The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-08-15

las Alicess tWenty-nrst birthday
drew near Edward became anxious for
the wedding, and 1t was said that when
partially intoxicated bic urged Alice %
set the wedding day year sooner, and
made himself 20 obnoxious that ii was
only her promise 70 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 w the side Of the path where
that tail monument stands. | 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 Ia the morning
when came down everything looked
unusually bright IN the clear, morning
sunlight, ! came up the path and
started back In astonishnent 70 see
man lying in the bottom Of the grave
On close examination IL proved TO be
EdwaId-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.
~ hurried down to, the village for
help; and there / found great excite
ment prevailing Squire Ednnnd's
mansion bad been struck by lightning
the night before. and both the old gem
tleman and his invalid wife lad been
Killed One chimney was demolished
and the end of the mansion badiy shat.
tered, but no FIRE was discovered
I'VE carried Edward home. and the
three bodies lay In state ill the. day 81
the funeral, when all were buried In
the lot over there on the hill
AT the funeral Alice was accom-
panied BY finee16oIing yonng man
who was stranger 70 all the towns
people Many cpnjectures were made
| as to who this ftranfcf might o., cs-#
pcciaIiy as lie rode home with Alice ia
the Ednunds carriage
1.-THE neSt day after the fEBeral
Alice received note from the liw.
yer summoning her to cali III bis Office.
: Good morning, Miss E3inunds,
said Lawyer Atwood, ns slice APP
pcarcd in answer 70 his summons: i
beg pardon for intruting III the laidst
Eof your sorrow; bnt thete Is u natter
Of business which nn8t be attended 70
very soon. | believe your twenty first
birthday viii occur next Monday, viii
| II not2''
! Yes, sir. answered Alice.
"'And | suppose you Understandable
the desire Of both your father and your
uncle was that you and your cousin Ed
ward should lie married and SO keep
the property in the fnmily?'
"'I do Alice replied
Now, continued the lawyer, your
| Uncle Roberts will provides that Id
ward shall inherit all his fathers prop
| erty at the age Of twenty.one. In case
/ he died before that age il should come
4 into your possession on yonr twenty.
! first birthday. That gives your uncle $
half Of I'LL The property to you next
Monday, But your fathers share
stands in peculiar manner 10 ease
| Of your death before the age of twenty
/ one it was to 20 to Edward; that part
Of the viii is clear; but knowing that
4 the objection to the union was all on
your part, and wishing to make this
union sure, your father intended to
make provisions that II 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
I at Edwards death your portion of the
4 property which he had inherited should
go 10 the town 10 found a hospital and
a public library.
:" According to these provisions you
would inherit your uncles part Of the
/ property next Monday aud your fathers
part would 60 to the town. =,
Here the lawyer hesitatcd moment
and then continued:
81 don't like this way Of forcing
young people to marry against their
i will and don't think promise wrung
from one at such a time as your promise
was made should be binding / have
studied your fathers viii carefully,
and fiEd THAT the language nsed in the
document leaves, by technieality, one
1 chance for you to acquire the whole
4 property.
The will provides that II you pass
your twenty FIRST birthday without
marrying the property shall goto your
cousin. Now, by slight oversight, il
does not specify whom you shall
marry y
And with a pleasant good morning
the lawyer bowed Miss Alice out
4 The next sunday there was quiet
wedding at the mansion on the hill, aud
It then TRANSFERRED that the young
stranger was Richard Prescott, Jr.
And SO the property was kept to-
gether, and Richard and Alice lived 10
the old house surrounded by family
Of boys and girls. =
Here the sexton paused and appeared
wrapped in memory. Al length broke
his reyerie with the question
'And so the new grave IS foy Alice2,
Yes" he answered, for Alice; dear
Alice. It was her last request Of me
that ! should dig her grave myself
N And what became 81 the Gardener2''
| asked
"oh! yes, yes, the gardener, < ht said,
as if he but half understood my ques-
ton. And then rousing himself, lie
said: The gardener; wclf,Nyqu see
Richard went TO college and then my
wife died, and couldn't bear 10 he
alone, and so came back and became
sexton Of the town. Ilare could be
. near the old home, and Alice always
came TO see me often, and my life was
shappy, until Richard came to live in
N the old mansion and could call Alice
daughter, and then hadthe Old house
again. But could never give up the
care Of the cemetery