Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1886-03-20

ncr and friend, almost lost his nrn
ses; still his excitement tl.l not nre
vent him from investing suIne mo-.
cy in hat.bandS and crane. and look
ing us monrnful a. if the sorrow OF
the whole worlllreSled on bis shout
ders. Miss Nellie. too, melted away
in fears, anil cnnl,l only be comfort
cd by her JAMIE. as she now called
Mr.. Fox. but the latter seemed to
have turned quite dull with grief.
He did not appear to understand
her at all, and as day by day she be-
came more demonstrative, he grew
less affpctionate. The afternoon
before the funeral Miss Nellie was
extremely broken-hearted, and
amid her sobs remarked how COM
Portable and happy she had always
been with her late friend. To her
establishment Mr.. Fox attempted to
comfort her by saying with cool
civllity: ssI hope you may soon
meet again with such a Happy
home as you have had here till now"
On hearing this Miss Nellie's
tears suddenly dried up. and, with
eyes dllnted with astonlshment and
anger, she cried: sit is yon whom
expect to make me this happy
home!"
Mr.. Fox, however. simply sl.rng
ged his shoulders, saying: Il 10
not deny that I may have once had
such ideas; but of late have grown
wiser. Everything alters in this
world; why, then, should not orr
opinions not do the same? This is
what VIC call progress"
Upon this he bowed and left Miss
Nellie crying and fainting in an
arm chair.
He did not hear anything of her
till a few days later, when Il gentle
man called upon him saying that he
had been entrusted with Miss Nellie
Browns affairs, and suggesting
that perhaps Mr.. Fox, before they
went further, would prefer making
some private arrangement about
his breach Of promise Of marriage
with his client.
"And what proof of that promise
has Miss Brown except her saying
sog" asked Mr.. Fox.
"Oh,n answered the young man,
~ have seena box full Of letters
from you"
"Have yon read thcm?" contin.
ned Mr.. Fox, Sarcastically.
"Not yet" replied the other,
but have seen the box"
"Well, you had better go. and
read them first before you take amy
further steps, and If you can find Il
single line from me to Miss Brown
l am quite wiling to let her have
ample damages without their being
awarded By court of law"
There was something so diabolical
about Mr.. Fox that the young Gle.
fender of innocence found it best to
rein e-iol the present, leaving his
opponent to rub his hands triumph.
antly and build castles in the air
about the country scat and the
horses and carriages he was going
to buy in order to dazzle Miss
Lauuerton, whom lie felt felt justi-
fed in seriously thinking about
now.
Miss Nellie had meanwhile been
informed of the conversation at
Mr.. Fox's office, and, with an in
dignant exclamation about ''such
Incredible untruths," she went to
fetch heI letter box. There sure
enough, were the letters, all in
little packets, neatly tied up i'll
blue and pink ribbons; but, strange
to say, she could not see an address;
and, OH, heavens! when she undld
the packets they contained moth
ing but paper-all white paper,
without a single word on it. The
willy lawyer had evidently deceived
her by some demoniacal trick.
The Shock was so great to the
poor love-sicll lady that she had
scarcely the courage to show her
self when the will was to be read;
but she rallied at last, hoping
against hope that it might still he
in her favor, when she could treat
with scorn aud contempt her faith.
less lover and his paltry damages.
"Mr. Fox, although he considers
himself already master Of the house
and everything in it, felt consider
ably excited on the morning Of the
day appointed for the reading of
the will, and when MIR. Plumley, ;ts
chief executor. sat down and slowly
got his spectacles out, his junior
partner came over so faint and his
heart tluttercd to such all extent
that he fnncied all his hopes anti
beautiful castles in the air were
crumbling away i'll Il dream. Why
did not this old friend at once read
the document9 Why did he make
the suspense so unbearably long:
Why did he continue to start first
at the paper in his hand, then at
those around him, and then once
more at the paper, without uttering
a single wordl And then IL; last,
when he did speak, why did he
stammer, oil do not know; l see
nothing-in fact, it is tile same pa
per, but"
Could it be? Yes, sure enough,
there was the paper on which the
will had been made out, but there
was nothing upon it now; it WAS
merely a blank. white sheet!
"(iOOd hpayenSi With What ink