The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-06-27
THE HIDDEN WILL.

Yes, l know her people. Her father
and mother are country Dutch and more
than usually rugged and hard featured.
Where the girl gets her beauty is mat
ter of wonder Her name is Gaines.
The speakers are two ladies. Mary
Gaines's beauty deserved all the COM
mendation of her admirers and was an
index to her character.
The physical contrast between the
father, mother, and daughter was start
ling enough. Old Gaines was u very
handwriting man, aid so ignorant he
could neither read nor write. He worked
in the coal mines for many years and put
the savings of his life into 800 acres Of
wild land in CLARION county. But the
farm was rugged and sterile, and leaving
his brother to work il the old man went
to Philadelphia and got position ON the
Reading Railroad aswatchman, and with
Alarys help and Mrs. Gaines's thrift they
made decent living.
At this time the coal oil discoveries
were made and rude mountaineers
found themselves millionaires. In this
good fortune Peter Gaines was destined
to participate. Although illiterate he
was shrewd, and refused to sell his
Clarion county farm until he had ex-
amined the ground, and the result was
that in six months he returned to his
wife and daughter with $50, 600 and an
income from leases that amounted to
several hundreds per day.
Peggy Gaines had but one idea Of the
value of money, and this was touseit for
the benefit of her Mary. Old Gaines
looked carefully after his business and
his wealth was increasing rapidly. In
the days of her poverty and dependence
Mary had given her heart TO Bernard
Rudolph, young German who was
chemist in large dyeing establishment
in thecity. Mrs. Gaines more than once
limited to her daughter that with her
wealth and beauty she could look higher,
but Mary, with quiet decision that her
mother understood, declared that she
loved Bernard and all the wealth in
Christendom should not separate them.
So date for the wedding was fixed,
but a terrible occurrence damaged all the
lovers plans. Mrs. Gaines wanted to see
her old home in the woods and accom-
panied her husband ON one of his visits
TO the oil country. A collision of two
trains happened on the way and Peter
Gaines and his wife were killed.
1t was a terrible shock to the daughter,
and for a month she did little else than
grieve over the loss of her parents. One
of her fathers friends saw her and ad-
vised steps being taken to settle the
estate. Mary consented listlessly, but
was aroused from her indifference a week
later, when her friend came to the house
with letter in his hand.
miss Mary, have a surprise for you
Your fathers brother Michael has APP
piled to the court at Clarion county to
administer your fathers estate on the
ground that he is the nexR heir, and
might as well tell you now that he made
an affidavit that you are not the child of
Peter and Margaret Gaines. have
note from the Rev. Father Kohlman, of
Pittsburg, whom you know. He states
that he will call ON you Thursday. In
the meantime have engaged Mr.. Will
lam Wallace, one of the best lawyers il
middle Pennsylvania, TO look after your
interests.
Mary sat for some moments in state
of utter bewilderment. Michael Gaines
never liked her, and this must be piecc
of spiteful mischief. 1t could not be
true Bernard's advice was manly and
practical. "f you lose the estate we
| will have enough to live on. So let it go.
Father Kohlman paid his visit, and
| laid to rest all hope of expectation, that
her uncle's story was false-in short he
confirmed it. He said: "On the 10th of
October, 1850, party of two men and
| two women were crossing the mountains
near Peter Gaines's cabin. 1t was night
fall and beginning to snow, SO they
| stopped in the barn and left next morn
ing at daybreak Peter went to the barn
to look after the COW and heard some
thing crying, and looking about found n
| child about four months old. The mother
had no doubt left it when starting a few
| hours before. Peggy was wild with joy,
| and after some demur Peter consented
to let her adopt the little girl. Il was
called in and baptized you, my dear. /
urged the old people to tell you the truth
years ago, but they feared that you
might come to love them less, but 1 am
confident that your adopted father never
left this world without providing for you,
for he assured me as much not more
than year ago.
The good priest urged her not to de
spair of the issue. Her reward might be
/
Mr. Wallace's advice was brief and to
the point. "The plaintiff can, / am as
sured, prove that Mary Gaines was only
an adopted child. and, therefore, not en-
titled to inherit. But Ihave every reason
to believe that there is will. So make
all due inquiry in that direction.
| Among many old friends was Billy
Burton, clerk in the Reading Railroad
main office. He was present when Wal
| laces letter was read, and suddenly par
alyzed the company by rushing outof the
room at racing speed.
Billy walked rapidly along talking tc
himself. "What a hammer headed
chump am TO have forgotten that. It's
about two years agowhen old Gaines was
watchman. was full as goat and ht
let me into the Office at night TO sleep il
off. English Brown was there too. Il
all comes back to me. They asked me tC
witness a paper and old Peter made his
mark like a railroad crossing, and now &
find Brown.
That gentleman was found and for
wonder sober. He had been a lawyer
clerk and but for drink could have go
along in the world Burton poured {
flood of questions on him. "Yes, he haC
written Peters will; did not know tina
Peter was dead Of course he had thi
paper; it was in is at" So he tool
off his tall tile and after removing nu
merous articles threw ON the table f;
folded sheet Of foolscap. Burton opened
it. "Yes, there's my fist sure enough
Leaves all his property that he has a
death to his wife for life and at her dealt
TO his adopted daughter Mary
The paper was taken by Wallace I,
| Clarion county, its execution proved
and the crowd that had thrown them
selves like vulmres ON the dead man
wealth were discomfted. Mary ani
Bernard were married in due season
| The estate amounted TO nearly 100000
a" 0'"- Burton and old Brown wer
not forgotten.
A $500 butterfly,
A unllnn nnnm nnulIinn. in NL.n gi1l.ln