News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-06-03

CuSSlOn concerning OHe WHO was III.
faithful fir end and liberal benefactor."
"Oh, intended no offense am un
der many obligations to you for remain
ing here and Strengthening up affairs {
bit. And if you are satisfied am SURE
l ought to be, though I shouldn't have
i. complained, you know, If my good uncle
= and your extraordinary liberal benefac
/ tor had chosen to leave you hundred
t dollars or two" Ben said, with a snee
lurking in his bland smile, as he saun
, tered lazily away.
David vouchsafed no comment, bu
| there was wrathfuI retort unuttered upon
his suddenly compressed lips, and hit
hands frightened with unnecessary energy
upon the carpet edge which he had just
deftly Tapped for the tacking.
land yet
To be scorned by those whom we scorn-
Is that matter to make US fret?
And I have no profound esteem for my
poor old friends heir, l must confess, u
he thought, with considerable vexation
at his own swift anger.
At the moment his hammer missed a
tack, slipped from his fingers and fell
with a clash dropping through an un-
covered crevice of the none too firmly
constructed floor.
AS he extricated it from between the
warped and shrunken boards he pulled
forth with it a projecting angle of a
large and thinly folded paper yellowed
by time, and with his own name, in his
benefactor's familiar penmanship in
scribed across one creased and mildewed
end.
His face flushed crimson, and then
paled to flush again, as he unfolded the
the paper which had been so strangely
discovered, and glanced hastily over the
contents.
He had found the lost will, which the
somewhat careless and unsystematic Mr..
| Armand had very likely never missed,
and had believed safe and secure with
| other documents locked away in pri-
xate desk
I In what understandable way and by
| what singular chance it had been lodged
in that crevice, might never be ascer-
tanned; but there it was authentic and
uncontestable. And David knew him
self to be the sole and unconditional
heir to the possessions of the well-to do
old man, who had ever been to him kind
and dear as parent.
Mechanically he deposited the paper
in an inner pocket, and then as half un-
consciously resumed his tacks and ham
mer.
Aren't you tired, David? I feel aw-
fully guilty in permitting you to do such
a job" pretty Blanche called just then
from the hall.
David glanced at the dimpled, merry
and really amiable countenance, and at
| Al H. id h. I, Ill
feel rather guilty-guilty that in de-
claring his own rights he must take so
much from one who had always been
unaffectedly gracious and considerate
toward him!
"But am so thankful the carpet is
down." she continued, as she surveyed
the satisfactory result of his gallant eff
fort to crafty her. ''The moquette is
hardly the thing for such a dingy old
library, but Ben will have the room al
tered to suit his luxurious tastes, sup
pose, when everything is quite settled.
But the pattern of the carpet is lovely;
all ferns and wild roses! l chose it be
cause dear Daphne affects that particu-
lar flower. l am going to the station
now to meet her. Ben is so abominably
indolent and disobliging, he never does
anythingI wish him to. He really
might 60 to meet Daphne Fayne, though;
they are certainly engaged-Ben has
limited as much, although Daphne has
been rather reticent herself about the
matter" she added in an impulse of the
confidential, as she tripped away.
David started and his face whitened.
So Daphne had forgotten him, and so
soon She deemed him impoverished,
and so she would marry whom she be
lieved the richer man! All her shy
bushes, her soft smiles, even that last
clinging kiss, had meant nothing. His
Daphne, his dainty queen, for whom he
would have given life itself, had never
loved him truly.
He still stood in the centre of the
room. Blanche had left the house, and
now somebody had Just been admitted
and was coming down the hall toward
him.
He heard the rustic Uf silken skirts !;
he saw dimly a supple shape, and then,
with slowly lifted eyes, he looked
straight into the sweet, surprised face
OF Daphne Fayne, who had CHANGED to
arrive before her promised time.
"David, are you here still?" she softly
exclaimed, as she advanced toward him
and put forth both of her beautiful
ringed hands.
He never touched the outstretched
hands, and he turned his face from her
sight.
''Ben wished me to stay; there were
come arrangements which could not be
completed without my supervision, he
replied. in q panied and forced voice.
The girl noted the freshly carpeted
floor, the hammer and tacks at his feet,
his sleeves rolled back from his shapely
wrists and sOiled han Is, and how thick
ly the sweat-drOps were beaded on his
flushed forehead, and quick tears filled
her eyes.
"Do you mean you have remained as
an employee, where you, David. ought
to be master ~ she asked in low voice
and with an agitation he would not un-
derstand.
81 have certainly just put down a
carpet, " said he, laughing little, de
spite his new misery.
But this laugh ended abruptly as
Daphne suddenly covered her face with
her beautiful ringed hands and began to
sob as if her heart were breaking.
"Why will you be so proud, David,
so cruelty proud ~ she sobbed.
E'Many a man as good as I-or bet
ter-has put down carpets for a living,
I daresay,n said he, still unrelenting be
cause he dared not understand her
tears.
''But did you think no one would
care what you might do, what you
might suffer ~ said she, still weeping.
Il am not conscious of meriting any
special sympathy" he answered, still
coldly.