Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-02
CHAPTER III.

The next three months are a chronicle
of doughty legal deeds. With beautl-
full alacrity several sets Of solicitors gall
loped into the fray.
The Dean questioned the marriageand
that was established then he attacked
the second will and that was confirmed.
After that, to his horror, the widow car
ried the war into his camp and i'm
pugned his twenty thousand pounds
consols arrangement, and to his utter
dismay the court held it formed part OF
the deceaseds assets and went under his
will, and worse still, the costs were given
against the Dean. 1t was indeed a har-
rowing spectacle to behold Dean Thur
low, who had triumphed over so many
foes. now overthroWh and vanquished
by quondam cook.
His excellent wife took the opportu-
nitv of his abasement to enforce moral
lesson or two on greed and worldiness.
The Dean was, indeed, wreck he look
ed ten years older. For many days nc
never read his papers. Consols went up
and down and lie needed them not. IT
was now summertime, and Jack had
been away sketching and fishing for a
month. and came back homo just as the
crisis arrived. His father stared at him
with CLASSY eye.
$50 and break stones by the road
side. All the freeholds are gone, the
valuable leasehold ground-rents gone,
Claxton Manor and its rent-roll gone,
and now the consols gone, and that
woman is gloating over her ill-gotten
gains" AS Jack hears all this he fushes
half-guiltily.
81 say. dad" he answers, "there'i
one trump.card you haven't played yet
you may win all back yet. May | play
the card for YOU ?" The Dean turns
sharply on his sou.
"No jesting, boy; what do yor
mean"
Jack takes his fathers hand and says
softly:
LET me marry Nellie
Men don't often have mysteries, but
deans perhaps may now and then al
any rate, Dean 1hurlow seemed on The
verge OF an attack, but In few moments
he pulled himself together and grasped
the situation. Nellie was cooks daugh-
ter, It is true. but she was an heiress, ex-
ceedingly sweet, gentle, and pretty.
All that month that young rascal Jack
had been fishing near ClaXton Manor
and truly he had tished to some purpose.
Mrs. Ihurlow was little difficult 10
manage for many nights she neglected
Wilhelm Meister" and listened tc
Jacks plausible pleading. Then, aided
and abetted by his father, he got Nellie
asked to the deanery, and her sweet,
winning ways completed the victory.
Parker stood somewhat on her digni
ty; bat she had grown to like that
bright-iaced boy, and having so com
pletely overthrow the Dean she could
afford to be generous.
Then the Dean girded himself TO.
gether and brought all his diplomacy &c
bear on the marriage settlements He
csjoled Parker into resigning some OF
her life interests, and ultimately the en-
tire property of Uncle Tony vas brought
back INTO the family. Having accom-
plshed this, the Dean set himself tc
work to put a good face on the
matter socially. He discovered that
lsrker's father had been a small
OIL and color-man who preached
In little Methodist chapel on sunday:
IN remote village in Lincolnshire
Parker was sstonished, and socioty duly
Impressed to hear the Dean allude &c
her father as 1.-THE we'll known divine
Jonathan Parker" Within year OF
two she relieved the Dean Of all further
trouble by retiring once more to Lincoln
shire and marrying respectable loca
doctor.
The years run on and still find Mrs.
Dean struggling with Wilhelm Meis
ter, and the Dean sits and sips his old
port as Of yore. but little grandson
generally rests upon his knee and per
suades the reverend divine to tell him {
story. regret TO say that the morals O,
the Deans stories always have distinct
~ worldly favor. and invariably incul
cate the supreme duty Of getting on,
ma kIDo II Assl- a