The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-12-04

mere jney were met Dy waiter bat
tersby and the three girls.
This Was Mrs. Peters arrangement.
The more witnesses there are the
safer it'll be-" she had said, abiding,
of course, to the reading Of her
brother-in-Iaw's will. Besides, - she
added, they may hear something
nice for themselves.
As far as he was concerned, how
lever, young Walter had fully intend
ed TO be present, even if his father
and mother objected.
Joan continued alone in the kitchen.
The tramp of strange feet in the room
over her did but make fresh tears
well up from the bountiful source in
side her.
And so the funeral party and the
Others sat round old Carmel's table
and waited for Mr.. Cameron 10 begin.
The lawyer did not keep them wait
ing. He smiled rather dryly and
drew forth the paper from its official
blue envelope.
Never was there, in Mrs. Peter Bat
tersby's opinion, a more horrid and
| disgraceful last will and testament
Certainly her husband was to re
ceive a fourth of the proceeds of the
sale of the deceased's goods; but what
was a mere fourth
The other threC-fourths We're left
of all things-to the Moxford Union
Ito help to train up more girls like
Joan Smith, Those were the very
words.
To the three girls of Mr.. and Mrs.
Peter the three largest mirrors in the
| esta blishment of No. 80 were Lequeath-
ed without comment. Mr.. Walter Bat
tersby was not even mentioned, nor
was Mrs. Peter.
Mr.. Cameron received a hundred
pounds, and so did the deceased's old
friend, Mr. Craven.
Lastly, Joan was mentioned. She
was to have a years wages, all the
furniture of her own bedroom, and
the old scrap book for which she had
SO often piled scissors and paste, and
which contained curious items of
newspaper intelligence during the
last thirty years.
There, gentlemen and ladies, that
is all, f." said Mr.. Cameron; and now
you must excuse me. | leave you
with my co-trustee, Mr. Craven"
"One moment, sir" interposed Mr.
Peter, to whom his wife had wills
pered much. whats become of all
his money in the bank: He must
have had thousands
The balance to his credit on May
81, answered Mr.. Cameron, referring |
to a note, was just e45, IS, 10d. AT |
ter the funeral expenses are paid"
WHATS he done with it?' cried |
Mrs. Peter, redder of face than ever |
Il cannot tell you, madam. Good |
morning. said the lawyer, who then |
wisely left them to fight the matter |
out between themselves. But before |
he went. he, with his own hands, car
ried to Joan in her kitchen the un |
wieldy old scrap book, and told her
that it was her property as well as the
furniture Of her room.
Come, cheer up, my girl he said |
at parting. Your master was fond |
of you, and he would rather see YOU
bright than downcast. And remen-
Der that am Your friend if you
should happen to want one"
joan thanked Mr.. Cameron, and |
then, having reverently kissed the
old book, put it to one side.
Mrs. Peter, before she parted,
thought well to trespass in the kitch-
en- and say some cruel things to Joan.
But somehow the girl did not mind
them very much now.
Then Seth looked in again, and
said she was to come up to his moth
er's that evening. If she didn't he
should fetch her. And to make sure
of having her he carried off the big
scrap book.
Mrs. Peter Battersby did something
else before she left No. 80.
Together with her disappointed son
and daring Walter, she climbed the
stairs to Joan's little attic, and took
a hammer with her.
Its the very kind ofspiteful thing
he'd be likely to do she said, but
I'll not stand it-r0bbing his own
flesh and blood for a workhouse
brat
Mr.. Peter left her to her own de-
vices. He, Mr.. Craven, and the three
veXed Gndeed insu.ted) girls went
away together.
Then Mrs. Peter studiously search
ed Joan's attic from wall to WALL
She turned out the girls one tin box.
looked in the drawer of the wash
stand, ripped up the palliasse outra-
geously and threw the straw all about
and treated the bolster with equal
brutality.
There was also handsome old oak
wardrobe that would have graced
even q royal bedchamber. This was
for Joan's three or four poor frOcks.
1t was quite laughabIe to see how
mother and son tapped and probed
this antique piece of furniture They
even knocked off the head of "a lion in
relief at the top of it, 10 see if there
was a secret cavity behind the head.
But the wardrobe aught them no
more than the palliasse and the boil
ster.
well, I'm off to the Hen and
Chickens said Walter Battersby at
length. I've had enough of this"
So, too, had Mrs. Peter, for there
was not an article in the room that
she had not thoroughly tested.
The sun was still well above the
cemetery hill when Seth called at No
80, in his workday CRIME and his
worllday grease.
Art ready, my lass - he inquired
of Joan.
The girl began to make excuses.
Its not right, Seth, to leave the
house with no one in it. He wouldn't
have liked it," she said.
ITS not right, Joan, to make a
promise and not keep it, retorted
Seth. Come, now, I'm not going to
leave you to nope your eyes out. DO
you mean 20 make ne marry you:"
She was persuaded with difficulty.
Then it was revelation Of char
acter to see how she locked one door
after another and pocketed the differ
ent keys.
anybody 'ud think the things were
all yourn, Joan" said Seth admiring-
ly.
Its the same to me as if they
WERE she answered, with the tone
of fresh tears.
But Seth hurried her off before she
could break down again, and soon
had her iii the little red brick cottage
he shared with his mother.
Old Mrs. Perry had, in her younger
DAYS, been a servant herself. She had
a true woman's sympathy for Joan,
and discernment enough that her son
might do far worse than marry such
girl.
1t was as comfortable meal as any
in Moxford, with the cat purring on
the hearth all the time.
Afterward the talk turned solidIy
upon old Carmel and his singular be-
quests to Joan.
The money and the furniture II be
useful to YOU child said old Mrs.