The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1889-03-28

1
Starbright HE hasn't signed the will"
At this moment the door opened and
Grace Penroy entered the room.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE WILL SIGNED AND LOST.
Grace stood near the threshold with white
face and questioning eyes.
II thought heard grandpa call"
at Is nothing. Go out at once,n ordered
Captain Starbright.
At this moment the girl caught sight
OF the dead face among the pillows, and
with shrill cry Of alarm she darted for
ward and bent over the old millionaire.
"Grandpal grandpa speak to me-" cried
Grace Penroy, shrilly, seizing one Of his
| hands.
The chill of death was in the old palms.
and on the instant the girl realized the
truth, that the kind old man, kind TO her
at least, would never speak again. He was
dead, had died without looking again upon
her face The thought was q most painful
one to poor Grace. She could not weep
then, for indignation held sway in her
heart Turning upon Captain Starbright,
she cried:
"You promised to send for me and did
not Cruel man!n
Then, without waiting for word from
him, she walked with bowed head and sor-
rowful mien from the room.
Seekmore Gripes glided to the door with
catlike tread and turned the key in the
lock-
You should have taken that precaution
BEFORE" he said, piercing the Captain with
his little gray eyes
Is 1t was an oversight on my part" admit
ted Captain Starbright.
(" Which may prove your downfall"
Don't croak, Gripes whatever you do.n
The situation warrants it"
i hope you are not ready TO throw up
the sponge.
What can we don
The heartless lawyer penetrated his com.
panion with glance.
"This calamity is so sudden / am not pre- |
pared to state" answered the Captain, |
pacing the room with uneasy strides.
No will has been made remarked the /
lawyer. death thwarted you theren
And the property goes to the next OF
kinin
"Certainlyn
Zone minute more of life and the will
would have been signed uttered the Cap
tain at length, with groan.
"That is true''
Captain Starbright bent over the docu-
ment as it lay spread out on the table. With
a name signed at the foot it would be legal
document, as it was it was only so much
blank paper. The Captain was not the man
TO permit n fortune TO slip through his
myers when there was q way to prevent it.
"a few strokes of a pen would fix that
lie said in low tone, CHANGING at Mr. {
Iripes.
The lawyer looked wise, but said nothing. |
'erhaps he was keen enough not to advise
D such an emergency. :
sit was evidently the old mans intention :
o sign the WILL" pursued Captain Star. !
right
at was his first intention, f" returned Mr.. :
iripes, significantly.
"There is a million at stake, Mr.. Gripesr !
The lawyer nodded.
Just turn your back one moment" d
Seekmore Gripes did so. t
He heard the scratch, scratch of pen, a
hen the Captains voice: n
"See here, Mr.. Gripes,n "
The lawyer turned about and came for
ard, peering over the Captains shoulder :,
the paper now lying on the table, One /,
lance sufficed to show that the will bore in
roper place the name of Morgan Vandible =
" How is thatlp y
at looks fair" admitted the lawyer. a
4" 1t Is fair. have only carried out the u
d mans wishes.r
" His first intentions, certainly n
"Well, first intentions are the best ones" 81
serted Captain Starlight ~ want you o'
take possession Of the will, Mr.. Gripes, To
i'd bring it forward at the proper time" su
There are no witnesses as yet" L,
True; that important part must not be Isl
rgotten. win it do for me to sign as st
err
'If no contest is made there might be nc te
lection" returned the lawyer. AZ
Il haven't any fear of that. There is only -,
g living direct heir, and she is willing and 9.
xious for such a disposition Of the proper
as this will decrees.n "
Then the Captain signed the paper as a
tness. Mr.. Gripes noticed that he wrote WI
} name ''Clinton Brandon de
My middle name,n explained the willy ST.
plain. "Should it be necessary, could pr
~ that it was me that signed. Isn't that
peri" 10
Possibly m.
If another witness is necessary you II
i furnish one, Mr.. Gripesr' =,
Perhaps" .
Remember. there is a million at stake" ~
gaunt smile twitched for an instant at pr
, thin, wrlnkled lips Of the old lawyer. ag
made no reply, but folded and thrust the al
ged will into an inner pocket X
Jay was beginning outside, and the ba
azen-faced old man prepared to de- pi
IT. III
We will meet you after the funeral, bu
Gripes." tal
Probably" h,
Every thing seems satisfactory. bid m
good-day for now" =.
lfter pressing Lawyer Grlpes' hand the ~.
plain showed him 70 the door Tho ~
yyers horse stood at the gate, waiting IN
masters return with hu little ,mpa. ma
ice, manifested by paving and an 90 tn
ional whinny. oc
was not until after dhy-dawn that the II
tn Of old Mr.. Vandible was made known at
IL the inmates of Lone Hollow. Mrs. ba
Troy manifested more feeling than Cap tw
] Starbright believed her capable. Grace blu
ired TO her room and refused to see any 20,
am was dispatched TO Stonefeld with
ers for the undertaken, who arrived at ~
house soon after noon with hand ~
lie casket. Preparations were at once c
lie for the funeral, it not being deemed
essary to hold an inquest, since there far
luCu nOtuiuB bbIduBo III ulT. thuulDl6'S | II a.
den death, his age being nearly eighty. tn,
he funeral was a plain affair, the re- j
ms Of the old millionaire being laid to teI
beside the only other grave on the boz
misses, that Of his late wife, who had
coded him TO the better land several in
RS Her body had been removed to its 10.
sent place only few years before from -.
city cemetery, at the wish OF the old "'t
ionaire, who had strangely declared his
h'to sleep in this spot far removed from ing
turmoil Of the world. TO
eekmore Gripes sat in his room at his W.
(he was bachelorj eagerly
inning a legal document, no less paper die
a the last will and testament of Morgan ma
ldible. 1t was week subsequent to the We,
eral of the old millionaire a d
he window was open, and q breath OF I
n night air famed the withered cheek Fri,
he arufa laxvvpr | .