Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-03-12

friends during life whom he could call
friends and three OF them wept at his
grave.
Hearing of his death a large number
Of his relations had presented them
selves at his house in New York and
commenced iuterferences which were
boldly and decisively checked by Mrs
Delaro and the lawyers. Many of them
were persons who treated the dead mill
ionaire very badly before he migrated
to California. but they had often en-
deavored to become more intimate with
him in later years. These he had sue
cessfully kept at arms length; neverthe-
less they rallied, like carbon crows.
filled with the fond hope that he had
not forgotten his relations in his last
hours, and all expected that their names
would be found in the will in connec-
ton with fat legacies Had they been
mindful of the old proverb how much
less severe would have been their dis
appointment
In most cases they were ignored al
together and only few of their
names were mentioned in the will
which was few weeks later
admitted to probate. To the astonish-
ment of all, and more especially to the
New England relatives, the bulk of
Joel Wilcox's wealth including mining
and railroad stocks representing enorm-
GUS sums he bequeathed to Percy Lowell
To Mrs. De1aro he left nearly all his
California estates and among them was
the Posada vineyard which was now
once more the property of the Delaros.
To Armida he gave his beautiful
mansion and grounds in the Sonoma
valley, and the rest of his few
requests consisted of various sums left
to charitable institutions and those of
his relatives for whom he had still re-
tanned some regard. This, briefly, was
the last will and testament of Joel
Wilcox.
1t was not until his body was laid to
rest that Mrs. Delaro thoroughly COM
pretended how true and staunch
friend she had lost, and she now felt
very much alone in the world. True,
her daughter remained; but the stout
hearts who had passed their word to
assist her in every way to accomplish
| the purpose of her life had left her side
and she had grave fears that her
Efforts might now fall short of her one
| cherished desire.
| The house in which Mr.. Wilcox had
died soon became too dreary place for
Armida to be confined in and her mother
noticed it. 1t would never do to see
| the healthy color leave those cheeks
| a change must be sought, and that very
soon. Yet something ought to be
| learned of Percy Lowell. thought Mrs.
| Delaro. What was to be learned came
soon to hand, but it was eminently un
| satisfactory.
The letter from the American Consul
at Buenos Ayres merely stated that a
gentleman travelling as Mr.. Byron
Huntly had appeared in that city, but
his stay had been only brief one. He
had taken trip into the interior, he
said, and nothing had been heard from
him since. But as such occurrences
were not infrequent it had caused no Sc
rious Investigations to be made, though
| should any other news come to hand the
Consul promised to advise Mr.. Wilcox.
This letter did not arrive until after
Mr.. Wilcox's death. and it troubled
Mrs. Delaro not little. She had heard
| that Mr.. limerick was again in New
York. and she had advised Mrs. Breezy
of the fact, but had not seen that good
woman since.
arrived from Buenos Ayres conveying
| the sad intelligence that the body of a
man. dressed EXACTLY as the supposed
MIR. Huntly was known to have dressed,
had been taken from the river few miles
below San Nicholas, the last place from
whence tidings of the traveller had been
| received.
This communication was great blow
to Mrs. Delaro. What should she do
now that she had no adviser left? And
how should she complete the only pur-
pose she acknowledged in her life?
Then there was all that idle wealth of
| Percy's left him by Mr.. Wilcox-what
would become of that? She finally felt
that the thought of all that had hap
| pened within the past few months would
be too much for her among such close
associations and constant reminders of
it, SO she resolved to go away and seek
in change of scenes at least little re-
pose. she would leave every thing in
the lawyers hands and go to Europe.
| While these thoughts were passing
through her mind Armida walked into
the room where her mother was sitting
and said that Mr.. Blodger had just made
a hurried visit and had been speaking
of Mrs. Breezy. He had told her that it
was almost impossible to get the
Frenchwoman to leave New York, now
that she knew that Mr.. limerick. whom
she still persisted in abiding to as her
husband, was in town. She had avowed
her intention of seeing him face to
face, though her efforts up to the pres
emit had proved unsuccessful. To-day
she had learned that he was down at his
Office very often far into the night, and
she was determined to approach him and
demand aninterview that very evening.
But, fearing. that some harm might befall
her. Mr.. Blodger had gone down to Mr.
Emerick's Office to try and induce the
mysterious merchant to give the woman
a hearing and dispel her strange fancy
81 trust he will be successful" said
Mrs. Delaro. quietly, 'for it is better
| that the poor woman should know the,
! truth"
As Mr. Blodger entered the Office OF
limerick and Company, the surviving
member of that firm sat in chair in
his private Office gloating over the item
of news in a Buenos Ayres newspaper
stating that the body of Mr.. Byron