The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-12-07
THE ASHFORD WILL.


II was not until Samuel Ashford knew
that his last hours were approaching that
he sent for his sister. They had quar-
relied many years ago, but when she
came and found him so i'll she nursed
him as tenderly rs IL he was indeed her
lover.
Mr.. Ashford's old servant, Andrew,
who was in his masters confidence,
grew loquacious when asked about her
brothers will.
''He hasn't left you a cent, Miss Ash
ford" was the unsatisfactory answer
"I's all gone to an asylu n. The Wills
locked up in the library desk and he
carries the key on ribbon round his
neck. You may have noticed It,
She said nothing at the time, but re-
turned to her brothers. side He was
sleeping soundly. Looking at his face
she said to herself:
IF he had died without n will all
would have been mine. How cruel and
wicked he has been to me-"
The key of the desk hung from a rib
bon on his neck. The temptation was
strong and she yielded. Detachine the
key very softly she ran ITO the library,
opened the desk and drew out the crisp
parchment 1t was even as Andrew had
said. Her brother left every cent of his
money to charity.
With muttered exclamation she put
1t back and restored the key to its place
just rs the sick man was waking up.
Miss Ashford had come TO her brother
with no thought of his fortune, but
anxious to be reconciled, after years of
ill-feeling, TO one who might be dying.
She kept her promise, and sat day after
day by his bedside, but there was no
love in her heart Once it became so diff
ficult for her TO hide her feelings that she
left him and went out into the fresh,
cold air and walked until she was ready
to drop. When she came back Lemucl,
brighter than he had seemed before, took
both her hands and said, fondly:
Marcia, l have wearied you, but il
will not be long now-not long"
That night Lemuel Ashford died. His
death was very quiet. Only Marcia sat
beside him. Andrew slumbered in his
own room. The brother last words had
been:
Marcia, I want to tell you about my
will" but there his voice had failed him.
Marcia wished that he had not spoken
at all, for even while she watched death
steal across his features, the thought
came into her mind:
II am his heiress, his next of kin.
Were the will but destroyed all would be
mine.
And then she said to herself:
st shall be. No one can suspect me.
What more natural than that he should
forgive at the last and destroy it himself?
| will tell the lie if need be-"
Tla,a xrrst1, Two, I.I linz at,1u oh
more detached the key of the desk from
Its black ribbon and crept into the
library. It was quite dark, but she
felt her way to the desk, turned the key
in the lock and opened it. Her hands
fumbled with the packet for moment,
then touched crisp and cracking parch-
ment.
She had no need to read it. She knew
it word for word, and Fastening to the
fire, placed it upon the red Goals, crush
ing it down among them and piling
others upon it.
Safe p she cried, as she hurried back
to the chamber of death. Safe from
poverty at least"
Then she summoned Andrew.
The man came hurriedly and stood
with wet eyes beside his dead masters
pillow.
Gomez he sobbed. "Gone poor
gentleman! All, this is not the first of
the family whose temper has been his
death; but he was a kind-hearted gem
tleman, and liked to do right. He told
you about his will, didn't he, ma ann"
"Do not speak about the will at such
u time" replied Miss Ashford. "How
should know my brothers plans? We
have been strangers for years.
"Ah, poor gentleman" replied An
drew. f'You'li find he was better than
you think-far better-far better"
But Miss Ashford only hid her face in
her handkerchief
Il don't think you do know" said An
drew; ''you haven't been told That IS
plain to me, and like to be the first to
tell YOU The day you were away he
because you'd been nursing him so
kindly, he said. A copy of the one he
made while ago is in the lawyers hands
the lawyers connected with the asy-
lum, you know-but that is no matter
He burnt the one in the desk there and
made another leaving everything to you.
The latest date is all in will, you know,
ma'am. Nothing can stand before that
And the asylum people will be angry
enough"
Miss Ashford sank into a chair. The
servant believed her grief for her brother
had overpowered her.
Miss Ashford kept her own counsel.
When the funeral was over search was
made for the will, but it was not found.
No one suspected the heiress of having
destroyed a document which endowed
her with wealth, and many pitied heI,
but the trustees of the asylum insisted
on their rights, and Marcia had no power
TO contest the will, despite the lawyer
assurance that he could testify to having
made later one in her favor, for she
was poor, and, moreover, burdened with
u guilty conscience.
She returned to her lAbors and died
poor, dependent on the charity OF
Andrew for shelter in her last days, and
though the old man guessed her secret
well, he kept it to himself for the honor
of the family.
Telephones in New York.
From the NsW York Times
The greed of the Bell Telephone Company