Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-06-04

Van Cortlandt Santvoort, who was
spoken of as my young friend"
Three.quarters to Annie, one-quarter
to Mr.. Santyoort-thus the will finally
stood.
This was very simple except for one
small circumstance, which was that
nobody knew who Mr.. A. Van Cort-
landt Santvoort could be.
The members of Mrs. Hubbard's
household had never heard Of him. 1t
was q practical certainty that he had
never been to the house.
Although several thousand newspa-
pers In the United States and many
elsewhere printed the announcement
Of his inheritance, only the most bogus
claimants responded.
Nobody even succeeded In proving
that his name was really A. Van Cort-
landt Santvoort.
At the time when public interest In
the case was at its height a young
newspaper man named Jaffray was
waiting on a street corner for a friend
Of his who had gone to borrow 81 from
another friend when he was confronted
by a tall and beautiful maiden who
was clothed all in black.
She had q halo Of corn colOred hair,
and her eyes were as blue as the dome
of heaven when 1t looks it's best.
II beg your pardon" said she. "Art
you Mr.. Santvoort?"
81 wish / were," replied Jaffray,
speaking from the impulse Of his heart,
"but l am not"
He was not thinking Of the Hubbard
will case. He simply wished to be Mr..
Santvoort to oblige the young lady.
1t occurred to him that If he were
she would probably talk to him, and
for that consideration he would have
accepted any name in the directory.
A strongly built woman Of 30, with
a kindly face and keen eye, was just
behind the pretty girl.
81 really cannot be mistaken" said
she, and the pretty one turned again to
Jaffray.
81 am Miss Annie Hubbard" she
said, "and-and perhaps you know
about my aunt's will"
"You don't mean to say you took me
for that Mr.. SantvoortT cried Jaffray.
"Why, Of course. l never saw him."
replied the girl. mo one ever saw him
30 far as we know EXCEPT Miss Lane.
This Is Miss Lane. She was engaged
as q nurse by my aunt in her last ILL
ness. She Is the only person to whom
my aunt ever mentioned Mr. SAINT
WORT"
II am deeply interested" said Jaf.
fray.
This was not only interesting to him
personally, but 1t was news, for Miss
Lanes connection with the case had
never been published.
ut is ridiculous that l should tell
this story to a perfect stranger" said
the girl, "but Miss Lane was so sure
you were Mr.. Santvoort"-
"I was alone with Mrs. Hubbard on
the fifth day before her DEATH" said
the nurse. "She was able to sit up,
and she was looking out Of the win
dow. Suddenly she exclaimed:
"'Why, there goes Mr.. Santvoort!
II looked out and saw you passing
upon the other side. Mrs. Hubbard
seemed very much interested. She
begged me to run out and catch you.
hurried as fast as l could, but You
had disappeared when l got upon the
street. l walked quite distance, In
the hope of overtaking you. but did
not see you again.
"When l returned, the doctor was
with Mrs. Hubbard. I said to her sim
ply that l had not succeeded In over
taking the gentleman.
"She said that she was sorry, and
not another word was spoken on the
subject. A short time afterward-in-
deed, while the doctor was still there
Mrs. Hubbard suffered a serious re-
lapse, and from that moment to the
end she was never fully conscious
again."
"This is remarkable" said Jaffray.
''The chances are, suppose, that Mrs.
Hubbard mistook me for somebody
else, though, of course, 1t is just posi-.
BILE that you, yourself may be mis-.
taken"
II am perfectly certain" said the
nurse.
"If you will pardon me-" said Miss
Hubbard, II will venture to say that
your appearance is very easily remem.
bered."
Jaffray blushed. he Is sensitive re-
sarding his size, which approaches the
gigantic. He is 6 feet 5 inches tall
and excellently proportioned.
His face is clean cut, his eyes are
dark and full of fire, his hair is Of q
peculiar reddish brown and inclined
to be curly.
Altogether, his aspect is not only
unusual, but 1t Is Of the sort that
does not need a near view for recogni-
ton.
MRS. Hubbard may not have been
quite herself at the time," said the
yeung man. "You say she was uncon.