Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-03-24

often she had been near death, and
now she guessed the reason.
"Then it stands in this way,
mammal die before you, and you
die before Captain Wynyard, the whole
of my fathers property falls into that
mans hands?"
That is it, Angel"
Il do not think it is right or just,
mamma. You must annul that will,
and make another. Why should he,
who has been so unkind to you, in
herit the wealth that was my fathers?
1t is not just Oh, | wish you had
consulted me about it; [ wish you
had told me all the facts before,
mammal" cried the girl, sadly, as she
thought what a terrible price she had
nearly paid for her ignorance of them.
1T is not fair!'' she went on. eff we
| die, he will be rich and free!"
yes" assented Lady Laura, 81
know it-free to marry Gladys Rane."
Mamma" said Angela, solemnly,
Hhe must wish us both dead"
| ooh, no. my dear! He is not so bad
as that"
"He does not love Us. he does not
care for us !" the girl cried, passion
ately. 'Why should ne not wish us
| both dead?"
''That would be TERRIBLE said Lady
| Laura.
hot will for
mammal" asked Angela.
''Your fathers lawyer, Mr.. San
some," was the reply.
'fHe ought to have been ashamed
of himself" cried Angela, Indignantly.
"My DEAR" answered Lady Laura,
che was. and he tried all that was
possible to dissuade me from making
it. He was very angry indeed, and
prophesied all kinds OF evil; but the
captain persuaded me-
cit must be destroyed, and you must
make another, mamma. / shall never
rest until it is done"
cit shall be done, Angel; but |
must wait until we go up to town. |
dare not summon Mr.. Sansome here"
And. having arrived at this decision,
Lady Laura and her daughter left the
woods and turned homeward.
CHAPTER XII.
A black, threatening cloud seemed
to have fallen over Angela Rooden's
life. For some time she could not
recover from the effect of the in
formation her mother had impaired
to her. Her accidents were all plain
enough now. If she had but known
about the will, surely she would
have realized the danger to which
she was exposed. She shuddered
when she rememberd how near death
she had been-so near that in each
case there had been only a space of
two or three minutes between herself
and eternity. The mystery seemed
to unroll itself before her eyes. Her
death would be an untold gain to her
stepfather There would then be but
her mothers life between himself and
the inheritance. Her mother was
fragile and delicate, and her con-
stantly unhappy life would only tend
to bring about the end that he de-
sired Then her fathers property
would all fall into his hands, and he
would be free to marry Miss Rane--
Angela had not the least doubt but
that he had SO mapped out his future.
If she and her mother died, he would
be rich man. But she saw plainly
enough that, if his plans were to
succeed, she must die first. If her
mother died first, the property would
descend to her. and she in her turn
could leave it as she would.
"He shall never have one penny of
my fathers money" she said to her
self.
But the danger of her position
frightened her
She could hardly realize the fact
that one person should seek to com
pass the death of another; yet it was
most undeniably true. She had felt
certain that the captain had told her,
on that winter day when she was so
nearly drowned, to go to the bend of
Iu0 DOOlS Suc udu USSn Qu1LC
dent about it. 1t was true that at
the time she believed there had been
a mistake; but that belief had not
lasted long. Now she saw what his
motive was. But for the brave and
courageous young squire she would
have been in her grave, and possibly
her mother, too, by this time. Again
she felt sure now that he had tam
pered with the boat, and had ridden
away, leaving her to her fate. She
was more than confirmed in her sus-
picion when she remembered how
ayerse he bad been to have the boat
recovered from the lake, for he knew
that the marks of his treachery were
there and would be discovered. 1t
all seemed to her so plain that she
wondered she had not found it out
before; but then she remembered
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