New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-07-04
INHERITING A WIFE.

NooupS, llelel, Sdiu IL young man, WIN
flash of anger on his handsome face as he
turned from his uncle toward the pale girl
standing in the window
"Goodby, Frank, /" she said, listlessly, prof
fering him slender white hand.
lie took the hand and bending over, lightly
touched her forehead with his lips
She raised her head to address him with a
forced effort, and he was gone
The young fool thinks he can defy me-
said Mr. John Duncan, angrily, but with love
and pity rising to his kindly gray eyes as he
bent them upon Helen
The latter was the rich old mans adopted
daughter, and in her seemed conferred all his
happiness. She was his idol and hehad plan
ned to make her his heiress, or that she should
share all he had of this worlds goods with
Frank Duncan, his nephew. But this latter
contingency was to be that these young peo-
pie should have his fortune together only as
man and wife.
Helen Morley had been an orphan ever
since she could remember She had endeared
herself to old Mr.. Duncan by her sweet I'M
selfish life and her devotion to him as her
benefactOr
She and Frank had been thrown much to.
Sether, as matter of course, and old Mr.
Duncan as he looked this favorite nephew's
handsome, animated face, and then at Hell
en- S sweet oval picture, framed by her mass
of bright hair, when the two were together
declared to himself they had been made for
each other and that it was plainly the work
ofheaven that they should have been thrown
accidentally in eachother's way.
But he had just now serious misgivings
whether or not heaven ever had anything to
with mol a I,
nephew.
He had just received a a terrible shock and
was stirred dy anger, disappointment and
pity for his fair Helen.
Then too, he was placed in so delicate a
position that he hardly knew what to say to
her
He had no assurance that Frank had ever
spoken a word of love to this girl
But hecan't defy with impunity = growled
he irate uncle, as Helen had not replied
to his first remark about the young gentle
man in question. Il will not leave him a
cent | will make a new will He shall be a.
beggar for all he'll get from me- concluded
John Duncan, stamping his foot fercely.
ooh, father!' said Helen appealingly,
What has he done to anger you so?'
'Donel" shouted the old man, fairly exas-
perated by this question, forgetting at the
moment that Helen did not share his news,
and therefore indignant that she should not
join with him in condemning the young
mans heinous crime. 'Done!" he repeated
in rising tones of freshly kndled anger
What has he done? Upset all my plans
Destroyed all my happiness Tells me he's
inlove with that Preach girl Elise Courtois,
and that his happiness, his very life, depends
upon his marrying her. And he has the eff
frontery to ask my approval of such 1idic-
ulous STEP
THE old man paused only at sight of
Helen, who had sunk, pale and trembling,
upon sofa. Her delicate fingers were inter-
laced and there was look OF such unutter-
able pain in her face that even Mr.. Duncans
anger fled before it.
Then with a sudden thought his anger rose
again and he demanded:
Has the villain deceived you, Helen? Tell
me the truth. By Heaven, if he has PIP
"Oh, no, no; he has never spoken to me of
OFF
There, there, my dear, l only wished to
know; meant it all for your good said Mr.
Duncan tenderly.
Helen fled to her cham Der to think and to
recover if possible, from hesudden blowshe
had received.
There had been no spoken words of love be-
tween them for the three years that Frank
had been a constant historic his uncle's and
yet she had thought-she had believed-yes.
she had hoped, that the first love of her pure
young heart had found a safe resting place.
and that it was reciprocated by him, although
as yet not proclaimed, for some good and
sufficient reason on his part.
But it was all over now. Her eyes were
opened to the notifying truth She cried
from pure shame at first then for disappoint-
ment Her face was all afame as she thought
of the possibility of the knowledge on the
part of Others of her misplaced love Then
her cheeks and brow became deadly cold as
she realized that her young hopes were all
Withered and dead.
Io1,, IL. I i
gone out from Helen's eyes his anger towards
his nephew knew no bounds. He knew that
Frank had gone from his presence with
fixed determination to win the girl Elise
Courtois, if possible, in spite of all opposi-
ton.
And he knew what he could not speak of to
Helen, that she had loved his headstrong and
misguided nephew
The old man was closeted with his lawyer
soon after this occurrence for several hours
one day and the result of this conference was
a new will.
Three years are not much! A mere spot on
the ages A bagatelle of weeks and months
frittered away in frivolity and trifing.
Three years are an age! A heavy leaden
period stamped upon q life into which are
crowded so much of mental pain and anguish
that the rest of that life ought to be sunshine
and flowers to compensate for their misery
The three years following the departure o
Frank Duncan in disgrace from his unele's
home had been to Helen Morley joyless years
of silent suffering, unshared by a sympathetic
heart, unspoken to q pitying ear. She had
suffered in silence, and had tried to walk her
allotted path with outward composure And
old John Duncan, though he had been more
tender and solicitous of her welfare than ever,
saw that he could do but little to tighten her
burden of sorrow
But John Duncan had gone now There
was no longer even his loving care to shield
Helen from her own misery
lthad been but @ few weeks since the old
man had blessed Helen with his dying breath
and then passed away. She was sole posses
sorof his wealth. Frank Duncan had been
summoned, but was somewhere abroad, pur-
suing his ignis fatuus in the shape of fortune
and Elise Courtois. He had lost sight of the
French girl with whom he had become infat-