The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-02-19

away on visit.
When my aunt and / were alone /
asked her about WalwOrth anu she
told me he was dead. He died about
year after L went away. And that,
thought, was the cause of I.eonora's
sorrow.
After Leonora had gone to bed my
aunt and sat up and talked, and
among other things she told me that
John Walworth had left bequest for
me.
"a bequest for me?" / cried. "And
what is il ~
'I cannot tell you," my aunt re-
piled, "When Walworth had been told
that he must die he sent for me to
come and see him, as he had Il mes
sage for me. fl could not come, he
asked that | should send some one
whom my nephew would have no hes
itation in trusting. | could not go, so
| sent Hitty, and he gave to her a
small packet, bearing your name, and
securely sealed, and he obtained from
her solemn promise that she would
keep it faithfully, and deliver it into
your hands when you returned"
And that was all that / could learn
from my aunt. For further particulars
l must await my Cousins arrival.
On the following morning Leonora
met me as before but / thought her
eyes were brighter than then, and with
the melancholy shadows upon her face
were mingled slight CLEANS of hope.
Could it be possible that, since the
death of Walworth, the old love had
come back to her? The thought was
joy! But was it likely?
During this second day visited my
old friends in the village and altogeth-
er, the time passed very pleasantly.
Occasionally would find myself lost
in thoughts of the mystery which
had attached to the strange looks
had detected upon Leonora's face and
more than once / fell into a reverie
upon the subject of Walworth's be-
quest. When | went home to dinner
my aunt informed me that she was
going out To spend the afternoon and
take tea with a friend; but Leonora,
she said, would attend to my wants,
and in all probability my cousin Hitty
would be at home to help enliven the
evening.
1t was during this interview with
my aunt that / learned that Hitty was
soon to be married. Leonora was
present when my aunt told me this,
and thought she watched my face
with considerable anxiety; and | fur
thermore fancied that when she had
seen me receive the intelligence not
only with perfect composure, but with
frank expression of thankfulness in
view of my Cousins good fortune a
load seemed lifted from her heart.
Evening came at length. After tea
walked out and smoked a cigar, and
when came in found Leonora alone
in the parlOr. Ny heart beat wildly
bat succeeded in calming myself. |
asked her about my stepmother; and
then, summoning all my fortitude, |
asked her about John WalwOrth. She
told me of his sickness and of his
death, and | could not discover that
the subject was any more painful to
her than had been that other subject
of my moTher-in-law's passage TO the
world of spirits. Here was the oppor-
tunity, and | determined TO embrace
it,
'Leonora, you must have suffered
much when Walworth dicd?"
She started.
"Lionel-Mr. Drake! Why do you
say that to me-"
al had thought" | answered, stum-
bling over my words in a confused
manner, "that Walworth was some
thing more to you than friend"
"Oh," she cried, ''what is there be-
meath the sun upon which suspicion
cannot fix its cruel grasp, Walworth
was not even held by me as friend.
The very first time l ever saw him,
distrusted him and though, from his
living with my aunt, / was forced to
treat him with respect, yet / never
trusted him IL ! would a friend.n
Before | could recover from the state
of astonishment into which this speech
threw me, my cousin Hitty entered
| the room.
"Tll give il to you on one condition,
she cried. "Leonora and shall see
you open it."
/ told her that she should, and she
ran away to bring it, 1t was a small
affair-seemingly nothing more than
a package of papers. broke the seals,
and as l opened the envelope ! dis
covered n second packet, also sealed,
with the following written upon its
face:
LIONEL DRAKE-When you receive
| this shall be no longer living. Death
Is at hand, and as | feel its icy touch
am impelled to restore To you what is
you own. Within are letters which
1 intercepted, hoping thereby to turn
| the current of her love TO myself. But
| failed. Leonora would not love me.
Trusting that this revelation will en-
able you TO win her, | am yours re-
pentant. JOHN WALwoRTH.
1t would be impossible TO describe
the feeling with which / finished read
ing this. Iopened the second packet,
and there were mine to Leonora, and
| there were Leonora's to me.
"Leonora," | said, al find some
thing here which belongs to you and
! here are also letters belonging to me
which / have never read. Here is
what John Walworth wrote to me-"
She took the letters, and | returned