Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-11-06
THE NEXT-OF-KIN.
III FRANCES ELLEN wApLErGn.


me, boysw
AS Flavel Ashcroft uttered these words
in tones of cxultation, he tore a note into
tiny fragments aud threw them aside.
Ono of his companions, Louis Jewett,
blew cloud of fragrant smoke from his
cigar md said, 6atterngly:
"Ahs you lucky dog, you'll play the
mischief among the girls! May ask if
that is n lovc-!etter which you have so
thoroughly destroyed"
""By no means. Merely brief billet
from Huxley, my former employer. He
says that if | don't appear at the store
tomorrow l may consider myself dis.
charged"
"Thcn you haven't told him"
"That Uncle Roger died intcstate and
childlcss, and that step into his shoes?
No, no. Until this morning 1 feared
some unknown heir might crop UP aud
chiscl me out of this money, and didn't
choose to tell of my hopes us long rs
there was any chance that they might be
dciusivc."
"Did you suspect that your uncle left
children or grandchildren" asked liar.
vcy Wilson, Flavcl's other companion.
81 was positive he never had but one
child, my Aunt Kathleen, who was de-
mcntcd for sixteen years before her
death, which took place about three years
aso. If she had ever married, her chill
drcn would, of course, inherit this es-
tate"
"Iour uncle might even in that case,
have remembered you," suggested vii
son.
"Ncvcrl We were sworn foes. He
wouldn't died interstate had he been rs
far seeing rs he was unforgIvins. His
lawyers tell me he had yielded to their
persuaslons SO far us to promise to make
his will before the close of the year; but
the year closed for him long before De-
ccmber came. Apoplexy, you know"
~ believe rui1:or says you are sweet
on the pretty typewriter ut Huxley's,"
sand Jcwett, lnquisitively.
bessie AIoorc2 All, I fear she is
rather gone on yours truly" said Flavel,
complncentiy, rs he carnsscd his luxuriant
whiskcrs, shut that sort of thing'll not
do now. She's nice little thing, but
she must marry some respectable fellow
IN her own station in lifc."
Wilson scowled at FIavel and abruptly
left the GROUP, unobserved by Jewett,
who was also about to depart in another
direction.
While strolling homeward, Flavel said
to himself:
GLOW lucky for me that my aunt was
daft after that mysterious visit of hers to
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 Tcrrill, 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, dcluded 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 he was
then on his way to see her father and
tell the sad news. He never suspected
that she was at home. Lucky is it for
me, boy as was, Rad sense enough to
hold my tongue about Terrill's surprising
revelation, for that child, is it is alive,
is my uncle's lawful herr"
Such was the fact, but no one had ever
suspected that old Mr.. Ashcroft's only
daughter had been wife and mother.
Therefore, not even the most astute
lawyer had the least hcsitancy in declar-
ing his handsome, cXtravagant, selfish
nephew to be his heir.
OF course, it was not long before the
tidings of Flavel Ashcroft penetrated to
the large wholesale drug store where he
had been former clerk for the past six
years, and his former comrades rejoiced
at his good fortune, for i'll his careless,
happy go-lucky way he always made
friends wherever he was.
81 wonder Mr.. Ashcroft has not been
i'll to see lis" said one of the clerks TO
Bessie Moore, Huxley e Cos stenoera-
pher and typewriter. elias he told you
when we are to expect him."
~ haven't seen him since the last dav
he was in the store, four weeks ago.
Bessie replied, with an embarrassed
air.
Mr.. Ashcroft's attentions to her had
been so unremitting for some time past
that everyone predicted speedy we'd
ding, and Bessie knew it; she knew, too,
that her own family-hcr adopted mother
and sisters (for she was an orphan) had
looked for the same result. Therefore it
was doubly notifying to feel aud real.
ize that others felt that Flavel had
merely been amusing himself at her ex.
pense.
"Oh, well, l dare say he's been pretty
busy, " said the first speaker, kindly try
ing to hide his surprise at Bessie's words.
different people, to whom he was al
ways more or less in debt, have told me
that he has been around among them set
ting up all his little liabilities. Then,
too, where there's so much money in-
volved there must necessarily be good
many interviews with lawyers
EYES," chimed in Harvey Wilson,
head bookkcepcr, who had overheard
these last words, "riches entail many
cares, yet Ashcroft, no doubt, has some
free evenings. For my part, am con-
WINGED none of us will ever see him
again"
sob, I say, Wilson, aren't you bit