The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-01-17
TWO ETHELS.

OOleNOOu OuSuI 10 Dc Cllc HappleSI
man IN Greenviile. He was young,
handsome and we'll educated; then,
just as he was preparing to fight his
way to fame, with poverty arrayed
| against him, he had suddenly been
made the sole heir to the fine old cs-
tate of his eccentric aunt, Miss Betsy
Colewood, recently deceased. What
more was necessary to the happiness
of gay young fellow like Hugh Cole
wood?
However, there was a condition, or
one, at least, in his aunt's will that
caused him no little uneasiness. lie
must love and marry the girl Of her
choice, one whom he had never even
seen. Hugh Colewood caught up his
aunt's last letter to him and read it
again and again, hoping to find some
little loophole Of escape from the gal
ling condition, but it was there in
mercless black and white. This is
the part that worried him:
eff you cannot comply with my
wishes to meet Ethel Wayne and love
and marry her, you forfeit your heir
ship to my estate. Ethel's mother
was my dearest friend, and if you mar
ry her daughter it will be fulfilling my
fondest desires You cannot help low
ing her. l could not rest in my tomb
peacefully and know that Ethel was
not mistress of my estates, and you,
dear boy, the master. My lawyer, Mr..
Cranston, will arrange for you to meet
Ethel, as he is one of her guardians.
You know how thoroughly | despise
old bachelors, therefore | give you
warning that will not allow you to
il h ,rit my houses and lands as one of
that disagreeable crusty order
Hugh loved the Colewood estates.
and could not bear to think of giving
them up. Now, if the will had not
specified whom he must marry, but
left the sele ction Of wife entirely to
himself, Hugh believed that he would
have enjoyed the romance of hunting
for a bride He picked up his hat and
rushed from his room. going up TO the
hotel where Mr.. Cranston was stop
ping while he arranged some business
matters with Hugh.
"Hullo, Colewood! Take seat"
said the lawyer. ...
"You are aware of that one peculiar
feature in my late aunt's will, Mr..
Cranston?'
"To what peculiar feature do you
refer, Mr.. Colewood?'
"The one that absurlly commands
me to marry girl whom | have never
seem"
'Oh, tha,!" returned Mr.. Cranston.
You are a lucky fellow, Colewood.
That is the best part Of tie fortune
"It's the most exaspcrating part
Hugh cried, desperately. GLOW can
fellow love and we'd to order?"
"Well, it's deal OF time and bother
saved to the wooer," remarked the
lawyer, putting. "Tve no doubt Ethel
Wayne will suit you better than any
selection you are capable Of making"
IL am sure she won't suit me, sir.
The estate can 60 to charity for all |
care. l don't love any woman, and |
love my freedom too we'll to marry yet
awhile. l don't want to be thrust
upon any woman for the sake of for
tune, and don't suppose Miss Wayne
cares two straws about the absurd
conditions in my aunt's will"
"It is very likely, although Ethel
had the greatest respect for the late
Miss Colewood and was very careful
to hrmor all her vagaries," returned
Cranston. "However, | hardly feel
able to state whether the girl would
accept Miss Colewood's last vagary in
the shape of her impulsive nephew or
not"
Il shall not give her the opp,rtuni-
ty," said Hugh, nettlcd at the lawyers
vo ds.
Hold on, Colewood; lets drop non
sense aad come to business. You like
your aunt's estate, but you cannot re-
tain them without complying with her
wishes You have never met the girl
whom your aunt has chosen. Perhaps
it will be proved that neither Of you
are opposed to fulfilling the condition.
At least, you must meet. l will ar
range that. Ethel will pass the sum-
mer with my sister in the country aid
II manage it for you to spend a few
weeks with Them. You can very soon
tell whether the condition is wholly Oh
noxious or not. What do you say?'
81 will do as you advise, thank you,
sir" replied Hugh, who had now cool
ed off, and was trying to take busi-
ness view of the strange situation.
Four weeks later Hugh Cvlewood
was spe> ding away from Gre(nville on
the morning express, bound for little
town among the blue hills Of Virginia.
When he stepped from the tram lie
was disappointed to find no one wait
ing to convey him to the country home
of Mr. Cranston's sister, distance of
eight miles. He was in the act of ask
ing the way to the best hotel, when a
buggy came rapidly up to the station
and halted.