Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-11-11


of liquor. A path ran up through the
cemetery, where that driveway is, and
ths made q short route from the viii
lagc below to the Edmunds mansions
on the hill. This path Edward used to
travel when returning from the village.
"As Alice's twenty-frst birthday
drew near Edward became anxious for
the wedding, and it was said that when
partially intoxicated he urged Alice to
set the wedding day a year sooner, and
made himself so obnoxious that it was
only her promise to her dead father
that prevented positive rejection.
Sat length the time drew near for
the important event. (Just n week be-
fore Alice's birthday had dug that
grave by the side of the path where
that tall monument stands. l finished
the digging just-before- night, for the
burial was to take. place early the next
forenoon. s.N.ts&S n-.Jy rssst
'During the night we had heavy
thunder shower, and in the morning
when | came down everything looked
unusually bright in the clear, morning
sunlight. ] came up the path and
started back in astonishmentt to see a.
man lying in the bottom of the gravel.
On close examination It proved to be
EdWald-dead. =, lie had probably wan
dered aside from the path in the dark
ness, and, falling, his head had struck
the opposite side Of the grave, break
| ing his neck.
81 hurried down to the village for
help; and there found great excite
ment prevailing. Squire Edmund's
mansion had been struck by lightning
the night before, and both the old gem,
.tleman~ and his invalid wife had been
killed. One. chimney was, demolished
and the,end of the mansion Badly shat
tered, but no fire was discovered ..,.
"We carried Edward home, and the
three bodies lay in state till the day Of
the funeral, when all were buried in
theslot over there on the hill 3" ~i-
| 'At the funeral Alice was accom-
panied by a fine-looking young man
who was a stranger to all the towns
people. Many conjectures were made
as to who this stranger might be, es-
pecially as he rode home with Alice in
the Edmunds carriage. .-.a-.
"The next day, after the funeral
Alice received a. note from the law
yer summoning her to call at his office.
'HGood morning, Miss Edmunds, !,
said lawyer Atwood, as Alice, ap-
peareds in, answer to. his, summons: 4
beg pardon for intruding in the midst
ofYour sorrow, but there is matter
of business which must be atterded.to
very soon. I believe your twenty7frst
birthday will occur next Monday, will
it not?" 7"' -
'-'Aesy SIR answered Alice. "Fl
J. = "sssAnd> suppose. you undefstand that
| the desire of both your father and your
uhcIssNwas that you and your cousin Ed.
ward should be married and so keep
the property in theianily?
"T do, Alice replied, I
os" Now continued the lawyer your
Uncle Roberts will provides that Ed.
ward shall inheritall his fathers prop
erty at the age Of twenty one, In case
he died before that age'it should come
into your possession on your twenty.
first birthday, That gives your uncle's
half of all the properly to you next
| Monday. But your fathers share
stands in a peculiar. manner. In case
of your death before The age of twenty
/ onevit was to go to Edwardythat. part
of the will lis clear; But knowing that
the objeetiongto the union Avas all on
your part, and wishing tosmalSe this
union sure, your, father intended to
make provisions thatif you passed your
twenty first birthday without marry
ing Edward the property should pass
into his hands. OF all this You are
aware, but your father also willed that
at Edwards death yorir portion of the
property which lie had Inherited should
4 go TO thetown TO found a hospital and
apublie library '"'.F
\ vi" according TO these provisions you
would inherit your uncle,s part of the
property next Monday and your fathers
part would go to the town.
| There the laNvy erhesitated moment
and then continued:
u don't like this way of forcing
young people, to marry against their
viii, and don't think promise wrung
from one at such a, time as your promise
was made should be binding. ! have
studied your fathers will carefully,
and fiEd that the language used in the
document leaves, by technicality, one
chance for you to acquire the whole
4 property @tX 7H' 10
" The will provides that if you pass
your twenty FIRST birthday without
marrying the property shall go to your
cousin Now, by slight oversight, it
does not specify whom y@ shall
marry.
And with a pleasant good morning
the lawyer bowed Miss Alice out
\ wIhe next sunday there was quiet
wedding at the inansiof'o % the hill, and
it then .transpred that ahe young
stranger was Richard Trescott, Jr.y
"And SO the property was kept to,
gethcr, and Richard aud Alice lived in
the old house surrounded by a faraily
Of boys and girls" "a -nw
Here the sexton paused and appeared
wrapped in memory. At length broke
his reverie with the question: ...
sand so the new grave is for Alice?"
'Ycs," he. answered, "for Alice; dear
Alice. 1t was her last request of me
that should dig her grave myself"
And what became of the gardener9"
| asked
q, s"Oh! yes, yes, the gardener, he said,
as if he but half understood my ques.
ton And then rousing himself, he
said: THE gardener; WE'LL ,you see
Richard went to college and then my
wife died. and | conldn't bear to be
alone, and so ] came back and became
sexton of the town. Here l could be