The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-03-01
! NTHE W0RhD'S -
~ az ~ STORY DEPARTMENT. A

Of liquor. A path ran up through the
cemetery, where that driveway II and
this made q short route from the VII.
lags below 70 the Edmunds mansions
on the hill This path Edward used u
travel when returning from the village.
"As Alice's twenty-frst birthday
drew near Edward became anxious for
the wedding: and II was said that when
partially intoxicated he urged Alice 70
set the wedding day q year sooner. and
made himself 50 obnoxious that Il wa
only her promise y her dead father
that prevented 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 70 take, place early the next
forenoon.
During the night we had q heavy
thunder shower, and In the morning
when came down everything looked
unusually bright 10 the clear. morning
sunlight came up the path and
started back in astonishment to SEQ Z
man lying in tho bottom Of the grave.
On close examination Il proved TO be
Edwaid--dead. He 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.
II hurried down to the village for
belpi and there found great excite
ment prevailing. Squire Edmund'a
mansion had been struck by lightning
Tie night before. and both the old gen.
tlcman and his invalid wife had been
killed. One chimney was demolished
and the end Of the mansion badly shat
tered, but no are 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
Eat the funeral Alice was accom-
panied by fne-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 rs 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 Edmnnds,
said Lawyer Atwood, as Alice ap-
peared in answer to his summons: i
beg pardon for intruding In the midst
of your sorrow; but there Is a matter
of business which must be attended to
very soon. | believe your twenty first
birthday Will occur next Monday. will
1t not2''
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 family?'
= ! do Alice replied.
Now, continued the lawyer, your
Uncle Roberts win provides that Ed
ward shall inherit all his fathers prop
erty at the age of twenty-one In case
he died before that age 1t should come
into your possession on your twenty
first birthday. That gives your uncle's
half Of all 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 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 intended to
make provisions that If 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 your portion of the
property which he had inherited should
go to the town to found 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 go to the town.
Here the lawyer hesitated moment
and then continued:
] don't like this way Of forcing
young people to marry against their
will, and | don't think q promise wrunp
from one at Such time as your promise
HeNs AAnAC 1hOAANA OG aAIl4lnH. Il nave
studied your fathers will carefully,
and ! find that the language used in the
document leaves, by technicality, one
chance for you to acquire the whole
property.
" The will provides that if you pass
your twenty-tirst birthday without
marrying" the property shall go to your
cousin. Now, by slight oversight, it
does not specify whom you shall
marry
And with a pleasant good morning
the lawyer bowed Miss Alice out.
The next Sunday there was a quiet
wedding at the mansion on the hill, and
it then transpired that the young
stranger was Richard Trescott, Jr.
And so the property was kept TO-
gether, and Richard and Alice lived 10
the old house surrounded by "a family
Of boys and girls"
Here the sexton paused and appeared
wrapped in memory. At length broke
his reverie with the question:
And so the new grave Is for Alice?s
Yes, he answered, .for Alice; dear
Alice. It was her last request Of me
that should dig her grave myself"
"And what became Of the gardener?''
asked.
"Ohl yes, yes, the gardener" he said,
as II he but half understood my ques.
tom And then rousing himself, he
said: The gardener; well, You see
Richard went to college and then my
wife died, and ] couldn't bear TO be
alone, and SO Icame back and became