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

l. l.
Now Tor it" I said to myself as
undid the Irvine binding my preciou
volumes together and prepared to ex
anime them more carefully than hat
had time to do since I unearthed then
from the little, dark, secondhand book
shop that afternoon. There was nothing
remarkable about them; no rare editions
of we'll known classics, no long for
gotten books, valuable from their very
obscurity, merely few bound volumes
of old magazines and couple of the
novels which had delighted me as 6
boy, and which from old association
were more precious in their original
type and polished leather binding than
in the spruce modern editions Best OF
all was copy Of Dickens "Maste1
Humphrey S Clock, " with he woodcuts
that cannot now be reproduced.
When I had gone more than half
through the second volume, l came up
Oh large sheet of thin paper, covered
with neat, cramped writing. [ took it
out and looked at it. A moments i'll
spection showed me that it was will,
written throughout in the handwriting
of the testator, Michael Darcy, and dat
ed two years before. 1t left interest i'll
the farm of Carrignalea, with stock and
implements, to the testator's brother,
Patrick Darcy, who was also named
residuary legatee, while the sum of g.
900 i'll railway stock and other invest
ments was bequeathed to "my late
wife's niece, Anastasia French" 1t
xyas, as far as could judge, and I had
mad some experience in matters of the
kind. properly executed. signed end
( witnessed.
1t was odd ID 0nd an j, .portant docu-
men5 of this sort hidden away between
the leaves Of d book Had Patrick Darcy
and Anastasia Ffronch been left with
) s1a1l; their iuheri tance in consequence? 7
ri 60
wondered, / would MAKE sf54c' ssssszzsszSsz
about the matter next day Il wenla b
easy TO IND cut al about Michael pa1ry
Of CaIrignalea. Eean5ime the W..
could remain between tis8 leaves u
"Maste1 Humphrey ) Clock
f}f1t the morrow found ms gfns along
~ e.issass train 10 tho beeda az M
only son, who had met with a danger
ous accident. and for many weeks |
could think of nothing but him and Of
the best means of snatchlng hun trom
the extended arms Of death. And When.
by Gods mercy, he was once more az
safe from those clutches as any one Of
us can ever be, Michael Darcy, e viii.
heirs and executors, had faded o1' pf
nv mind as completely as if they had
never entered it, and the will was rest
ing undisturbed in its hiding place
among my books.
Some 10 months later I went in
regular course of my practice to visit
an old friend, who was suffering from
an acute attack of pneumonia. She was
an elderly lady, living alone some two
or three miles outside the city. Her serv-
ants were faithful and attached, but IN
the absence of relatives | thought it
better to insist on the services of a
trained nurse. AS the patient grew
better and I had time to notice less i'm
rortant details, perceived that Sister
Anna, besides being ali excellent nurse,
was a very attractive young woman.
She had pretty brown hair with golden
sights i'll it waving and ripping all over
a we'll shaped, well set head; her eyes
were dark brown, and her complexion,
though pale, clear and healthy looking.
She was fairly tall and well built, with
"a look of strength and vitality pleasant
/ to see. Her voice was low toned and
pleasant while her choice CT words and
manner of speaking showed her to be
an educated woman.
Late one October afternoon, after a
hard days work. drove down to Lis
fallen TO visit my patient, whom had
not seen for two Or three days.
''Where is the sisterG'' 7 asked during
a pause in the gossip with nly old friend
which succeeded our brief profassio mai
interview
LOOK out of the window" was the
reply.
I went over to the deep bay window
which formed one end of the room, and
looking across the long garden, stretch
ing behind the house, beheld Sister An
ma, her prim cap laid aside, her pretty
head showing above the soft gray shawl
in which she had wrapped herself, and
stalking by her side tall figure which
= u not a FRS recognize. LGi5 SVae
t,4are1ez, Mrs Powers nephew. he
ssas clerk IN bank and hoped soon tel
he made manager of q country branch.
The. young people " ere By this time
coming up the steps leading from the
garden, and presently obey entered fhg
..2osn Sister Anna came forward Is
speak 10 n,e. & piak ffust o. her usually
pale check, q new slshS in her pretty
brozgn eyes Laurence Moore stood be
hind her. "a expression q supreme con
gent on his handsome face, while Mra.
Power Looked OIL. aaieG and keen eyed.
s. an afraid 1T has 10 pc q long en-
gagement, - said Mrs. Power. They
cannot think of marrying until Laurence
is a manager, and even then it would be
wiser to wait until he has saved some
thing. You know mine is but a life III
come, SO that beyond some plate OR an
outfit of table linen can dc nothing to
help"
Sister Anna made it clear that she
did not mind waiting Then the CONVEX
sation drifted to the subject OF former
faZk about artificial hearts made of i'll
dia fsibber, which were warranted, &C.
cording to Sister Anna, "never to ache. a"
/ "Ceme, Anna. You cannot know
much about heartaches at any rate
Indeed had many a one the time
of my uncles DEATH" she answered.
81 do not know what I should have
done had not been compelled to rouse
myself and work.
''Did your uncle know you would
have to work?' asked Mrs Power
''No; he thought that he had provid-
ed for me. In fact, 1 am sure that he
did SO: bnt the will could never BIZ
found, SO everything went to his BROTH
er