Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-12-07
NO. Is.

him that there was anything unusual In
his expressing such intense interest in the
affairs of I young lady with whom he WAS
outwardly, at any rate. ON the terms of
mereSt acquaintance
1T was very kind of you 10 think so
much about me-" said Augusta, gently
Il had no idea that you would call again.
or would have left word where was
going"
well, thank Godl You are safe and
sound, at any rate" answered Eustace;
and then, with q sudden burst of anxiety.
You are not going back TO New Zealand
just yet, are youg"
II don't know. am rather sick Of the
sea just now.n
No, indeed, she is not" said Lady
aolmhurst; "she is going to stop with me
and Dick. Miss SmitTiers saved Dicks
life, you know, when the nurse, poor
thing, had run away. And now, dear,
you had better tell Mr.. Meeson about the
will"
The will! What Wills" asked Eustace.
Listen, and you will hear"
And Eustace did listen with open ewes
and ears while Augusta, getting over her
shyneSs as best she might, told the whole
story Of his uncles death, and of the way
IN which he had communicated his testa-
mentary wishes
And do you mean to tell me" said
Eustace, astounded. that you allowed
him TO have his confounded will tattooed
upon your shoulders"
YES" answered Augusta, II did; and,
what is more, Mr. Meeson, think that
you ought to be very much obliged to me;
for dare say that l shall often be sorry
for it."
II am rery much obliged" answered
Eustace; Il had no right to expect such a
thing, and, in short, do not know what
to say. l should never have thought that
any woman was capable of such sacrifice
for-for comparative stranger"
Then came another awkward pause
well, Mr.. Meeson," said Augusta, at
last rising brusqucly from her chair, the
document belongs to you, and so | sup
pose that you had better see it. Not that
I think that it will be of much use to you,
however, as l see that probate had been
allowed to ISSUE whatever that may mean,
Of Mr.. Nelson's other will"
81 do not know that that will matter"
said Eustace, las heard q friend of mine,
Mr.. Short, who is barrister talk about
some case the other day, in which probate
was revoked on the production of Il sub
seQuent Will"
"Indeedn' answered Augusta, II am
very glad to hear that. Then, perhaps
after all have been tattooed to some pur-
pose. Well, suppose you had better see
it,, and with a gesture that was half shy
and half defiant she drew the lace shawl
from her shoulders, and turned her back
vi hot ha i,rht MI,
inscribed across its whteness
EustaCe stared at the broad line of let
ters which with the signatures written un-
derneath might mean matter of two
millions of money to him, and then he
stared at the beautiful shoulders on which
the words were indelibly impressed.
"Thank you," he said at last, and tax
ing up the lace shawl, he threw it over her
again.
"If you will excuse me for a few minutes
Mr.. Meeson," interrupted Lady Holm
hurst at this point; 81 have to go to see
about the dinner" and before Augusta
could interfere she had left the room.
Eustace closed the door behind her, and
turned, feeling instinctively that a great
crisis in his fortunes had come. There are
some men who rise to an emergency and
some who shrink from it, and the differ
ence is, that difference between him who
succeeds and him who fails in life, and in
all that makes life worth living.
Eustace belonged to the class that rises
and not to that which shrinks.
CHAPTER Xv.-EUSTACE CONSULTs A LAW
YER.
Augusta was leaning against the marble
ntelpiece-indeed, one of her arms was
resting upon it, for she was q tall woman
Perhaps she, too, felt that there was some
thing in the air; ut any rate, she turned
away her head and began to play with a
bronze japanese lobster which adorned
the mantelpiece
"Now for it," said Eustace to himself,
drawing a long breath, to try and steady
the violent pulsation of his heart.
II don't know what to say to you, Miss
Smithers," he began.
BEST say nothing more about it, she
put in quickly 81 did it, and I am glad
that l did it. What do n few marks mat
ter if a great wrong is prevented thereby
| am not ever likely to have to 90 to court
Besides, Mr.. Meeson, there is another
thing: it was through me that you lost
your inheritance; it is only right that l
should try to be the means of bringing it
back to you"
She dropped her head again, and once
more began to play with the bronze lob
ster, holding her arm in such fashion
that Eustace could not see her face. But
If he could not see her face she could see
his in the glass, and narrowly observed its
every change, which, on the whole, though
natural, was rather mean of her
Poor Eustace grew pale and paler yet,
till his handsome countenance became
positively ghastly. 1t is wonderful how
frightened young men are the first time
that they propose. 1t wears off afterward
with practice one gets accustomed TO
anything.
Miss Smithers-Augusta," he gasped,
Il want to say something to your and he
stopped dead.
Yes, Mr.. Meeson," she answered cheer
fully, what is it,"
Il want to tell you" and again he hes
itated.
What you are going to do about the
willi" suggested Augusta.
Mono; nothing about the will-please
don't laugh at me and put me OFF,
She looked up innocenuy-as much as
to say that she never dreamed Of doing
either of these things. She had lovely
LttCSr anu INC ElftLCe Vi inc SId1 iN4Att
broke down the barrier Of his fears.
"Oh, Augusta, Augusta" " he said, don't
you understand / love you! / love you!
No woman was ever loved before as / love
you. / fell in love with you the very first
time ! saw you in the Office at Nelson's,
when had the row with my uncle about
you; and ever since then l have got deeper
and deeper in love with you. When |
thought you were drowned it nearly broke
my heart, and often and often l wished
that were dead, too
It was Augustus turn to be disturbed
now, for, though lady's composure will
stand her IN good stead up TO the very
verge OF an affair of this soct, IL generally
breaks down In medtas Tes. Anyhow, she
certainly dropped her eyes and colored TO
her hair, while her breast began to heaye
tumultuously.
"Do you know, Mr.. Meeson," she said
at last, without daring to look up at his
imploring face, that this is only the fourth
time that we have seen each other, includ-
ing Yesterdayp
"Yes, know" he said; ''but don't re-
fuse me on that account; you can see me
as often as you Ike"-{this was generous
of Master Eustacel-"and really j know
you better than you think. i should think
that have read each OF your books twenty
tines
This was happy stroke, for, however
free from vanity a person may be. it is not
int rr1oy o-r1rx xf.bu f< haor