Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-05-04
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( HAMlLTONS )
4 ROMANCE. a
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MO- , 9 HA \SS
" SIR AkGE ~
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copyright. 1899 by the e-Author.l
THE HAND OF THE DEAF

/ Yer and awaited WnaL he nllSnt say
next. Tn sav the .least of il, his remark
/ Tas unexpected. 81 may say at once
hat I did not make this will of Captain
! Conway" he said in polite and strict
/ " professional accents. 1T was made
/ by some person unknown to me and
banded TO me by Captain Conway, seal
I'd as you see it, with instructions that
should necessity arise ] should at once
seek YOU out. break the seals in your
presence and make You acquainted with
/ the contents.
Il am quite at your service, " said
Mary tremulously.
The lawyer at once broke the seals
and drew from the long. tough envel-
ope folded paper Mary sat, with
hands quietly clasped in her lap wait
ing Mr.. Warrington cast his eye ever
ibe writing. frowned, bit his lip,
glanced at the girl widow arprehen-
sively and then coughed .ncrvously.
lyon have no idea-I should say
mean - he stammered.
Mary looked up. ''Will You read it?''
she suggested. Il have no idea what is
in it, but 1 shall be surprised at moth
ing. Captain Conway had strange ideas
ON some subjects.
Very strange. murmured Mr.. Law
son. who gathered from the lawyer S
manner that the will contained nothing
of pleasant import to the lady.
81 will read it, said the lawyer,
! nj
Il, Edward Conway, captain of the S. $.
Aril<hama, being of sound mind on this the
llth day OF July, IS, declare this TO he my
last will and testament. All and any property
of which die possessed / give and bequeath
10 my nephew, Howard Conway, TO he abso-
lutely and entirely at his own disposal.
EDWARD CONWAY.
an the presence of Henry Challerton, John
Walker
For few moments the widow and
the shipowner were too much surprised
to speak. Of the three Mary was the
most composed Mr. Lawson was, how
ever, the first to break the silence.
You were perhaps otherwise pro~id-
ed for, Mrs Conway he said gently.
Mary shook her head. mo; l am
entirely unprovided for, - she replied.
'.But-but such d will is preposter-
Gus. Warrington, is there no possibil-
ity of upsetting it?''-
wills have been upset, of course, and
will be again, said the lawyer, guard
edlv. ''In this case, however, such a
course would be costly-and uncertain.
Mrs. Conway was living with her hus-
- hA ,,f hic n
home, she is living under his roof now,
and it would be difficult to prove that
the nephew had possessed or exercised
any undue influence or that the testator
was not of sound mind at the time of
making the will You, for instance,
could not come forward to throw any
doubts upon his sanity from your own
observation, for the jury and the public
would alike ask what We're you about to
send out vessel like the Arikbama in
charge Of person whom you believed
to be more or less of lunatic. -
You could not say it, put in Mary,
rising to her feet. ''Nor should | wish
it. Gentlemen, you need not trouble
about me-r dare say Mr.. Howard Con-
way will not turn me ont of this house
while my mother is so ill-or until she
is gone'where there is no need of any
refuge.
Il will communicate with him at
once, said Mr.. Warrington. "It is
not at all likely, especially as he in
herits everything, which must be a
great and unexpected thing for him,
he added.
''Then l need not detain You any
longer, said Mary, holding out her
hand.
Mr. Lawson possessed himself of it.
'Forgive me, my dear young lady, he
said. kindly, ''but have yon means for
the moment? IF You have illness in the
house, and you spoke of your mother -
my mother is very i'll, very, very
i'll, " said Mary. ''She was an invalid
when | married, but the news of Cap
tain Conway's death came upon her
without warning and brought on anoth-
CT stroke, very serious one. We have
not much hope of her. -
Her voice dropped away to what was
little more than whisper. Mr.. Law
son kept hold of her hand and murmur
ed consoling little phrases. Mary, how
ever, was quite dry eyed. Her grief and
despair were too deep for ordinary
ways of sorrow. ''You must let me see
you through this he said at last.
"Your husband was in the service of
my company for many years, and you
must not hesitate to take from me what
is necessary to tide you over this un-
looked fer time. Have You formed any
idea or plans yet? But no-of course
you have not. Who was to expect that
such a will would be left behind ?''
Mary looked upon him with her Won
aerful clear eyes. II earned my living
Cor years before l was married, she
said, simply, land shall be able to earn
it again. Just now, of course, l am all
ont of reckoning and can set about
nothing. You are very kind, Mr.. Law
son, but have some money left.
Il will supplement it" he said, hur-
riedly, and tore himself away, unable
longer to bear the dumb pain of her
eyes and mouth.
At last she was left alone, alone to
think over the end to which her fine
marriage had brought her, to think that
here she was in house which she had
thought her own, but which had been
left away from her to one whom her
husband had always professed to hate
fiercely, penniless except for the few
pounds which she happened to have
drawn out of the bank before the news
of the laundering of the Arikhama had
reached them. Well, she had wished,
longed, prayed, to be free, and her
wiShes lnnrinns and 1rnuarS hnd hnnn