Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-07-28

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Dayenant is the only issue Of my mar
rage with Caroline Hatfield; that the
said marriage was celebrated In secret
at the Church Of Armfield, In Sussex,
in June, 18--. And that the said
Eunlce Davenant, my daughter Is In
the keeping Of one Gideon Rolfe, wood
man, of Warden Forest, who has rear
ed her as his own child and who is I'M
acquainted with the facts of my secret
marriage, and ! decree and appoint
James Hudsley sole guardian, trustee,
and ward Of the aforesaid Eunice
Davenant, and at her hands | crave
forgiveness for my neglect of her
mother and herself.
"(Signed) Ralph Davenant,
Hurst Leigh.
"Witness-GeOrg9 Goodman,
"Coachman, Hurst Leigh.
Martha Goodman,
Cook, Hurst Leigh"
White breathess Stephen held the
paper in his clnched hands and stared
at the astounding contents.
Eunice Davenant the squires daugh.
ter.
His overstrained brain refused to
realize it.
Old Ralph Davenant married. Mar.
ried! 1t was impossible
Oh, yes that was It, A smile, a
CHASTITY smile shone on his face. 1t
was joke vile, malicious joke,
worthy of the Grabbed misanthropical
old man, A vilainous joke, set
down just to bring about litigation, and
create trouble and confusion between
the two young men, himself and Jack
Newcombe. And yet-and the smile
dIde away and left his face fearful and
haggard-and yet that awful fury of
the diving man when he knew that the
will had been stolen.
No, 1t was no jest The marriage
had taken place there was a daughter,
and she was the heiress Of all that Inn
mense, untold wealth, except the fifty
thousand pounds left to Jack New
combe, while he-he. Stephen Daven.
ant, the next of kin, the man who had
bCth "oih MINIS, lylhS, loi lht
money was left with a set of musty
sermons.
Rage filed his heart; sitting chok-
ing with fury, the disappointed schem.
err struck the senseless paper with his
cIinched fist. and ground his teeth at
1t; then, suddenly, as If by a swift in
SEPARATION, he remembered that this
accursed will, which would reduce him
to beggary, and leave an unknown girl
and his hated cousin wealthy, was in
his hands that he and he only knew
of It's existence. With sudden revul-
sion of feeling he sprang to his feet
and held the paper at arms length and
laughed softly at it, as If 1t were en-
dued with sense, and could appreciate
its helplessness.
Then he drew the candle near, folded
the paper into third of its size, held
1t to the cande-and drew it back
again. overcome by that fascination
which almost invariably exercises itself
en- such occasions-that peculiar re-
luctance to destroy the thing whose
tAloNNHNN van lNnNloy Lht JppbtoS'l'
The flame flickered and licked the
trail paper; the smoke curled round its
edge, and yet-and yet he could not
destroy 1t.
Instead. he sat down and with
clinched teeth untolded the will and
read tread 1t again and again, until
every word burned and scared into his
brain.
"Eunice Davenanl! EuniCe Daven
ant, Curse herr he groaned out.
But even as the words left his lips
sound rose, the unmistalEable tap-tap
of something -some finger striking the
windowpane.
Biting his bloodless lips to prevent
himself calling out in his ecstasy of
fear, he thrust the will into his pocket,
caught up the candle, swept the cur
tans aside, and started back
The light fell full upon the face of
young girl