
hope tomorrow to put this into suitable
form"
The last lines were hardly legible. "The
date shows" Charlie said gently, ''that it
was written the very night upon which he
was taken ILL., am very glad; my father
will be very glad"
Dear brother" murmured Aunt Nora,
weeping with bowed head. "How thank
full | am that never even thought of-grine
to law about the will. This is wor5h the
property a thousand times over-this, and
cousin Alfred's noble generosity"
We sat long silent. At last Aunt Nora
said: at truly seems more like fiction
than sober reality-an estate given away,
a will found and will made in a single
night"
"A will made:" said Charlie.
Eyes; before | lay down to rest made
my will, my dear. | named a few per-
sonal requests and charities that | can
mature later, but you, Charlie, are my sole
heir. Hush with appraised finger
"there are conditions. | stipulate that-if
you can stand so much of an old woman,s
society, you begin at once to make this
your hOme-you can easily drive to and
from the office. And another thing