The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-01-17

Il
her distinguished brother, the
Hon. Horace Devlin. The Devlins had
always been wisely reticent regarding
their family affairs. 1t was understood
that there had been a violent quarrel
over the large estate left by the fathc.
of the brother and sister, and that
they had reyer spoken to each other
since TIE division Of the property. The
estrargement must have been embas.
RAISING to both C. them, since they
lived in a small town and could not
help meeting frequently.
The Hon. Horace was much more
popular than his sister Maria She
had always been somewhat eccentric,
and this eccentricity had become more
marked after her quarrel with hcr
brother.
Her father had been man OF yc.y
simple tastes, and had lived all lis lifa
in the plain old red house that had
been his fathers and his granltathers
1t was great and bitter trial 10 Maria
when her brother not long after their
fathers death, tore down the cid
house and built on its site very large
and pretentious modern mansion.
Miss Maria had her fathers simple
tastes, and her associations of the old
house were very dear to her, even
when it was no longer her home. The
big, snowy mansion was an offence to
her eyes every time she passed It, In
marked and striking contrast to her
brothers house was her own. 1t was
as much an eyesore to her brother as
his house was to Miss Maria.
When the Devlin estate had finally
been divided, Miss Maria moved into a
tiny old house once occupied by her
fathers gardener. 1t was hardly ten
antable and Miss Maria made few re-
pairs before moving into it. 1t stood
directly across the road from her
brothers fine home, and was decided
bleinish on the landscape seen from
his spacious front piazza He had,
through his attorney, made his sister
an offer to buy it at price far more
than its value, but the offer had been
so promptly and SO decidedly rejected
that 1t had never been repeated
1t was thought that Miss Maria al
lowed the old house to remain in q
state of neglect, and the premises to
be in state of continual disorder, for
the sole purpose Of adding to her broth
er's annoyance and modification. She
also added many irritating traits to
her many eccentrlcities of character,
and was nearly always spoken of by
the people of the town as queer Miss
Maria
Her sister-in-law was an extremely
fashionable lady, while Maria went
about in the shabbiest and most anti
quated of garments. She was far
from being scrupulously tidy, and
seemed to take delight in setting aside
the ordinary cOnventionallties of life.
1t was known, however. that she was
very good and kind TO the poor, while
her brother was by no means noted
for his generosity toward them.
The Hon. Horace Devlln entertained
lavlshly, while his sister never enter
tanned az all. and did not go into So
citey. u was regarded as scandalous
that Miss Maria should have chosen
to spend the afternoon in her front
yard with mans hat on her head and
her skirts pinned up about her waist
on the day of her brothers grand lawn
party, when he had carload of guests
ouS from the city
SO the breach between the brother
and sister widened until there was no
probability that 1t would ever be
swenld ever be bridged over. When
they met they stared at each other in
stony silence.
Wenfeld the town in which the
Devlins lived, was a small manufac-
turing place. Most of its inhabitants
worked In the mills. Many of them
were thrifty men and women, who
saved as much as they could of their
earnings, and deposited them In the
one savings bank In Wenfeld.
The Hon. Horace Devlin was cash
Ter OF the Wenfield savings bank. and
never had there been such wild excite
ment throughout the town as on the
morning when placard appeared on
the bank door bearing the two omin.
Gus words;
BANK CLOSED.
Men and women left their work and
hurried to the bank with eager and
anxious faces. Many had In II the saw
ings OF lifetime. and they stared at
the portentous words with wildly beat
ing hearts. There was the most ont
spoken Indignation when the truth be-
came known. The fact was that The
Hon. Horace Deylin had brought
shame and disgrace on an old and hon
orcd name, and priyation and possible
poverty to many homes BY becoming
defaulter
II was discovered that he had for
years been speculating with money be-
longing TO the bank, and his defalca-
lions we're sufficient TO embarrass Il.