The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-08-18
but where was the real one?'

l
had become of it. 1t had proba-
bly, slipped down to the floor and
been burned by the servants next
morning. The rector wrote to-
MIR. Darlington, Lady Olivia's
nephew, to whom the bulk of her
property had been left, telling him
the circumstances and asking him
to- abide by the unsigned codicil
but this he refused to do. It was
rather hard Of him, as he was a |
very rich man, and the ten thous-
and pounds which Lady Olivia
had left me would have been moth
ing to him."
''And what did you do them"
"When Farnham Court was shut
up l went to live with Mrs. Forbes
at the rectory. I had no other
home; 30 father and I were naar-
ried three months after Lady
Oliviass death. We were very
poor arsd for a few yeats we had to
struggle to make both ends meet.
I think Olive at least, if not Dor
othy, must remember something
of the hard times" q did re-
member very clearly living in
small lodgings where we had no
room to play, wearing shabby
frocks and sometimes even being
told that we could have no butter
On our bread, as there was none
in the house. "Then fathers
pictures began to be known, and
things grew brighter"
"Mother," said Olive, after a
pause, elf we had had that money
could we all have gone abroad
with you and father?"
| "My Dearest" said mother, ia
king Olives hand between her own,
"there is No use in speculating on
might If we had
had this money our lives would
have been different in many ways
: and the chances are that we would
} have been far less happy"
Meanwhile the proceedings OF
the children had passed unnoticed
, When father had done with thu
scrap-book Stephen had carried i
| back, not to it's former place nea
mother, but to the other side o
the table. Val had gone over t.
:. look at the picture again, and lit
e tie Aline had slipped down from
l mothers lap and had climbed ol
. a stool next the boys. She sool
r grew tired of studying the sketch
t and tried, somewhat roughly, t
9 turn the page; Val resisted, Will
/ Stephen, with more zeal than dis
Q cretion, endeavored to rescue tn
e book: the result being scuff1e,
d sound of the rending Of paper an
" cry of dismay from the boy
r Olive went to pick up the bool
g which the rest let go at sight {
70 the mischief. Aline ran to hic
le her face in mothers lap, and tt
le boys stood silent and ashamed.
to "There is not much harm don
v mother" said Olive, "the drawn
r, ls quite safe; we can easily mo'
er it to one of the blank pages ne'
a the end of the book, and cut avs
I'D the torn leaf 80 as to make it LOO
e like one of the slips let in in tt
IN binding. I'll make it right in t.
nd minutes, mother
nd Olive went away and present
returned with china bowl of h
or water and a sponge. She laid t
drawing face downwards on she
i'd of blotting paper, and began /
at manipulatlons. It was fasten
w. at the corners only, 80 she SO
,g, succeeded in detaching it from t
we paper, the last fragments of viii
she rubbed away with her har
ne kerchief.
The "There is some writing on I
back of the SKETCH" she said pr
,ht emily. "What queer craml
see hand! I can hardly read it. LIZ
mother!"
ide "That is Mr.. Forbes writing
ler safd neither, taking the ske'
md from Olives hand. cit is qr
the legible, l think. I give and
queath to Theresa Beauchar
o. daughter of my cousin Fral
ans Frankl it is the lost willI'
via I hardly remember what h
pened next; everything seems
ind have been in such confusion.
so know that father sprang from
,sed sofa, and tried to stand, but
old back, gasping for breath. Mot
a and Olive ran to him, and fC
was time none of us thought of O
and thing but him. In a few MINI
ppy be got better, and held out
af- hand for the drawing; and he
bic mother together examined the
,ked ting on the back.
be Yes" he said at last, ct