Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-08-28


into my mind the remembrance of the
will hidden in the old copy at home
.. Michael Darcy's will, with it's bequest
to my wife 8 niece, Anastasia French, I"
1 could hardly keep the excitement out
of my voice as link after link in the
chain of evidence was supplied in an
swer to my questions. I found that her
real name was Anastasia. now cut down
to Anna Ffrench; that her uncle's name
was Michael Darcy. and his farm was
known as Carrignalea. In reply to my
query as to her reasons for believing
that her uncle had made will in her
favor, she said:
After my poor uncle got the para
lytic stroke of which he died he made
several attempts to speak, and as far as
we could understand his words were al
ways about money and about having
made it all right for Annie Besides,
our old servant always declared that
about week before his illness he had
called her and another woman, who was
accidentally in the house, into the sit
ting room and made them witness a pa
per which he said was will When
they had finished signing, he said, half
to himself, Now my mind is at rest
about Annie''
"Why did he not get the will proper
ly drawn up by a solicitor?''
she was fond of reading lawbooks
and knew something about law himself.
He had sometimes made wills for other
people,, and 1 never heard that there
was anything wrong about them.''
"And the will could not be found?''
''The will could not be found. We
hunted everywhere for it in vain, and
tHln Patrick Darcy said he did not be-
ieye it had ever existed and thar old
Margaret had invented the whole story.
The other woman had left the neighbor-
hood by that time. Patrick Darcy offered
to give me some money, but 1 refused
to take a gift from him. I knew one Of
~; - ~ sigtsIlooa hese 1t
Marshport She had been n1ifslhg
lseiy - ouf neiehhorhood the y ih'er &C.
lose, So ! wrote Q laer, and ehE g0' L-se
eeB as = probationor. wsg slrSsl's .ss
AK months aud then / went to LONDON
70 he trained fietend.d 70 ~erol 1'l''il-
i2e the whole art Of nursing, Int 3oN
Laurence nus spoiled all my plans.
There was 10 doubt that this was the y
beiress of the will in my possession.
The question was, Did the Go, 600 exist,
or had the heir at-law made away with
it?
I took my leave as soon as could.
The first thing I did Oh reaching home
81 as 10 take master Humphrey" from
tie bookshelf and make sure that the
will was quite safe Next morning l
took it to my own solicitor, who assured
me that it was a valid will, properly
executed. In few days he informed me
that Patrick Darcy was a well to do
man and mark for a larger sum than
the one due to Anastasia French.
A day or two later, therefore, pre-
scented myself again at Mrs. Powers.
81 have brought you wedding pres
emit. my DEAR" said to Sister Anna,
handing her the three volumes of 'Mas-
ter Humphrey. -
"Indeed, DR.. Moran said Sister
Anna, 81 don't think anything coulG
give me greater pleasure than this; it is
just like the copy of Master Humphrey
we had at home. Why, I do believe it
is the actual book, Here is the 7erg
pencil mark that poor uncle was 80
angry with me for making. Where did
you get this, DR.. Moran? Was it from
Patrick Darcy?"
81 bought it, my dear, at second
hand bookshop year or two ago. 1t
was only the other day discovered that
you mad an interest in it. Turn to the
picture of Barnaby and his raven.
think you will find something there
that concerns you"
She turned the pages with practiced
hand until she reached the one she
sought.
"Oh," she exclaimed, there is my
uncle's writing! How strange it seems
TO find it here!"
"Read it, l said.
She glanced quickly oyer it, the color
fading out of her cheek as she did SO.
sit is the will, " she gasped~~"my up-
cle's will "-Chamber Journal.