Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-08-27
No. 70

years OF wandering WIFI HeT duHt suc
had made few intimate friends. In
short, she was left without anyone from
whom she might naturally seek conso-
lation and counsel. The good women
of the neighborhood did their best t.
take the place of kinsfolk and old
friends; they wept with her in the days
when her bereavement had just come
upon her, and afterward, when the first
bitterness of her loss was past, they
kept her company and strove to cheer
her, after the homely fashion of their
kind. And SO it happened that she re-
mained with us, bearing her sorrow as
best she could.
Not long after the death of her aunt
/ had confirmation of the story Mrs.
Weston had brought me. The trustee
of the estate, the income OF which Mrs.
I.oring hal received, came to Rodney
town to attend the funeral services,
Ee was a lawyer, cautious and reserved
in manner and supposedly as free from
sentimcn!ality as the desk in his office.
Yet under the professional mask there
was, after all, something of the emo
tional man, which asserted itself in q
practical way. befitting the weakness
of an cminently practical man.
''Dr. Norris" said he, on the eve OF his
departure, "there is a result of this re-
cent tragic occurrence to which your
attention may not have been called.
Mrs. Loring had only life interest in
the property left by her husband, for
she had surrendered her dover rights.
On her demise the estate passes to her
husbands brother and sister, with
whom, l regret to say, her relations
were not amicable. Though she often
told me that she proposed to lay aside
part of her income in order to make
provision for her niece, Miss Gray, it
seems that she utterly neglected to put
the plan in operation. In fact, she lived
very close to her income, and had it not
been for reduction in her expenses on
coming here, it is probable that the rev.
cnuc coming from the property, cal
culated to the day of her DEATH would
not have suhced to pay the outstanding
claims against her. AS it is, however,
| find that there will be balance of
about $500, which will be at Miss Gray's
disposal. 1t is very little for a young
woman reared as she has been, but, un-
fortunately, it is all that she can hope to
receive from her aunt"
"Shc must suffer, then, for another's
carelessness," said I.
"Atoncmcnt for carcIcssness is too
often vicarious," said the man of law.
Lnr ,cfD ~, +<r
realize that it is common one. Do you
l:now whether she has anything in her
own right"
Next to nothing. As have said, DR..
Morris, the case is distressing one, and
| regret exceedingly that I must be the
bearer Of such bad news to the young
lady. She is very likely to come for ad-
vice to you, and it is to put you in pos
session of the facts that have spoken.
A check for your services to my late
client will be mailed to you Immediately
upon my return to the city"
Thercupon the lawyer went his way,
leaving me by no means so dishcartened
by his remarks as might have been the
case with 4 man whose regard for
Dorothy Gray was entirely platonic.
He was as good as his word in settling
Mrs. Loring's affairs, and in few days
nv check arrived. Another valuable bit
of paper reached me about this time
from very different source, one from
which it was decidedly unexpected.
Jones, the mysterious farmland, in
trusted it to the mails not long after
had seen him safely on train south
bound from BASKERVILLE. In parting
he had thanked me with good deal of
heartiness for my attendance upon him,
but had maintained his old reticence
as to the character of the business which
had brought him to Rodneytown with
results 50 disastrous to himself. The
size of the check, though, was sufficient
to prove that when he entered Mrs.
Weston's employ he was in position
to care little for The pittancc she paid
him. Banks, too, received substantial
token of the mans gratitude, but he
was even less able than to guess what
Jones mission had been.
These reinforcements to my financial
strength helped me to arrive at decis-
ion, though it was decision burdcned
with conditions. In the matter of for
tune, Dorothy Gray and were not very
far apart; and surely her position was
such as to encourage the most timid OF
wooers. SO far, found clear sailing.
But, once this point had been attained
in my calculations, there arose rem
nant of the old perplexities. Lamar was
still the disturbing factor, for. in spite
of the deadly malady which had him in
it's unrelcnling clutches, could not he
certain of his plans, so long as strength
remained in him to leave his present
quarters should he desire to do so. 1t
could hardly be supposed that he would
survive more than IL year; at least that
was the limit had fixed, after allowing
him what believed to be wide margin
4 second examination had shown that
the disease was advancing steadily.
His precarious condition had in no way
decreased my aversion for him, but 1t
had the effect of ending any idea
might have entertained of resigning my
post. 70 desert him now was out of the
question. Yet to remain with hinr
meant postponement of the inevitable
struggle for professional foothold III
some city, or even of partnership with
Danks. So long as was in the hermits
employ l must be free to follow HIM
il need arose. 1t was my duty, strive
as might to disguise the fact.
Dorothy and did not continue quito
the old friendship. There was subtle
Sxp
together often, though she seldom drove