The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-23

"At length the time drew near for tho
important event. Just q week before
Alice's birthday / had dug that grave by
the side Of the path where the tall monu-
ment stands. I 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 ! came down everything looked un-
usually bright in the clear morning sun
light. came up the path and started
back In astonishment TO see a man lying
in the bottom Of the grave. On close ex-
animation IL proved TO be Ed~ward-dead.
He had probably wandered aside from
the path in the darkness, and, falling,
his head had struck the opposite side of
the grave, breaking his neck.
"Ihurried down TO the village for help;
and there ] found great excitement pre-
vailing. Squire Edmund's mansion had
been struck by lightning the night be-
fore, and both the old gentleman and his
invalid wife had been killed. One CHM
ney was demolished, and the end OF the
mansion badly shattered, but no fire was
discovered.
awe 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.
"At the funeral Alice was accompanied
by a nne-looking young man who was a
stranger to all the townspeople. Many
conjectures were made as to who this
stranger might be, especially as he rode
home with Alice in the Edmunds car
riage.
"The next day after the funeral Alice
received a note from the lawyer summon
ing her to call at his office,
"Good morning, Miss Edmunds,'
said Lawyer Atwood, as Alice appeared
in answer to his summons: Il beg pardon
for intruding in the midst Of your sor-
rows; but there Is a matter of business
which must be attended to very soon. j
believe your twenty-frst birthday will
occur next Monday, will il 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 familyf
al do Alice replied.
"Now,' continued the lawyer, 'your
Uncle Roberts will provides that Edward
shall inherit all his fathers property at
the age Of tw~enty-one. In case he died
before that age ii should CONF into your
possession on your twenty-hrst birthday.
That gives your uncle's half OF all the
property to you next Monday.
"'But your fathers share stands In a
peculiar manner. In case OF your death
before the age OF twenty-one il was to 60
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 in
tended to make provisions that il you
passed you twenty-frst birthday with
out marrying Edward the property
should pass into his hands. or all this
0ur are aware, but your father also
ed that at Edwards death your por-
a OF the property which he had in
rited hould 60 to the town to found a
hospital and a public library.
according TO these provisions you
would inherit your uncle's part OF the
property next Monday and your fathers
part would 60 to the town.
"Here the lawyer hesitated amoment
and then continued:
81 don't like this way Of forcing
young people to marry against their will,
and l don't think a promise wrung from
one at such a time as your promise was
made should be binding. l have studied
your fathers will carefully, and / find
that the language used in the document
leaves, by a technicality, one chance for
you to acquire the whole property.
"'The will provides that il you pass
your twenty-first birthday without
marrying " the property shall go to your
cousin. Now, by a slight oversight, it
does not specify whom you shall marry
"And with apleasant good morning
the lawyer bowed Miss Alice out.
The next Sunday there was a quiet
wedding at the mansion on the hill, n
1t then transpired that the young stran-
ger was Richard Prescott, Jr.
And so the property was kept togeth-
or and Richard and Alice lived in the old
house surrounded by q family of boys
and girls"
Here the sexton paused and appeared
wrapped up in memory. At length /
broke his revery with the question:
And so the new grave is for Alice?"
eyes," he answered, " for Alice; dear
Alice! II was her last request OF me that
! should dig her grave myself"
"And what became o. the g%ardener?"I
asked.
"Oh! yes, yes, the gardener" he said,
as IL he but half understood my question.
And then rousing himself he said: 1.-THE
gardener; well, you see Richard went to
college and then my wife died, and /
couldn't bear to be alone, and so / came
back and became sexton of the town.
Here / could be near the old home, and
Alice always came to See me often, and
my life was happy until Richard came to
live in the old mansion and could call
Alice laughter, and then | had the old
house again. But ] could never give up
the care Of the cemetery"
As the old sexton ceased speaking the
sur burst out again, and, bidding him
good day, i sauntered forth on my ramble
over the old town where was passing my
summer vacation.-Boston Budget.
Curtona Earss khouf Iire.