The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-21
WON A BRIDE.

1t was q warm summer S evening, and
had left the windows and doors Of the
office open for the sake of % refreshing
draft. 1 had been sitting for some time
'at my desk plunged in fit of the deepest
thought and had not heard any one enter,
when suddenly the words: 'tAre you q
lawyer, sir?" caused me to start violently.
Rising from my seat and turning up the
gas jet on the table, turned and surveyed
my intcrlocutor, who proved to be well
dressed, rather good looking man of 40 or
thercabonts, of middle stature and pos
sessed of small, piercing pair of eyes,
which returned my gaze unflinchingly.
The business on which 1 come,'' he
said, taking off his hat and fixing his
keen, black eyes upon my face, twill re-
quirc your services until late in the night,
If not until tomorrow morning. My niece,
who resides some miles from London, is
dangerously i'll, and her recovery being ex-
tremely doubtful she desires to make her
will. For this purpose have applied to
you, promising you, should you accede to
my request, any fee you may demand
I communed with myself for a few mo-
1nents, eyed the man suspiciously, and
then asked the distance to the young
lady's residence and the mode of convex
ance thither.
about five or ten miles, he respond
ed, handing mo his card, on which read
"Martin jackson, London Wall. "It is
q short distance from Kew, and as a train
does not leave London Bridge for some
time 1 have provided carriage and driy-
er, which waits in the street. May con-
slider your services as engaged?"
I responded that he might, and few
moments sufficed to find US ensconced in
a close carriage, which took a westerly di-
rection at moderate speed. :
My companion meantime enlightened
me with an account of his niece's sickness
and previous history, and an hour after
leaving the place of starting we found
ourselves about a mile from Kew bridge.
was young man, and my nervousness
and suspicious of the man beside me may
be excused when his evident anxiety in
employing myself, an inexperienced law
yer, are considered. His story, too, did
not sound consistent in all respects, for
he spoke of his niece, Miss Blanche Pick
ering, as being at times subject to short
fits of insanity
When the carriage stopped, it was in
front of large, dark looking building of
stone, standing O short distance back from
the road and surrounded by tall poplars.
One thing struck me as rather curious
as walked up the gravel walk to g
mansion and tended to arouse my suspi-
cions once more Jackson dismissed the
carriage after paying the driver with a
few Whispered words, the import Of which
was unable to ascertain, and the hack
turned sharply, as if to retrace the road to
London. 1 said nothing, however, but,
shifting a revolver which always carry
into more convenient position in my in
ner breast pocket, entered the house with
my companion, who unlocked the door
with latchl-ey and ushered me into the
parlor, which was poorly lighted by
hanging lamp.
Having seen mo seated by table on
which were spread refreshments, jackson
left me for short time and returned
shortly with large, well built man, whom
he introduced as Mr.. Cooper, his cousin
The latter individual took seat beside
me and, pouring out some wine, request
ed me to join him, which I courteously
refused, ON the plea of being teetotaler.
Jackson had left the room again. A
oAcfo oiifiC e1ItCl, ny ICqucSU u SOOp6r, l.
followed him up the staircase into the
gloomy hall above and into a room where
jackson was seated by the side of bed,
apparently in conversation with some one
lying there.
1t was no wonder that gazed long and
earnestly at the countenance of the woman
who reclined there. A more perfect face
had never seen-pale and with an express
sion of care and pain, it might have been,
yet there was no trace of sickness or dis
ease, and as my eye wandered from those
beautiful features, the sad yet sweetly
smiling eyes, down to the white, plump
hand which rested in the large brown one
of jackson, L felt that there was some
mystery in the case and that he had been
untruthful in his revelations Suddenly
the man arose and, dropping the ladys
hand, drew up chair opposite to my own,
and with an impatient, uneasy exclama-
ton brought my investigation to a terni-
nation.
"You will draw out tho ordinary for
mula of a testament - he said, giving the
Young Girl close. scrutinizing look. in