The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-11-10


on the hill. This path Edward used to
travel when returning from the gillage.
"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 year sooner, and
made himself SO obnoxious that it was
only her promise to her dead father
that prevented a positive rejection.
'At length the time drew near for
the important event. Just week be-
fore Alice's birthday had dug that
grave by the side of the path where
that tall monument stands. finished
the digging just before night, for the
burial was to take place early the next
forenoon.
During the night we had a heavy
thunder shower, and in the morning
when 1 came down everything looked
unusually bright in the clear, morning
sunlight I came up the path and
started back in astonishmcnt to see a
man lying in the bottom of the grave.
On close examination it proved to be
Edwald-dead. lie had probab bly, 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.
II hurried down to the village for
help; and there found great excite
ment prevailing. Squire E1rund's
mansion had been struck by lightning
the night before, and both the old gen
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.
1--WE carried Edward home, and the
three bodies lay In state till the day of
the funeral, when all were buried in
the lot over there on the hill
cat the funeral Alice was accom-
panied by q flne-loolsing young man
who was a stranger to all the towns
people. Many conjectures were made
as to who this stranger might be, csr
pecially as he rode home with Alice in
the Edmunds carriage.
"The next day after the funeral
Alice received note from the law
yer summoning her to call at his Office.
"Good morning, Miss Edmund ds,'
said Lawyer Atwood, as Alice ap-
peared in answer to his summons: 4
beg pardon for intruding in the midst
of your sorrow; but there is matter
of business which must be attended to
very soon. believe your twenty-frst
birthday will occur next Monday, will
| it not?"
"'Yes, SIR answered Alice.
"'And suppose you understand that
the desire of both your father and your
uncle was that you and your cousin Ed
ward should be married, and so keep
the property in the family9'
:" Il do Alice replied
| Now continued the lawyer, your
Uncle Roberts will provides that Ed
ward shah inherit all 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 an the, property to you next
Monday. But your fathers share
stands in peculiar manner. In case
Of your death before the age Of twenty.
one it was to go to Edward; that part
of the will is clear; but knowing that
the objection to the union was all on
your part, and wishing to make this
union sure, your father intended to
make provisions that If you passed your
twenty-frst birthday without marry.
ing Edward the property should pass
into his hands OF all this you are
aware, but your father also willed tha,
at Edwards death your portion Of the
property which he had inherited should
go tQ the t0y1 70 found hospital and
i public IibrafS, <,.,...>-... :. ,--...-. -,--r
| According to these provisions yo,
would inherit your uncle's part of the
property next Monday and your fathers
part would 60 to the town."
"Hcre the lawyer hesitated moment
and then continued:
"J don't like this way of forcing
young people to marry against theil
will, and don't think promise wrung
from one at such n time as your promise
was made should be binding. havs
studied your fathers will carefully
and find that the language used in the
document leaves, by technicality, on,
chance for you to acquire the whole
property.
"'The win provides that if you pas
your twenty-irst birthday. "withou
marrying" the property shall go to you
cousin. Now, by slight oversight il
does not specify whom you shal
marry
"And with pleasant good morning
the lawyer bowed Miss Alice out
"The next Sunday there was a quie
wedding at the mansion on the hill, an,
it then transpired that the youn,
stranger was Richard Trescott Jr.
"And so the property was kept to
,gether, and Richard and Alice lived Il
the old house surrounded by famil,
OF boys and girls"
Here tho sexton pausedaud appearc'
wrapped in memory. A. length broln
his reperie With tho qnestion: = f
"And 20 The nesv grs+e is for Ahce9'
'sYcs." he ans~Ssed. 't3nr Alice; dea
Ance- b wss her taxt request of IN
that should dig her grave myself"