Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-05-17

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"You know he would not. Great
Heaven, Leonie, are you mad, to dream
that mere bubble of the law could
give claim more sacred than this let
ter-the written wishes of the dead?
A mans will is but the written express
sion of his wish. Can anything be
palmer than this;"
81 am the late earls nearest OF kin.
He died without will therefore al
that he posed is rightly NINE"
"Oh, Leonie, how falsely you reasonl
1t Is no more yours than mine. You
know at this moment that there Is q
voice in your own heart telling you to
give up at oace what does not belong
to you"
II hear no such voice, said Leonie.
Ethel Dacre went to her; she looked
long and earnestly in the beautiful col
orless face,
81 know you are jesting, Leonie. You
are not saying what you really think.
You would not co wrong; and you know
that to keep what is not yours is-as
we said the other day simply stealing.
Surely you, with the Charnleigh blood
running in your veins-you Paul Elem
yng's intended wife-a patent of nobil-
ity in itself--surely you would not write
yourself down 'thieI."
.Leonies face flushed crimson at such
words. They were but the repetition
Of her own thoughts. She stood erect
before Ethel
"Do not repeat that word, Miss
Dacre. There are limit to everything,
and my fOrbelranCe will not go much
further. You call me thief because [
choose to keep that which belongs to
me by law and by right. Do not repeat
the otTense.
Yet even as she spoke so proudly and
haughtily in tho depths of her own
heart she knew the charge was true,
and she loathed herself for her sin
she hated herself because she could
not look Ethel Dacre in the face-she
hated herself for the fierce humilia-
tion that her own act had brought up
on her
81 am sorry to have offended YOU"
said Miss Dacre. When came in to
speak to you, offense was the last thing
| thought Of; but, Leonie, right is
right, and it must be done at any cost.
| shall never think again of what you
have said. can make allowance for
the disappointment and irritation,
which are but natural; but you must
do rlght-you rst give up to Paul
Flemyng this inheritance, which is
justly his"
"For the last time | tell you that I
shall do nothing of the kind. / shall
keep what is legally NINE"
at seems unnatural for girl so
young and beautiful as you to be mer-
cenary and dishonorable," said Ethel,
sadly. "Leonie, if you will not do
right must. | shall send Captain
Flemyng the paper l have found"
"You will not dare to do anything of
the kind, exclaimed Leonie.
81 must" said Miss Dacre, still more
sadly. 81 could not rest with such
secret on my conscience"
But, Ethel" persisted Leonie, "why
need you tell him? We are to be mar
ried very soon, are we not? Then all
that l have will be his. OF what use
is it to make all this stir and excite
ment? If [ were going to marry any
any one else, could better understand
your decision; but, when all will be his
50 soon, why disturb matters, why cause
amending mischief?"
"You cannot be serious, Leonie-you
cannot think of making such O com
promise with your conscience. The
inheritance is Captain Flemyng's, ire
spective of any marriage, and you
must admit that it ought to be made
over to him at once"
A sheer that was not pleasant to see
married the beauty of Leonie Rayner's
young face.
"You are very Jealous, Miss Dacre.
1t is hard to believe that your plead
ings are entirely disinterested. Per-
haps you think that if Captain Flemyng
were Earl of Charn'eigh he would
transfer his affections,
The noble face grew paler, but
bright light shone in Ethel Dacre's
eyes.
"You are wrong, Paul Flemyng is
noble, loyal gentleman; he loves you
you alone-of all in the world, and he
will never care for any ole ell o never,
while the world stands. 1t is because
he is so loyal that wish you were diff
ferent for his sake | must tell him
what | have found. He can please him
self to act upon the discovery or not. I"
You will understand that, if you in
terfere, all friendship between us is at
an end, Miss Dacre."
81 shall be sorry for it, but nothing
can give me so much sorrow as to find
that have been deceived in you. Oh,
Leonie, pray heaven to change your
heart, to take from you that fatal
worldly vanity which has transformed
noble disposition into one that has
no nobility.
She waited few minutes longer to
see if Leonie would say anything more
to her, and then, noticing the sullen,
gloomy expression of the beautiful
face, she went slowly from the room.
Before she had closed the door Flo
rette entered. '~' y -,
1T Is growing late, my LADY, is it not
time that you dressed for the concerto"
Il am not going" said Leonie; and
there was something in the respondent
tone of her voice that caused the maid
to look into her mistress face. She
was startled and surprised at what she
saw there.
"You are ill, my lady," she said;
your face is as white as death"
Il am tired, explained Leonie; and
there went up from her hear great
yearning Cry for rest from the war;
fare that seemed to have no end.
"rhen you will not go out, tonight,
my lady, at ALL" questioned the maid
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