The Bowbells tribune., 1900-05-11
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Or Under a Spell.
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CHAPTER XIV. (Continued.)

said Miss Felicia, advancing to meet
her visitor. Miss Grey, as live, and
looking so sweet. and SD fresh. and s.
delightful. This is pleasure. indeed!
and Miss FeeniX, whose Withered Wis
age could never have been called eithe
fresh. sweet or delightful, puckered up
her face into Il vinegary smile, and
pecked Miss Marian affectionately OH
the cheek. DO come in and sit down.
I was Just Strengthening things up a
bit. Widow Lee and Sophia Dawes
you know Sophia Dawes holds hel
head very high now, as if people could
forget her father shoveled i'll then
Goals. Well. as l was saying, they
stepped in for chat and a cup of tea;
and some people can't even take bit
OF cake without leaving things all in
i, muck Sit down here by the window
. and have 4 fan. Take Il chair: II
won't crush that lovely lawn. AS
was saying to Mary Writ, last Sunday,
Miss Grey certainly has the sweetest
taste in dress You know Mary Nr'
old Writ. the soapboiler'S grand
daughter? Left her lot of money;
but. my dear. soap will stick She al
WAYS looks dowdy, dress how she Will.
II was just passing by, said Miss
Marian. who felt that this sudden re-
newal of friendship required some
slight explanation, and who never lei
honesty betray her into an awkward
ness. "and your little place looked so
sweet. Miss FceGiX, that l thought OF
old times. when dear mamma used t.
bring us here. and felt I must stop for
q chat. We have had so much compa-
nv this summer. and l have had so lit
tie time to visit old friends
II am sure of it, said Miss FceniX,
accepting the calumet of peace. eagerly.
for Miss Grey's friendship would be
quite feather in her spinster cap.
''Of course it's only natural that at
tractive young people like you and Mr..
Laurence-dear me! it seems only the
other day that he was little Laurie-its
only natural. l say, that you should
draw gay young company to Grey
lawns: and then. Give Towers is so
near. 1 hear that they are having fine
times there this summer. Miss Fannie
lust lOme-and what sweet. lovely
girl she is, so bright and charming. AMI
that fairy-like creature, that was With
her in church on Sunday. Is it really
true that she is young Mr.. Gives in
tended? l couldn't help noticing that
his eyes were fixed half the time on
her face: Tut then. my dear-yOu will
excuse my saying-I thought and told
Lollisa Knoll. who was speaking Of the
matter. that it had been settled th'nS
for years between Mr.. Give and you"
If Miss Feenix had intended to spur
her visitor on. she could not have chos-
en- her words more judiciously.
Miss Marion's eyes flashed, as she re-
Joined. loftily:
"You are quite mistaken, l assure
you. Miss Feenix. Mr.. Give never has
thought of me. nor of him. 1 have
been Fannie's particular friend, and, no
matter what happens, will always be
the same to her. But. as for any near
er relationship, l am happy to tell you
there is no probability Of it-none
whatever ............ .......
Dear me! now. who'd have thought
ity' said Miss Felicia. with a long.
drawn breath. "Things do turn out so
differently from what people expect.
Well. my dear. can't say that I'm SOL
~. and can't say that I'm glad, for
Herbert Give is the finest catch in the
county"
''Do you think so?"asked the visitor,
with scornful doubt.
''Do I think So my dear? Why. I
really know so:' answered Miss Fell
cia, positively. "Why, his fathers
wealth must be enormous. Not that he
wasn't poor enough once. for his own
parents left him nothing; but old Basil
Give. his fathers only brother, adopted
him. and schooled. and set him up fair
ly in business: then finished off by
dying without any will. and leaving his
ncphew heir to everything. The old
man was the Queerest, most eccentric
old being. No person had any idea of
what he was worth until lie died, and
then he wos found to have at least a
million Of money banked and stocked,
end invested iu every sort of way-not
to mention the land about here. which
3 worth now fully Il quarter of mill
3on more. happen to know so posi-.
lively. becansc Luck Blake, the assess
Or's wife, is q particular friend of mine,
and she says Robert Clivc's taxes alone
take q handsome sum yearly; for Rob
ert Give was old Ras;l's only heir"
Miss 1Iarian's brow darkened; the
Hkcleton. then. was not the fieshless
giant of pccuniary distress; the proud
Clfycs.had never felt the pinch of pow
erty. There We're no mortgages upon
those smiling acres, those waving fields
and shadowy forests; no debts were
hanging over the Towers like threat
cning cloud.
Miss Marian was rather disappoint-
ed. She had entertained a vague idea
thar 1t was some enraged creditor
whosc Menaces she had overheard.
some defrauded money lender, who was
making vain and desperate efforts to
obtain Justice.
"His only heir," continued Miss Fee
mix, who. when wound up for a gossip,
would have kept at it all day. ''Though
there was. I remember, some sort of
queer story. at old Basil's death, Of
wild young fellow making his appear
ance at the house and claiming to be
his son by private marriage. OF
course. nobody believed him, and. in
deed. twas said he acted more like a
madman than q Christian; cursed and
swore at Robert. and declared that he
was betraying the old mans trust"
e "Dear me!' exclaimed Miss Marian,
with eager triumph flashing in her
~vno. $50 nd how WAS f1a matter settled?