Iron County register., 1899-12-14
A Business Arrangement.

THERE was a dead silence as the
lawyers clear, official tones
ceased and he glanced round at the
company assembled in the spacious Ii
brary-an ominous silence, the calm
before the storm; and in another mo-
ment the storm burst.
1T is abominabIei" cried Lady Ad-
cline Carruthers, with a fierce energy
that accorded i'll with her handsome
mourning robes. THE will must be
contested; Lord Mountathol was GER
tainly mad when he made it,
You would find it impossible to
prove that assertion, Lady Adeline," :"
said the lawyer, coldly. 1--WE will
grant that the late Lord Mountathol
was eccentric, but he was as sane as
you or L; and as there is no direct
heir, he had a perfect right to leave
his personal property as he wished" )"
''And he has left it to his secre-
tary and his typewriter, on a condi-
tion that was doubtless arranged be-
forehand. \ pretty state of affairs.'
cried Lady Adeline, furiously.
\ girl, neatly but plainly dressed in
black. who had been sitting in a dis
tant corner, listening with pale, dis
tressed face while the curious will
was read, started up at those words
and confronted the irate matron. She
was a very pretty girl, evidently
lady The color had fled from her
checks and lips, and her big gray eyes
were full of tears; but she held her
slight figure proudly erect and spoke
distinctly, though her voice was trem-
ulous with Indignation.
You are wrong, Lady Adeline. The
condition was not arranged before
hand, and it will never be fulfilled!'
Indeed" sneered Lady Adeline,
with a glance of whitening contempt.
"And, pray, what does the other in
terested person say? Mr.-er-Tre
velyan also willing to let this superb
legacy lapse to the crown?"
Everyone except the poor agitated
girl turned eXpectantly towards the
secretary, Ralph Trevelyan, who stood
near Mr.. Denton; but his fine face
wore an inscrutable expression.
THE terms of the will have sur
prised me as much as anyone, but l
think it will be better to discuss the
matter in private" he said. calmly.
do you agree with me, Mr.. Den
ton?'
Certainly, certainly" assented the
lawyer. There is no hurry; you have
six months in which to make up your
minds"
ssNT;pa - p,oda nm r,urroorad E,vo
Withers, who was making brave eff
forts to restrain her tears. Mr.. Den
ton, 1 don't think my presence is re-
quired here any longer"
Bowling slightly to the lawyer, and
ignoring Lady Adeline, Eva walked 20
the door. Ralph Trevelyan sprang for
ward to open it and looked at her
eagerly, earnestly; but she passed him
with averted face.
A minute or two afterwards Lady
Adeline and the others departed. the
former tossing her head Indignantly
and enunciating disjointed remarks
concerning 'scheming upstarts" and
s'doting old FOOLS" while the rest of
the company discussed in subdued
tones the strange freak that had led
the late Lord Mountathol to leave
ten thousand a year to his secretary,
Ralph Trevelyan, and his typewriter
Eva Withers, on the sole condition
that they became man and wife within
six months of the testator's decease.
Mr.. Denton held brief consulta-
ton with Ralph Trevelyan and then
he sent a message by a servant ask
ing Miss Withers if she was able to
see him. She received him in the
pretty sitting-room that had been hers
since she entered the service of her
late employer.
s.Dear Mr.. Denton, this is terrible!"
Eva said. as she rose to meet the law
yer. Lord Mountathol was always
like a father to me. I'm sure he loved
me as a daughteri What could have
induced him to lay this-this humili-
alton on me?"
s.I don't quite see where the humilia-
ton comes in, my dear young lady"
responded the lawyer, with kindly
twinkle in his eyes. IF Lord Noun
tathol loved you as a daughter-and
he did-he loved Ralph Treyelyan as
a SON. Latterly it was the dearest
wish of his life that you two might
be married. Now, come, my dear Miss
Withers, think it over quietly. 1 have
known Ralph Trevelyan since he was
a boy, and know him for true gen.
tleman in every sense of the word, a
worthy descendant of an ancient and
line, husband any wom-
an might be proud of; while, on the
other hand-well, can only say that
If I had been Ralph's age l should
have envied his good fortune-the per-
sonaI, not the financial part of it"