The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1900-02-09
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( MISS TH0RNE'S WILL. )


I AWYER NORTHBROOKEh had just
9 driven away from GIenthorne, and
Elizabeth Everiu stood still a moment
on the broad terrace, and then, with
sigh, turned and entered the house.
Only that day her aunt, Miss Matilda
ThOrne, had been buried, and Mr..
NOrthbrOoIze had come down from Lon
don to read the dead woman's viii. It
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, I viii
and bequeath all my worldly posses
sions"
"And if I do not marry?r Miss Ever
III had asked.
@You retain your inheritance" the
lawyer answered, with a smile. Miss
Thorne drew up the viii herself, and it
is deficient on that point
Elizabeth's mother, Miss Thorne's
sister, had run of with Paul EveriI,
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 uncOnditiOnaIIy.
She had held no communication with
the married sister till she read in q
newspaper Of the death Of Paul Ever
Ill, and then she had paid one visit to
the dismal London lodging where Mrs.
Everi1 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
besides him, their only daughter had
been brought to her mothers home.
Masters and gOvernesses had been en-
pIOyed to perfect her education, and
her aunt had never wearied of instiII-
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 a scene that
had taken place there just five years
before.
Some old paintings had been sadly
in need of the attention that only a
skillfuI 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 painted, 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
EveriH could still remember the hauty
stare and hooking smile Of her aunt
when she spoke Of her love for Ralph.
"LOvel Your mother loved Paul
EveriI, I suppose, and you know some
thing Of her life. But make your own
choice. Marry this young man if you
win, but not one farthing OF mine VIII
be yours"
And the girl had lain awake till day
break thinking Of the sordid surround
ings 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 mo"
to her lovers pleading.
She WINGED even now as she recalled
the grief that struggled with a con
temptuOus pity for her reasoning when
she told him the next day that she
could not be a poor mans wife, and
the few bitter words that
fell from his lips as ne turned away
without seeming to see her outstretch-
ed hand. In the last few days she had
thought once OF twice, ina vague way,
that If GlenthOrne should chance to be
hers she would find a way Of letting
him know that she had loved him al
ways
"And now-and now she said to
herself, while the shadows grew deeper
In the corners Of the vide library, s'an
barrier divides Us"
She clasped her hands tightly, and,
with eyes that were dimmed by tears,
gazed into the glowing embers saOh,
Aunt Matilda your very kindness is
but cruelty. I wonder where Ralph is
noW2 Oh, Lalmost wish I we're a poor
girl today. Add yet, nOL- couldn't
bear thatr