The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-02-11
THE LONDONDERRY SITTER
Woman
A SERIAL STORY.
Continued from week to week until Completed
A SERTAT, STOR,
CHAPTER III.
The Heiress of Chadwick Hall

CHAPTER III.
The Heiress of Chadwick Hall.
Barton Chadwicke's body had been
laid away in the tomb of his ancestors,
and the day appointed for the reading
of the will had arrived. There was
group of interested people in the IL
brary; the beautiful young widow.
Max Ruthven, who was distant con-
nection by marriage, together with the
old servants of the house.
Lurline was very, very pale, and
there was strange glitter in her beau
tiful dark eyes as she swept into the
lofty apartment, regal in her Grape and
bombazine, and sank into a satin
covered easy-chair, it's crimson cush-
ions bringing out her stately beauty
in fair relief.
Presently the door opened, and Law
yer Greyson appeared with Lesley
Dinsmore, pale and fragile, leaning on
his arm.
A stir OF surprise went around the
group. Mrs. Chadwicke beckoned Ian
guidly to her solicitor. Mr.. Surface.
Who are those people, and why are
they here?" she questioned.
"The gentleman is Mr.. Greyson, a
well-known lawyer, madam" replied
Mr.. Surface, in perplexed tone; "but
the lady is stranger to me. Howev-
er, Mr. Greyson knows what he is
about, | am confident"
So Barton Chadwicke's last will and
testament was produced, and read
aloud in the presence of those assem-
bled; the widow holding her black
bordered handkerchief to her eyes, but
behind it's soft folds the dark, lustrous
orbs were suspiciously bright and dry.
The will after bestowing a few
small legacies upon his nearest friends
and the old servants, went on to state
that all the property of the deceased,
both real estate and personal, was be-
queathed without further reserve. to
his beloved wife, Lurline Chadwick.
A silence followed the reading OF
the document broken only by the sup
pressed sobbing of the bereaved young
widow Then Lawyer Greyson arose
and cleared his throat with a prelimi-
nary "ahem."
Ladies and gentlemen" he said,
before the will just read by our good
friend Mr.. Surface, goes to probate, l
have little revelation to make. You
are all, possibly, aware that the great
Chadwick fortune descended from old
Eben Chadwick nearly century ago,
and was entailed upon his lineal de-
scendants."
VERY true, SIR" interrupted Lawyer
Surface, glibly; 'but we all know that
Barton Chadwick was the last of his
race and name, and, therefore, had the
privilege of bestowing his fortune up
on whomsoever he saw fit. And what
more appropriate than for him to leave
all to his desolate young wife?"
Every right and proper" quoth Law
yer Greyson, always provided that
Barton Chadwicke had lawful right
to will away the property at all. But
object to your assertion that he was
the last of his race, for there were two
living descendants of the Chadwickes
at the time this will was made; but, of
course, quite unknown to Mr.. Barton
Chadwicke, who was not the man to
willfully wrong any person. Let me
explain"
And the mans keen eyes wandered
to the bowed head Of the widow, her
slender figure shaking vislbly with vi
client emotion, or angry wrath, 1t was
difficult to ascertain which.
First" went on the old lawyer
slowly and deliberately, "Eben Chad
wicke left great-grandchild, but
whether male or female has never yet
been established, nor the whereabouts
of that person, who, If living, would
be probably twenty-five years old. 1t
is, therefore, presumable that he or
she is dead; but, were this person liv-
ing, he or she would be the rightful
heir, as next of kin. But there was al
so cousin of the family, Lesley Chad
wicke by name, who married one
Ralph Dinsmore, and went to England.
1t was believed that they were both
drowned in the passage over as the YES
sci was wrecked; but it YVES not true.
They reached England, and in course
of time a daughter was born to them.
A few years after Ralph Dinsmore
died, and his widow, being poor, took
her child, then about ten years of age,
and came home to America, intending
to claim her share of the Chadwicke
fortune. But she had scarcely arrived
in this country when she died-died
so suddenly that she had no time to
explain her identity; and but for a
strange accident myself would never
have learned the truth, though she has
been dead eight long years. and her
daughter is, consequently, eighteen
years of age.
Therefore, since the great-grand-
child whether man or woman l can
uOl say VI LDcu uduWlCh6 Is Sill
Missing, though advertised for ex-
.ensively / maintain that the daugh-
ter Of Lesley Chadwicke Dinsmore is
The real heir to this great fortune, and
hat Barton Chadwicke, the late la
mented deceased, had no right to dis
pose of the estate. l have nothing
further to communicate, only that this
young lady is Miss Lesley Dinsmore;
her identity has been legally establish
ed, and all necessary forms complied
with, and she has come here to take
possession"
And Lawyer Greyson sank into the
nearest seat, and wiped his spectacles
effectively.
A low moan of agony broke the ST.
lence which fell upon the room. Mrs.
Chadwick had tainted.
Lesley. forgetting everything in her
sympathy with the bereaved woman,
flew to her side. to offer assistance;
but Mrs. Perry, the old housekeeper,
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