The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-02-22

land, and had succeeded his father, and
so he had grown up with the brothers.
1t was only natural, therefore, that lit
tie Richard should be the playmate OF
Edward and Alice.
Gall was we'll for several years, but
when the cousins were twelve or thir-
teen years of age slight trouble com
menced. Edward had a hasty temper
and an overbearing disposition, and SO,
on account of his superior standing and
the knowledge that Alice was his in
tended wife, jealousy was aroused by
the strong friendship between Alice
and Richard, and this jealousy had fire.
quent outbursts.
"Young Richard was q manly fellow,
and stood Edwards insults in a calm
and quiet manner, never resenting any
of bis indignities
MATTERS went on thus until Edward
and Alice were sixteen, and by this
time the young man had become SO ex-
asperated that he told his father of tn e
state of affairs. Thomas was soon in
formed, and stormy scene ensued.
The result was that Richard Prescott
was obliged to leave the employ of the
brothers and so leave the town.
sSoon after this, Thomas, the elder
brother, was taken seriously i'll, and,
fearing that he might not live to see
the union of his daughter and her cous-
in, he endeavored, by the most urgent
persuasion, to make her promise that
his desire should be realized on her
twenty-frst birthday.
For long time the girl refused to
comply with this demand. but at
length, when it became evident that
her father could not recover, she con-
sented.
"And so Thomas died, and it was
understood that his will provided that
in case Alice died before she was
twenty-one, her half of the property
should go to Edward, and in case she
passed her tWenty-frst birthday with
outmarrying her cousin he would take
the property the same.
Gas Edward grew older he showed
signs of dissipation, and after few
years 1t became q common thing fol
him to go home at a late hour in the
night, very much under the influence
of liquor. A path ran up through the
cemetery, where that driveway is, anC
this made a short route from the vii
lage below to the Edmunds mansions
ion the hill. This path Edward used tc
travel when returning from the village
Gas Alice's tWentyfrst birthday
drew near Edward became anxious fos
the wedding, and it was said that wher
partially intoxicated he urged Alice tc
set the wedding day a year sooner, anC
made himself so obnoxious that it was
only her promise to her dead father
that prevented positive rejection.
cat length the time drew near fol-
the important event. Just week be.
lore Al1ces O1rthday had dug that
grave by the side of the path where
that tall monument stands. I finished
the digging just before night, for the
burial was to take place early the next
forenoon.
, During the night we had heavy
thunder shower, and in the morning
when l came down everything locke
unusually bright in the clear, morning
sunlight l came up the path anC
started back in establishment to see {
man lying in the bottom of the grave
On close examination it proved to be
Edwa1d-dead. He had probably wan
dered aside from the ath in the dark
ness, and, falling, hi head had struck
the opposite side of the grave, break
ing his neck.
81 hurried down to the village for