Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-09-11
THE NEXT-0F-KIN.
DY FRANCES ELLEN wADLEIGH.

All the legal quips and quirks are
complied with; at last | am free man
Young, rich, not so very bad looking,
NAV | not now be the happiest man in
Americal will. No more work for
me, boys"
As Flavel Ashcroft uttered these words
in tones Of exultation, he tore a Eote into
tiny fragments and threw them aside.
One r his companions, Louis Jewett,
blew cloud of fragrant smoke from his
cigar and said, fatteringly;
"Ab, You lucky dog, you'll play the
mischief among the girls May l ask if
that is lovc,letter which you have so
thoroughly destroyedl'
'By no means. Merely brief billet
from Huxley, my former employer. lie
says that if l don't appear at the store
tomorrow l may consider myself dis.
charged.
"Thon you haven't told him"
"That Uncle Roger died intestate and
childle:s, and that step into his shocsl
No. no. Until this morning feared
some unknown heir might crop up and
chisel me out of this money, and l didn't
choose to tell of my hopes as long as
there was any chance that they might be
delusive."
"Did you suspect that your uncle left
children or erandchildrenl' asked Har
vey Wilson, Flavel's other companion.
II was positive he never had but one
child, my Aunt Kathleen, who was de-
mented for sixteen years before her
death, which took place about three yeas
40. II she bad ever married, her chill
dren would, Of course, inherit this es-
tate"
"Your uncle might, even in that case,
have remembered you,' suggested Will
son.
"Ncver! We were sworn foes. lie
wouldn't died intestate had he been as
far seeing as nc was unforgiving. His
lawyers tell me he had yielded to their
persuasions so far as to promise to make
his will before the close Of the year; but
the year closed for him long before De-
cember came. Apoplexy, you know"
~ believe ruTaor says you are sweet
on the pretty typewriter at Huxleys,
said Jewett, inquisitively.
"Bessie Moorel All, l fear she is
rather gone on yours truly" said Flavel'
complacently, as he caressed his luxuriant
whiskers, "but that sort of thingll not
do now. She's nice little thing, but
she must marry some respectable fellow
in her own station in life"
Wilson scowled at Flavel and abruptly
left the group. unobserved by Jewett'
who was also about to depart in another
direction.
While strolling homeward, Flavel said
to himself
"How lucky for me that my aunt was
daft after that mysterious visit OF hers 70
friends in New York And how very,
very queer it seems that no one but me
knows Of her merriage and subsequent
motherhood When her husband, Theo-
dore Terril, and | were both in the hos
pital after we were injured in that rail-
road accident, he told me the whole
story, knowing that he was about to die.
He told me, deluded man, that my aunt
had gone crazy at the birth of her little
daughter, and had drowned herself, but
her body was never found, and ne was
then on his way to see her father ana
tell the sad news. He never suspected
that she was at home. Lucky Is 1t Tor
me, boy a, was, had sense enough 10
hold my tongue about Terrill's surprising
revelation, for that child, is 1t Is aiiVe'
is my uncle's lawful herr
Such was the fact, but no one had ever
suspected that old Mr.. Ashcroft's only
Slaughter had been wife and mother.
Therefore, not even the most astute
lawyer had the least hesitancy in deciar-
ing his handsome, extravsgant, selfish
nephew to be his heir.
OF course, it was not long before the
tidings of FIavtl Ashcroft penetrated to
the large wholesale drS store where he
had beer former clerk for the past six
years, and his former comrades rejoiced
at his good fortune, for in hls careless,
happy -go-lucky way he always mace
friends wherever he was
al wonder Mr.. Ashcroft has not been
in to see us" said one of the clerks TO
Bessie Moore, Huxley 81 Cos steno5ra-
pher and typewriter. "Has he told you
when we arc to expect himT'
II haven't seen him since the last day
be was in the store, four weeks ago,
Dcssie replied, with an embarrassed arr
Mr.. Ashcroft: attentions to her had
seeu 50 unrcriitiag for some ti~e past