Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-10-06

AK%WE - - SNoA~N P&sNANV JAdNSA ~
9Ss@NS Archibald Baldwin in the
@S9 hand Of his friend Noel
e3 SgS Ware.
!" And promise to guard it well,n
he added.
Noel Ware did not trust himself
to speak. He pressed his friends
hand in token of assent, and soon az
ter took his leave.
On reaching his lodgings-he was
a bachelor--he locked the packet
away in the desk in which he kept
his papers.
Then, sitting down, he began to
reflect how sad it was that two
friends like himself and Archibald
Baldwin, after Flooding so many
years together, should be forced to
part at the last stage of the journey,
and he should be left to finish it
alone.
There had been a bit of romance
in the lives of these two. In their
youth they had both loved the same
woman. Had the wooing of either
prospered, they would probably
never have been friends. But a third
competitor had borne of the prize !;
and the bond of common di APP
pointment, in time, strengthened in
to tie between the foiled suitors
closer than is commonly found to
unite two men-or women either for
that matter.
Many years had passed since then.
The two friends had stood, in turn,
at the graveside of their fortunate
rival, and of her at whose shrine they
had once jointly worshipped-up upon
whose destitute, orphaned child they
henceforward We'd with each other
in lavishing every care.
And Maud Preston had grown up
loving Uncle Archie and Uncle Noel
so she called them-better than
most children loved their parents.
She lived with Uncle Archie, who
was rich and kept house, but was
none the less fond of Uncle Noel.
who came to see her, and had so
many pleasant stories to tell.
That Maud Preston would one
day have Archibald Baldwin's for
tune was in everybody's mouth-ex-
cept Archibald Baldwin's OWE.
He had relative-a very distant
one, it is true-yet near enough to
stand his heir if the law were left to
take its course.
Of this kinsman Mr.. Baldwin stood
not little in awe and not without
reason, for there was something in
Jared Swipe's broad, fat face, with
its bas-relief features, that reminded
one of an adder when it means mis-
chief.
At the time of which we speak
Maud Preston was at school. Uncle
Arches illness had been kept secret
from her. There is always time
enough for bad news" said the kind
ly old man the evening he gave Noel
Ware the packet.
But the time was shorter than he
thought. When the sun shone in
upon Archibald Baldwin's face the
next morning it seemed that of a
man in peaceful slumber.
The servant who came stole noise.
lessly away not wishing to disturb
the sleeper. Useless procaution !;
from that sleep there was no waken-
ing.
When Noel Ware reached his
friends house, be found Jared Swipe
already in possession.
I" I've gone over the papers and
there's no WILL" said the latter with
an air of iIsolent triumph.
AS soon as he could decently
Noel Ware hurried home, determins
ed to bring right to light without
delay.
He opened the desk, searched a
moment, and then stood aghast
The packet was gonel
The more he tried to fathom the
mystery the more it baffled his eff
forts, till at last he gave it up and
sat down in despair.
He had not the heart to write to
Maud. He could not be the first to
communicate the i'll news that would
be sure to reach her soon enough.
That gracious Office Mr.. Swipe I'M
dertook. Coarsely and brutally, az
ter announcing the death of Baldwin
he went on 10 give notice, as that
gentleman's successor, that hence
forward Miss Preston 'smust shift
for herself" unless, indeed, she pre-
ferred to accept Mr.. Swipe- as a hus-
band, in which case he offered, in a
postscript, " to come down hand
some"
When Maud read ofUncleArchie Is
death her eyes were blinded with
tears, but they flashed fire at the