San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-08-23

CHATTER V.
| 1 told my story to the doctor who had been
so kind tD me. lie sympathzed with me in
my great trouble, and did his best 10 cheer
me.
| at is very sud" he said The poor
/ Squire had evidently something 10 say TO
| you, if lac could have spoken, the world
would probably have been very different to
you"
As il was. standing by the Squlre's death
| bed, knew that hencefOrward | should be
nameless, penniess, friendlesS-that the roof
! which had hitherto sheltered me would no
longer do so. should lose, besides, the few
advantages had had before. But the great
est keenest grief of all was that, even If l
had a mother living, should never know ii.
For little while had faint hope that
! the Squire might have reached HeTOnSdale
and seen the lawyer, and that some part OF
my story might be known 10 him; but |
found that he had not The accident took
| place as he was on his way thither. SO end
ed all my joyful anticipatiOns
Before the funeral | went to take last
look at the Squire. As gazed at him, lying
so calm and still, with smile on his face,
| the question came into my mind. What had
he seen-MilliCent as he knew her in life,
fair and lOving-Or was 1t the last of a long
series of visions that had passed before him?
Because his roof had sheltered me, because
l had be IN fed and clothed at his expense,
| because he was the only one who had SEEM
| ed to care for me-abOve all, because he was
the one in whose heart my story had been
shrined-I stopped and kissed the face of the
dead man. II seemed 10 me that as did 50
| a smile stole over IL.
| When Mr. Graham came, | told him all
| that had passed between the Squire and my
self. He seemed very puzzled.
| 81 can throw no light upon the mystery"
he said; but promise you one thing,
Gracia. All the Squires. papers must pass
through my hands, and, II l see anything
of |
thanked him, but felt that 1t was slight
consolation. 1t did not seem very probable
that there would be much concerning me in
the dead mans papers.
The Squire was buried in the old family
vault in the churChyard where the Dacres
for many generations had slept. After the
| funeral there was a great COmmOtiOn in the
house when 1t was discovered that there was
no will II seemed incredible, for both
| hOusekeepeT and butler declared that they
| had signed one AS witnesses. They were in
| terrOgated separately aud together; but their
| testimony was always the same. The Squire
had told Gracia TO send them TO the library,
where he awaited them. He had laid before
| them clOSel y-writtcn sheet of parchment
| telling then. IL was his will, and asked them
| to witness his signature The Squire signed
| first and then they wrote their names. They
did not see what lie had done with the parch-
ment. They had been too much astOnished
| To notice anything.
tOire, every probable and Improbable place,
| but without result. | told Mr.. Graham that
had seen the Squire tie up packet OF let
tiers, including that which he had written
himself. A more vigorous search was made,
but the little parcel could not be found In
the waste-paper basket however there were
several letters all torn into the minuteSt
shreds. Some, Mr.. Graham said, were in the
SquiTe's handwriting; and, strange to say,
we discovered fragments OF sheet OF parch-
ment.
There can he but one solution to this mys-
terry" said the lawyer to the Vicar and the
other gentlemen who had assisted him in the
search. The Squire evidently made his
will and wrote some letters, then destroyed
bothp'
Mr. Graham remained for some days at the
manor-hOuse. He seemed to like talking to
me, and would send for me to sing and TO
play to him. One day, emboldened by his
kindness, asked him what would become
of all the Squirc's property and money.
They will 20 to his next of kin" he re-
piled.
Il thought he was alone in the wOrld9' /
said, in some surprise.
The relatives that are left are distant
enough Lady Caryl Is his second cousin,
Sir Adrian Carylp' said to myself. To
me the sound of the name was ineXpresSibly
sweet
"Sir Adrian is very fortunate young
HAL, COHllIuti lllt lawyer. lie IL dlTtduS
very rich. But ii seems pity that the name
should change. 1t has always been Dacre Of
NeTOn'S Nest; now il will be- CaTyl,'
will they live hCTc? | asked, in bewild,
erment. "Will they come 10 HerOn'S NeSt.w
II should think so. HerOn's Nest and all
that it contains belong now to Sir Adrian
Caryl."
rs he marTiCd?'' inquired hesitatingly.
mo, he is not married" replied Mr.. Ora
ham; but have heard that he is much at
tached to beautiful young heireSS, Lady
Annabel Leith. | should strongly advise you
to stay here until the Caryls come"
will everything belonging to the Squire
really 60 to himT' | asked. How strange
it SeemSp'
Everything" replied the lawyer, 81 do
not think" he added muSimgly, that the
poor Squire's wealth could have gone to
better man. Adrian Caryl is very clever too,
and in my opinion will be famous man one
of these days. Lady Caryl is quite wrapped
up in him. In these degenerate times son
to be proud of is somewhat rare"
/ had been so completely shut off from the
world and knew so little of natural affections
that 1t was delightful 10 me to hear Of such
deep mOtherly love. lOnged for him to tell
me more. All the brightness and beauty OF
the world seemed 10 he opening out to me.
Mr.. Graham was most kind, and gave me
the benefit Of his advice.
"You cannot make your way In the world
Alone" he said, land the best thing you could
do would be to secure the friendship of two
ladies like Lady Caryl and Lady Aditha
Glynn. Stay here by all means! You need
have no hesitation in doing so, as you have
already been here so long
So it was arranged that / should remain;
and, after all, was not sorry, for had
grown to love HerOn'S Nest dearly.
December came, and Mrs. Paterson had
received several letters from Lady Caryl.
What orders they contained! There must
be fires in every room in the house; Lady
Caryl could not endure cold. There must be
an abundance of flowers Lady Caryl could
not live without flowers. Her ladyship could
not give the exact date when they would ar
rive; but they might reach HerOn's Nest
either on the day before Christmas Eve or on
that day itself.
The coming of the Caryls would be the
turning point of my life; nothing would be
the same afterwards. SO waited in silence
and patience.
CHAPTER vi.