Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1900-08-30
CHAPTER XXII.-Continued.)

,BrabaZon we need not linger to relate
for no pen could give the faintest idea
Of that lady's indignant incredulity IN the
first phase, wild, incoherent invective ID
the second, and hysterical, weeping and
denunciation Of Florian's inhuman in
gratitude in the third and last scene. She
went about, her handkerchief applied to
her eyes. a model of injured innocence,
or posing as a melancholy representation
of fallen greatness. She wrote reams OF
letters and made many farewell calls in
the neighborhood-goo -good-naturedly taking
her acquaintances into her confidence as
regarded her opinion of the bride-elect-
and she left not few directions to Esme
of a distinctly testamentary nature. In
deed, one would imagine, from the way
she bore herself that once she had shak-
en- the dust of Baronsford from off her
feet, its downfall was a mere question of
time.
Mrs. Bra bacon had large, really sur
prising amount Of baggage; trunk and
case, and case and trunk, were filled and
nailed down day by day; and certainly
the china and curios about the house be-
came smaller by degrees, and beautifully
Der and size.
One morning Esme fetched her aunt
upstairs to the big spare room in which
Nokes and her mistress had been closet
ed since breakfast time, They simultane-
ously uttered an exclamation Of hasty an
noyance as Esme slowly pushed back the
door against a pile of books and stufs
on the floor, and admitted Miss Jane.
snow, now, Miss Esme, just please to
look where you are going" said NOkes,
tartly; and indeed, she had need to do so.
Also her aunt, who stepped Dimbly over
all obstacles and stared about her with a
face of undisguised amazement. The car
pet was Uttered with lace, house linen,
knick-knacks and old china, and the bed
was spread from top to bottom with fam
fly silver, punch bowls, teapots, cream
jugs, marrow spoons, sauce ladies, snuff
boxes, candlesticks-not had been too
insignificant to escape notice. The dress
ing table was loaded with piles of old
brocade and neediework, and three
greedy looking big trunks yawned open
mouthed in the middle Of the room-ready
20 swallow those treasures. Before one
of these boxes Mrs. Brabazon was kneel-
ing.
Good morning, Sara" said her sister
in-law, briskly. Busy, see, as usual.
I just came up to ask if could help you
in any way?"
mo, no, thanks, 1 can manage very
we'll by myself with Nokes," looking
greatly put out, as she spoke, and scuf-
fling away some articles out of sight. Il
never can pack if am watched; it puts
me out altogether. Here" closing the
lid with a bang. "Tll come down with
you, Jane"
But, surely, you are not packing these
things, are you, Sara? You are only put
ting them away, and l can do that for
you, you know" said the old lady, still
hanging back.
Putting them by? No, I'm packing
them up to take away" now driven to
bay, ''they are my own property"
Good gracious, Sara! what do you
mean? Is not that my grandmother's
posset bowl that Nokes has in her hand?"
she asked, with an air of pious surprise.
''There must be some monstrous mistake
in your packing up family silver, lace,
linen and china"
mo mistake at all! Everything in the
room is mine," waving her hand dramat-
ically toward the floor, the bed and the
dressing table, resolved to put down Miss
Jane, as she had ever been wont to do.
"My dear husband gave me ALL" she add
ed, with kind Of sniff, that might mean
either defiance or a tribute to his mem
ory.
But these were heirlooms; and for once
the old lady was firm.
He could not give you what never was
his, Sara. They are heirlooms; they be-
long to his children, and children's chill
dren. This must be seen to. I'm really
astonished that you do not see the mis-
take yourself" stiffening visibly as she
spoke.
Mrs. Brabazon failed to see any mis-
take; and her instincts of rapacity and
plumber extinguished everything else in
her bosom-even ordinary prudence. Each
lady stoutly maintained her own opin-
ion, and the result was a very pretty
quarrel, to which Esme and NOlles were
the two speechless seconds.
Mrs. Brabazon fguratively bounded in
to the arena, and let herself go for once;
she so far forgot herself as TO call Miss
Jane a "miserly old sneak and ''med-
dlesorne old cat;' and the latter, without
descending to such vulgar expressions,
made some very telling hits, and managed
to have her say in a collected and i'm
pressive manner; and, in the end by a
clever maneuyer, concluded the battle by
locking up the room and carrying off the
key, which, needless TO say, was tanta-
mount to capturing her enemy's cOlors
and guns; and as she departed, key in
pocket, she sternly announced that it was
her immediate intention to summon the
family lawyer.
The family lawyer duly arrived the
next day, and went into the matter of the
late Mr.. Brabazon's win and personality,
and found not few loop holes and flaws.
1t appeared that Mrs. BTabazon had so
far oversteppea her rights that Florian
was his sisters legal guardian. and that
the lady had for years been trading on
the ignorance and innocence Of her step
children, and regularly pGcketing the in
tcrest of Esme's little fortune. Half
the modern silver was the widows share;
but Of linen, plate, lace and china there
was no mention. A very solemn scene
was enacted in the dining room when the
silver was divided, and weighed under the
eyes of the lawyer, a silyersnith, Miss
Jane, GusSie, Esme and Nokes. Mrs.