The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1901-07-11
"To each one Of my rejected suitors

actfy one year from my Oeatn III tne IL
brary of my residence. in Beechwood
street, Belgravia."
Meanwhile Willard Pratt was deriv-
ing from the administration Of Miss
Stevens will the keenest enjoyment of
his long and varied legal career. Be-
ing a shrewd reader of character and
possessed of large fund of humor. he
had vastly enjoyed being interviewed
by the claimants or the claimants
friends, and, though they had got moth
ing out of him. he had. on the other
hand. got a great real out of them. AS
one after another left him the keen ju.
rist invariably chuckled to himself.
"Smart girl to refuse him. He was
after the money; that's plain. But
what in the name Of all that's holy
made her give him $4,000 nowY'
But his enjoyment reached it's culmi.
mating point when, just one week be
fore the day appointed for the settle
ment Of the will, society was again
startled by this notice in the daily pa
pers:
To Whom 1t May Concerih-The rejected suitors
| of Miss Eleanor Stevens requested to meet at
her late residence in Beechwood street, Belgravia,
| on Monday, the 21st inst. at 10 o'clock a.. M,
| with reference to the legacies due to them under
| her will. WILLARD PRATT, Executor.
81 think that will reawaken popular
interest" said the old lawyer dryly.
And so it did. Seven days later,
when the hour appointed for the recep-
ton of Miss Stevens rejected suitors
drew near, the streets in the vicinity of
her late residence were lined with an
eager multitude of men and women.
| AS the hour drew near in which they
were to stand confessed as members of
Miss Eleanor's "army of martyrs" sew
eral Of the intended claimants had
found themselves weakening in their
resolve. Those, for instance, who had
justified their claim solely on the
ground of an admiration felt, but never
expressed, saw their courage oozing as
the ordeal approached. Others, who
were burning incense at new shrines,
seriously considered renouncing claim
that would decidedly complicate their
present prospects.
| 1t was a question whether pride or
profit would win the day. In the end,
however, the love of gold won.
|
of Miss Stevens late residence at 10
o'clock on this eventful morning, he
found the room crowded with a body
Of men clad in mourning garb and sol
EMMY waiting in various stages Of I'M
easiness for the approach of the long
| expected moment.
| AS the lawyer silently took his seat
behind a baize covered table the trou-
bled faces grew visibly more troubled,
and as he produced sundry important
looking documents and laid them on
the table each countenance was stamp
ed with mingled emotions, eager ex-
pectancy in many cases being linked
with shame and avarice.
"Gentlemen," began the old lawyer,
| 81 must trouble each of you to give me
in writing a concise statement of the
time, place and circumstances attend
ing your several offers and reflections,
in order that may have documentary
proof that you are entitled. to the lega-
cies left you by the terms of: Miss
Stevens will"
documentary proof!'
At those unexpected words the emo
ton that marked. the faces of the
strange assembly changed to unmis-
taxable concern. Was this some dis
agreeable joke? No. The old lawyer
waited with unmoved face for the full
fllment of his demand. There was a
momentary hesitation. Then, filing up
in due order. the applicants, one by
| one, seated themselves at the table be-
fore the old attorney and wrote the
account demanded.
AS the last statement was signed the
pertieres of the library were suddenly
drawn back and a tall, heavily yelled
| figure advanced slowly into the middle
hand and drew back the thick gauze
that masked her face a cry of terror
| echoed through the house.
The woman was Eleanor Stevens!-
| Wait" she commanded. Don't be
alarmed am no ghost. The Miss
| Stevens who died year ago in the
! Black forest was not the Miss Stevens
| whose loss you are so deeply mourn
ing. ~-' ~
"By stupid blunder of the peasants
with whom I was staying an exchange
|
an invalid girl whom had befriended,
so that when she died her death GER
tificate was issued under the name of
Eleanor Stevens.
"Some weeks earlier l had been in
| f1uenced by daily contact with one
whose life was fading rapidly away
to draw up my will in legal form and
to send it home to my lawyer.
"When l left so suddenly for the con-
tinent a year and half ago it was be-
cause Of a conversation overheard be-
tween several Of my seeming admirers
| which changed all my ideas of manly
chivalry in affairs Of the heart, and
which drove me abroad. as supposed.
for ever.
"It was that blundering exchange of
names that has given me the oppor-
tunity Of meeting you under these in
teresting circumstances.
"Now. gentlemen, my will, in which
| you have shown so deep an interest,
stipulates that each of my rejected
suitors shall receive $4,000 after my
death. That bequest will be carried
out to the letter when l am really dead.
| I'm the meantime l would gladly
read your documentary proofs, but as
have never in all my life rejected
but two suitors, and as one of these
died six months ago. and the other is
not here today. shall he obliged to re-
fer you to my lawyer"
And with a sweeping courtesy Miss
Stevens withdrew from the room.-Ex-
change.
Baptist Fish.
| "Down in the SOUTH" remarked q
man at one of the clubs, there exists
more of religious atmosphere than
there is here In the north. So most of
| the stories they tell have a sectarian