Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-09-15


much about heartaches at any rate
"Indeed had many one the time
of my uncle's DEATH" she answered.
II do not know what I should have
done had l 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, / am sure that he
did so; but the will could never be
found, SO everything went to his broth
err
Ellis brother? But why did not you,
his niece, come in for your share?'
''Don't you see, although called him
uncle, was only his wife's niece, and
in reality no relation whatever My
aunt was living when I first came to
them, SO long ago that can scarcely re-
member it; but she died soon after, and
then my uncle and I took care of each
other''
Chow did you employ yourself?"
asked Mrs. Power.
ooh, had the house to attend to,
and the poultry yard, as well as the gar
den. And then I used to read good
deal; uncle had quite a collection of
books. He had been buying them all his
life, chiefly secondhand ones I believe
some of the books were valuable. There
was an old copy of Master Humphreys
Clock, with pictures in it, that used to
delight me when Twas child pictures
of Nell and Quilp and Dick Swiveller. +"
The words CHS wife's niece" had
somehow seemed familiar to me, but it
was not until the allusion to Master
Humphreys Clock" had supplied anoth-
er link in the chain that there flashed
into my mind the remembrance of the
will hidden in the old copy at home
Michael Darcy's will, with its bequest
to my wife s niece, Anastasia Ffrench. "
I 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. found that her
real name was Anastasia, now cut down
to Anna French; 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 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 solicitor?'
''He was fond Of reading lawbooks
and knew something about law himself
He had sometimes made wills for other
people, and I 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
then Patrick Darcy said he did not be-
lieve it had ever existed and that 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 refused
to take gift from him. knew one of
the nurses in the sisterhood here at
Marshport. She had been nursing a
lady in our neighborhood the winter be-
fore, so I wrote to her, and she got me
taken as probationer. was there for
six months, and then went to London
to be trained. I intended to revolution
ize the whole art Of nursing, but now
Laurence has spoiled all my plans. -
There was no doubt that this was the
heiress Of the will in my possession.
The question was, Did the eS, 900 exist,
or had the heir-at-law made away with
it?
took my leave as soon as I could.
The first thing did on reaching home
was to take master Humphrey from
the bookshelf and make sure that the
will was quite safe. Next morning
took it to my own solicitor, who assured
me that it was valid will, properly
executed. In few days he informed me
that Patrick Darcy was well to do
man and mark for larger sum than
the one due to Anastasia French.
A day or two later, therefore, I pre-
sented myself again at Mrs. Powers.
II have brought you a wedding pres
ent, my DEAR said to Sister Anna,
handing her the three volumes of "Mas-
ter Humphrey.
Indeed, DR.. Moran" said Sister
Anna, II don't think anything could
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 very
pencil mark that poor uncle was SO
angry with me for making. Where did
you get this, DR.. Moran? Was it from
Patrick Daroy?"
II bought it, my dear. at a second.
hand DOOKsnOp year OF Two ago. IL
was only the other day l discovered that
you had 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 writingl How strange it seems
to find it here!"
"Read it," said.
She glanced quickly over it, the color
fading out Of her cheek as she did so.
"It is the will" she gasped-"my un.