The Afro-American advance. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1899-19??, 1900-02-03
Miss ThOrne'S Will


Elizabeth Everill stood still a moment
on the broad terrace, and then, with a
sigh, turned and entered the house.
Only that day her aunt, Miss Matilda
Thorne, had been buried, and Mr..
Northbrooke had come down from Lon
don TO read the dead woman's will. 1t
was simple enough, and those who had
known Miss Thorne intimately hardly
wondered at its wording:
"To my niece. Elizabeth Everill, pro-
vided she marry a man of title, l will
and bequeath all my worldly posses
sions."
And If do not marry?" Miss Ever
i'll had asked.
you retain your inheritance" the
lawyer answered, with a smile. Miss
Thorne drew up the win herself, and IL
is deficient on that point"
Flizabeth's mother Miss Thorne's
sister, had run off with Paul Everill,
the organist of the church. before she
was Is. Her father had forbidden her
name TO be mentioned in his hearing,
and at his death Glenthorne had
passed to Matilda Internationally
She had held no communication with
the married sister till she read in
newspaper of the death of Paul Ever
i'll, and then she had paid one visit to
the dismal London lodging where Mrs.
Everill lay dying. There had never
been much love between the sisters,
but Miss Thorne was willing to take
her sisters daughter under her care.
So, when the organist's wife was laid
beside him, their only daughter had
been brought to her mothers home
Masters and governesses had been en-
ployed to perfect her education, and
her aunt had never wearied of instilI-
ing love of wealth and power and a
horror of poverty into the girls mind.
That her words had not fallen on bar
rem ground she would have under
stood could she have known her
niece's thoughts that evening.
She was thinking of scene that
had taken place there just five years
before.
Some old paintings had been sadly
in need of the attention that only a
skillful hand could give, and Miss
Thorne had heard Ralph Crosby favor
ably spoken of, and had asked him to
do the work. Elizabeth had been
much in the long portrait gallery
while Ralph Crosby talked and paint
ed, and at length he had forgotten
that he was only a struggling artist
and she the niece of the wealthiest
woman in the county and had spoken
his love. Miss Everill could still re-
member the naughty stare and mock
ing smile of her aunt when she spoke
OF her love for Ralph.
"Lovei Your mother loved Paul
Everill, l suppose, and you know some
thing of her life. But make your own
choice. Marry this young man If you
will. but not one farthing of mine will
be yours"
And the girl had lain awake till day
break thinking of the sordid sur
roundings amid which her childhood
had been passed, and of the poverty
for which she had such a horror, till
at last she was resolved to answer
NO" to her lovers pleading.
She WINGED even now as she re-
called the grief that struggled with
a contemptuous pity for her reasoning
when she told him the next day that
khe could not be a poor mans wife,
and remembered the few bitter words
that fell from his lips as he turned
away without seeming to see her out-
stretched hand. In the last few days
she had thought once or twice. in a
vague way. that II Glenthorne should
chance to be hers she would find
way of letting him know that she
loved him still, that she had loved him
always.
Ard now-and now" she said to
herself. while the shadows grew deep
er in the corners OF the wide library,
an iusurmountahle barrier divides
us" She clasped her hands tightly,
and. with eyes that were 6immed by
tears. gazed into the glowing embers.
Oh. Aunt Matilda. your very kindness
IS bat cruelty. | wonder where Ralph
is now2 Oh. / almost wish we're
poor girl to-day. And yet, mol
couldn't bear that"
And the latter reflection was con
stantly passing through the girls
mind as time wore on. IL was very
pleasant TO he mistress Of the great
house and TO have money at command.
tHder her rule Glenihorne became a
very pleasant place indeed; and be-
fore the year was ended It was wills
pered that Lord Arthur Kendall was
very much In love with her.
Elizabeth heard Ralph crosby'S
name mentioned several times later.
when she went TO London lie was
occupied upon work that was to
make name for him. soma said. 9th
ers limited that he was III md Miss
Eversti wondered that r heart
Should beat so quickly AZ the sound Of
his name. She had resolved 70 accent
Lord Arthur. He was rich-mueh