The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-08-18

there was some mistake, and her
money went, as l have said, to
Mr.. Barrington.''
"a mistake, mother?" said Oh
i've.
eyes. l never cared to speak
about 1T to YOU children, but 1T
may be a long time before we are
together again, and 1 should like
you to understand that Lady
Olivia felt kindly towards me and
did not wish to cast me off. She
made a will soon after | came to
live with her, leaving nae' large
sum of money; but later on l
displeased her, and she destroyed
it." 60
"How did you displease her?"
asked Stephen.
81 could not dosomething (which
she wished, said mother. "Well,
it was about father. She wanted
me to promise to give him up,
and, of course, / could not do
that"
"Why did she want you to give
him up, mother?" asked Olive.
"Surely she did not dislike him"
"She liked him very much; but
then, you see, he was poor, and
she fancied-it was put into her
head-that he only wanted me be-
cause he thought l should be rich. ="
"And then, when you refused to
give him up, she disinherited
you?"
"That is rather a tragical way
of putting it; but she really did
burn the will in which I was pro-
vided for. and made another, in
which my name was not mention
ed, telling me that she would add
a codicil to this last when I got
over my folly
What did you do then? rur
? away with father?''
''0h no; there was no need O.
that, even if we would have don,
? such a thing. No one could hav'
t prevented our marrying wheneve
| we pleased; but Lady Olivia hae
= been ailing since summer. and
/ could not think of leaving her jus
: then. So we settled that we woul'
y wait. Frank-father, l mean
e talked good deal of nonsens
d about being glad that I was t
}. have no money, so as to convinc
:, Lady Olivia that it was for mysel
b he cared. l was not quite S
T Quixotic as he, but was too haI
l. py to waste many regrets ON tn
a money. Frank was staying at
vt little inn in the village-sketcf
It ing, he said; though l think h
W could have done very little sketcl
d ing in November, and I used
u meet him sometimes on the roat
r, or at the rectory, where he was
le great favorite. 1 used to mentic
id these meetings in a casual way
ell Lady Olivia, but she never mac
O. any comment
Is "One evening early in Decen
es ber 1 had gone to tea at the rect
W ~, and Frank had walked hon
with me. 1 knew that the rect
rs had gone up to visit Lady Olivi
d, so that I had no fears of her beil
m lonely; it was a fine evening, sc
at and warm for the time of yes
N, and Frank and I walked up al
EN- down in the moonlight, discussi
ry our hopes and plans. At lengt
lst however, we saw the reetor's port
nd figure pass through the gates, a
re. bidding Frank hasty good-by e
to went quickly up to the house.
ler found Lady Olivia, as l expect'
ls. in the library, seated i'll her |
nd chair by the fireside, shad
nc, reading-lamp on little stand
on- side her. Another lamp stood
the solid leather-topped table
he the other side of the fire, show
ley the lately used writing materi
at lying about; and near this tax
mt. half turned from it so as to f
u Lady Olivia, was an easy-ch
her which had evidently been lat
But tenanted by the rector. An
les feeling of wonder crossed my m
as to what he could have b
l writing, but it was quickly
gotten as 1 went over to L
me, Olivia, and, seated on the rug
low fore the fire, gave her histor,
one the last few hours. She liste
and questioned as usual; then
said
lbly "Do you know what have
} be doing while you were away
resa?'
'ny, "'No, aunt; what was it?'
Making a new will-or, rat
her new codicil to my last one
hing last will was the one from W