The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-02-17

taty Were mostly grr.easaut: Uut
this oue wa decidedly not Of tG4t cat
egory ], had come by The eight
O'clock mail tbe precious morning.
eud Ml>, B.gc, vas si5.l in STATE 81
the greatest aual-uert. il was CT 5
when reading The r.air'yiiFe"r.i'e1
lines that She felt that she was not
dreaming
She 'oek NJ the letter again. al
though She now almost kue" IL hy
heart There. aft-ra number Of Legal
phrase. vas the g.si Ct ij ALL
which estate. after an lawful debts
are PAID consists OF q mort gage Of
5000 on d property 10 the atigLbor-
ing village ~ Ue-G0r The said mort
gage is overdue. aud foreclosure was
about 20 have been made by the late
Mr. ni-c~"
YES there il was. and there was the
signature 10 Bis own handwriting Of
LAWYER John Perrr.
-Four rhoH-ard dollars. ard left her
b. cousin "i'h whom she BAD not
been on friendly terms for years.
Whv. il seemed q fortune. Miss
Bieg>' glance went around the room.
The ro'rr> 10 The carpet bad all faded
20 a dull gray. but sac could have a
new one row. Some Of The chairs were
going ih-oucn in the seat; they should
be recaned. And she would buy a now
lounge like the one in Dawsca's fur
ni'ure shop. covered with maroon
leather Put. test Of all. she could
have a headsione put TO her fathers
grave.
She was still absorbed in her con
templa'ed expenditures when a knock
came AZ the door Miss Bigcs hurried
~ thrust the letter into the pocket o.
her gown before admitting her visitor.
who proved 10 be Mrs Sprarue. Her
plump coun,enance was flushed from
rapid walking.
IA. susan" she exclaimed in a
high pitched voice; ~ met Deacon
Gosse' a few minutes ago. and he
told NE that he'd just got back from
PlainyIie. where he beard that your
cousin Hiram had died and left you
all his money-so just ran right
aver and she sank into a rocking
chair.
DO tell me-" she went on as Miss
Biggs closed the door and sat down
opposite ne-. III II is true"
Miss Riggs replied stiffly The II was
Martha Sprague's loud voice and love
Of news had always annoyed her
We'll. 10 be sure" exclaimed Mrs
Sprague. What luck. To them that
hath shall be given as the Scripture
says When did you hear about it?"
~ received LAWYERS letter yester-
day" replied Miss Biegs, coldly.
ia. to think OF Hiram Biggs ieav-
ing You his money when you were not
friends for so long. This is a strange
world" And Mrs. sprague shook her
head ;houghitully.
Miss Riggs made no reply TO this
profound statement She sat stiff and
upright. her eyes fixed in cold polite
ness on her visitors face. "Hiram vas
counted pretty rich" said Mrs.
Sprague, tentatively.
She had burning wish to know the
amount OF money which Miss Biggs
had Inherited, but she did no; dare to
ask plainly.
81 believe S., assented Miss B,rgs.
Indifferently. Mrs. Sprague rocked
back and forti. II was plain that Miss
Riggs vas no' going 10 give her rny
Information on the subject OF her
legacy, so after few desultory re-
marks, she rose reluctantly TO 90. As
she reached the door, she turned sud
denly
20 Susan" rhe said. her black eyes
SnarTing spitefuliy; guess whom Dea-
cor Gcsset sag IN P.ainyille. Sallie
hayhcn, Don't you remember her?
But, Ia. forgot. Of course you do"
and she laughed meaning'v You
know" she won't on. everyone won
dercd whore she and jim went. Well.
Il secrls they wen, out west. where
Vim made morey. They came back 10
this state about ten years ago. and
Jim bought qliie fine place not far
from Plaiuvi.'c. But lie lost most
everything jus: before he died a wear
ago. Deacon Gosset said that Sallic
looks so poor and miserable. And she's
got lot Of children, so you didn't
miss much by not getting jim" and
with another laugh Mrs. Sprague went
away.
Miss Biggs adj arisen with her Wis
itor. and lister ed 10 her with apparent
unconcern. a iull red which had crept
into her cheeks being the only sign
that MIS-. Sprague's words aroused any
interest.
But when the latter had gone, she
threw herself into a chair. and buried
her face in her hands. 4 tumult of
feeling took possession Of her. aroused
by the memories which those meme
had stirred up. She had not heard
them for so long. and no one but Mar
tina Sprague would have dared
1t was all 80 long ago-2O years
that the pain and shame lit had grown
dim. And be was deadl Yet was Il so
long ago? II seemed but yesterday
that he was with her talking Of their
coming marriage. She had loved him
so. and had been so proud Of him.
though she had not said much about
1t; il had never been her way to talk
great deal. Then came that dreadful
day when they told her that he had
gone away and married Sallie. with her
yellow hair and pink cheeks. That aw.
full day-she could remember the
shame and agony of it yet! And now
he was dead-had been dead year
There was no feeling Of anger in her
heart toward him; there never had
been much. She had known that he
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