The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-11-27

some o. the drawers myself since l came F"
And the papers that were in Mr.. Monk
tons desk, what was done with them?"
They're just lying as he left them. /
was feared To touch them, and Ilet them lie
till We would see them yersep. suppose
/ it will be over late the NIGHT now. Ye can
put them in the safe if We like, for haze
! the keys here"
'If YOU light the gas in the library will
! have a look at them before I go to bed.
/ They will be better locked up, at any rate,
/ if there are any deeds among them"
| Preceded by Mrs. Crawford, Mr.. Barnett
made his way to the library. This had
! been his dead friends favorite room,
I where he spent most of his time. The top
| of the desk was strewn with letters and
documents of various kinds, among which
| Mr.. Barrett discerned a small bundle of
! titles part Of those connected with the
purchase of Moredun house. He got a
newspaper and bundled all the papers to-
gether.
Owe will put them in the safe till to-
morrow when l will look them over" said
he. "His will must be in the safe, or in
one of the drawers of this old cabinet"
"Dear me. thocht We would have had
his will" said Mrs. Crawford. when L
made my will, though gudeness kens l
had ma much to leave, my lawyer, Mr..
Simpson, telPd me that it was usual for
lawyers to keep their clients wills"
80 it is; but Mr.. Monkton liked to
keep his own, and his titles and other
documents also. But the will won't be
difficult to find. for l have an idea where
he kept it. l will 90 off TO bed. now. l
shall see Miss Ashley, in the morning,
and Mr.. Henry Monkton, too, suppose.
He has not been interfering In the house in
any way, since he came, has hep
"No; he has kept himself very quiet.
He said we would look after things, when
We came. He didna want to meddle wi
onything"
81 am glad to hear he is so peaceably in
clined. You know the reason of his last
quarrel with his brother, dare say?'
"Deed do. / ken that Henry Monkton
has been a neer-do-weel a his days, and
that his brother was ave far over guide 10
him. He paid his debts over and over
again, and to think that after a he would
try to rob his brother O his ain money be-
hind his back. l reckon Mr.. Monkton
caught him in the very act o helping him.
sell to his money out O. the safe"
Eyes. and after that he ordered him out
of his house, which he should have done
long before. But as you say, he was far too
good to him They have never spoken
since. Were you in the house when Henry
Monkton arrived? He did not come till
the afternoon, think you said?"
'NO; / was out when he came"
GLOW is he looking? Does he seem
sorry at hearing of his brothers death ?"
"IIe was looking kind of strange like, l
thOcht, and seemed kind of startled when
/ came into the room where he was. /
4 IL - L. - I
opened the door He was civil enough,
though | dinna ken when / saw him be-
have sac weel. But, OF course, he could
scarcely act ony other way and his brother
lying a a corpse i the house"
''Where is the body? In Mr.. AIonkton's
own room?"
yes Miss Ashley's is next TO it. The
housekeeper is sleeping wi her, in case
she should feel eerie. Young people are
aye feared for death, We ken. Yer room is
a ready for We, Mr.. Barnett"
"Thak you. | know my way, Mrs. Craw-
ford" he said, taking the bedroom candle
from her hand as they stood together in
the hall Good night. l am sorry to
have kept you up so late on my account"
He went slowly up the stairs and along
the corridor toward the room he was wont
to occupy on the occasions of his visits to
Moredun house. As he passed the door
of the room where lay the dead body of
his friend, so lately instinct with life, a
feeling of awe crept over him. A stiffness
as of the grave seemed to hover in the air.
What a strange thing was this which men
call death
Next morning, when the solicitor came
down stairs, he found Miss Ashley in the
breakfast-room. She was a slight, fair
haired girl with very pretty face. She
wore dark-blue morning gown. Her eyes
looked heavy and bore the traces of recent
tears. She greeted Mr. Barnett with out
stretched hand. "Oh, it is such relief TO
have you herew she said. "Idid not know
what to do; and Mrs. Crawford was not
here when | wrote you. She would tell
you that Henry Monkton came yesterday
afternoon"
Eyes. Iexpected to see him at break
fast Is he not going to APPEAR"
81 do not know. He was up early and
has gone out somewhere, the housekeeper
says. But we will not wait for him. Mrs.
Crawford is having breakfast in her own
room"
"Iexpected Henry Monkton would have
been trying to act the master here" said
Mr.. Barnett, but Mrs. Crawford informs
me he has shown no disposition to do So
that he has left everything for me to ar
range"
"She told me so, too. He seems to have
altered for the better. We could scarcely
blame him even if he did assume the mas
tership in the house; he is Mr.. Monkton's
only near relation"
Yes. but how did he behave toward
him? Not as a brother should, certainly.
Had been in Monkton's place / would
never have borne with him so long"
Uncle was very patient with him. |
believe he always looked upon him as a
mere boy, who would grow wiser in time.
And he was only eight years younger than
uncle, after all. He must be somewhere
about forty-six."
Mr.. Barnett ate his breakfast in COM
parative silence. He was debating with
himself as TO the ACCESSIBILITY of imparting
10 Miss Ashley the terms OF Mr.. Monktons
will at the present or of leaving il till
later. She had said nothing on the sub
ject, and judging by appearances, the
might be concerned in it did not seem TO
be troubling her. Had she shown any
signs of anxiety with regard to what she
should do or where she should 90 after the
funeral, Mr.. Barnett would have felt il his
duty to tell her she was amply provided
for, but as it was, he thought it better she
should remain in ignorance in the mean
time.
After breakfast Miss Ashley went ND
stairs. Left alone, Mr.. Barnett decided
that he would wait until he had seen
1Ir,wR Isfl - L