Middletown transcript., 1895-01-19

D
Crittenden is your cousin, believe. u
"Disiant cousins; but how did this
last document, in my favor, come tC
be made? Please explain, Mr.. Gray.
don't quite understand it ALL"
"You doubtless remember that your
Uncle Denning was strong admireI
of art in aD its branches, and when
Crittenden, with an unmistakable tai
ent for painting, drifted into the pro-
fession, it pleased him very much. 1t
was then that the first will was made,
knOwing-as he did-what an uphill
road the life of an artist generally is,
and how long it takes before financial
returns begin to come in. You als'
were developing a great deal of ability
in the same line; and as you and Crit
tenden were good deal with each
other-I may as well be frank with
you-he had an idea that in course of
time you would naturally drift to-
gether;that is probably why your name
was not mentioned in the first will,
because to my personal knowledge, he
thought a great deal of you. Then
came reports from two or three re]ia-
BILE sources that Crittenden had some
how been taken up by a fashionable
set and was decidedly neglecting his
profession, while he lived for little or
nothing at the expense of his new
found friends. Finally, when Mr..
Denning felt sure the young man was
losing his ambition and settling down
into that kind of shiftless life, he
sent for me and made this new will in
your favor. don't know when l
have been more pleased to draw up a
legal document, Miss Madge; you have
my hearty congratulations"
Miss Tyler was in a brown study.
She sat for several moments, with her
chin resting in the palm of her hand,
while the toe OF one dainty shoe poked
and patted figure in the rug. To the
white whiskered old lawyer, sitting
comfortable back in his leather chair,
she made a charming picture. A ray
of sunlight, touching one pink ear and
the soft tan glove on the arm of her
chair, gave Warm coloring to that
side of the graceful figure, the other
being sof,ened by the shadows in the
corner.
"Is that first will still in existencep,
Eyes l have it here in the box with
Mr.. Denning's papers. 1t is void,
however, on account of this other."
During her few moments thought,
rows of law books, the great fireplace,
the walls, the room itself, had seemed
to fade away. 1t was last summer
again. She and Crittenden were back
in Norfolk, sketching, painting, ram
bling about through the quaint old
streets or over at Virginia Beach
breathing in the soft sea and sunshine
as they caught bit after bit of the
grand ocean panorama and transferred
it to their canvasses. Although be
had never asked her to marry him,
their daily life together had seemed to
settle the question without discussion
the talent each possessed supplemented
and encouraged the others. Day af-
ter day drifted along in quiet, whole.
some, out-of-door happiness, and she
instictively felt that it was merely his
limited income which kept him from
speaking of the beginning of their life
together. In the fashionable West
End boarding AeHse, her mothers
source of income, they came and went
as naturally as if they already belonged
to each other; even "Sam,' their
ebony familiar, wao lugged the paint.
ing outfit and whose head fgureu in
many of the "Darky" combinations
they produced, had pictured 10 him.
self life Of sunshiny ease and indo
lence in the studio which, in his minds
eye, formed the prominent feature Of
their future home.
.Mr. Gray, have decided to d.
what you may think a very foolist
. thing. am going to destroy thiswill
Then you are at liberty to notify Mr.
Crittenden that the property is his X
.'My dear Miss Madge! Don'l beg
of you'll Don't do anything of that
kindl assure you, upon my word Of