Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-01-18
A Business Arrangement.

Sembled IN the spacious llbrafy-an
ominous silence, the calm before the
storm; and in another moment the
storm burst.
is abominable!" cried Lady Ade-
line Carruthers, with fierce energy
that accorded ill with her handsome
mourning robes. '"The will must be
contested; Lord Mountathol was cer-
tainly mad when he made it.
''You would find it impossible to
prove that assertion, Lady Adeline, "
said the lawyer coldly. "We will
grant that the late Lord Mountathol
was eccentric, but he was as sane as
you or I and as there is no direct
heir, he had perfect right to leave
his personal property as he wished. "
"And he has left it to his sec
retary and his typewriter, on a condi-
tion that was doubtless arranged be-
forehand. A pretty state of affairs!"
cried Lady Adeline furiously.
A girl neatly but plainly dressed in
black, who had been sitting iu dis
tant corner, listening with pale, dis
tressed face while the curious will was
read, started up at these words and
confronted the irate matron. She
was very pretty girl, evidently
lady. The color had fed from her
cheeks and lips, and ier big gray
eyes were full of tears; but she held
her slight figure proudly erect and
spoke distinctly, though her voice
was tremulous with Indignation.
''You are wrong, Lady Adeline!
The condition was not arranged be-
forehand, and it will never be full
tilledr'
Indeed" sneered Lady Adeline,
with a glance of withering contempt.
''And pray, what does the other inter
ested person say? Is Mr.. -er-
Trevelyan also willing to let this su-
perb lega y lapse to the crown?"
Everyone except the poor agitated
girl turned expectantly toward 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.. Denton?'
Certainly, certainly" answered
the lawyer. ''There is no hurry; You
have six months i'll which to make up
your minds"
"Mine is made up" murmured Eva
Withers, who was making brave ef.
forts to restrain her tears. 'Mr. Ueu-
ton, I don't think my presence is re-
quired here any longer"
Bowling slightly to the lawyer, and
ignoring Lady Adeline, Eva walked to
the door. Ralph Trevelyan sprang
forward to open it, and looked at her
eagerly, earnestly; but she passed
him with averted face.
A minute or two afterward Lady
Adeline and the others departed, the
former tossing her head Indignantly
aud enunciating disjointel remarks
concerning "scheming upstarts" and
"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 year to his secretary,
Ralph Trevelyan, and his typewriter,
Eva Withers, on the sole condition
that they become man and wife within
six months of the testator's decease.
Mr. Denton had brief consultation
with Ralph Trevelyan, and then he
sent message by q servant asking
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.
''Dear Mr.. Denton, this is terrible, :"
Eva said, as she rose to meet the law
yer. 'Lord Mountathol was always
like father to me. I'm sure he loved
me as daughter! What could have
induced him to lay this-this humilia-
tion on me?"
81 don't quite see where the humil
iation comes in, my dear young lady.
responded the lawyer, with kindly
twinkle in his eyes. eff Lord Mount
athol loved you as q daughter and he
did-he loved Ralph Trevelyan as
son. Latterly it was the dearest wish
of his life that You two might be mar
ried. Now come, my dear Miss
Withers, think it over quietly. I have
known Ralph Trevelyan since he was
boy, and know him for true gen.
tleman in every sense of the word,
worthy descendant of an ancient and
honorable line, husband any woman
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
personal, not the financial, part of it,
he concluded with gallant little bow.
The ghost of a smile fitted over
Eva's wan face.
"Ah, you would have been differ
ent, Mr.. Denton" she said gracious
ly. "But my mind is made up;
will have nothing to do with this
scheme-it is hateful to me'
"Well. WE'LL" rejoined Denton good
humoredly, "I'm not going to try to
influence you in any way; after all,
it rests between the two of you. But
/ think you ought to give Mr.. IRE
uo1vun on nnnnrt,1Oitu nf-aho1 wo