Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-04-16
CHAPTER Continued

~ had better give you the details You
..,.od form resumed the solicitor. smiling
- the young mans evident discontinue.
..About three weeks ago. after Miss
peresford disappeared, Jacob Heresford
,ras arrested for murderous assault on
,onas Jellifer. Luckily for Dir. Reres-
tor3 Mr. Jellifer did not die he IS in
taot nearly well now-but the affair, I'M
fovtunately. brought TO light several
thor matters which needed the attention
- the law. among them being fraudu
lont mortgage of Miss Beresford's prop
aytv Fieldholme park, to this Mr.. Jes-
l;fcr It is for this that Mr.. Beresford
= now being detained st Holloway
waiting a trial. Miss Beresfords disap-
nearance has, as you can imagine, caused
no end of trouble, and I'm very glad that
he has turned up"
.But | do not understand said Am
brose hesitatingly. How Is it that my
wife has all this money!"
The solicitor laughed.
You need not look so distressed, MIR.
Ostin. A rich wife is not to be desPised
after ALL have copy of her fathers
viii here Perhaps you had better read
it, as it will explain better than ! can"
As in a dream, the young fellow read
Henry Beresford's viii. 1t had been
drawn up on the following lines:
70 his daughter, Henry Beresford had
hequeathed the whole of his fortune of a
million sterling, together with Field
holme park, the Devonshire estate on
which the motherless girl had been born
and bred But there was curious
proviso, inasmuch as the girl herself was
TO remain in ignorance of her wealth
until the hour after her marriage. 10
Jacob, his only relative, Henry Beresford
left the exclusive right of dealing with
the interest on the capital until the girl
married of her own free will; and then
he was to have the sum of 100000
down. The bringing-up of the child was
left to Jacobs discretion. Should she not
marry before she was 80, the money was
10 revert to certain charities with the
exception of $1,000 annual income, which
was to be settled on Iris herself.
Ambrose's face was pale as he handed
the document back to Mr. Rowner.
"a curiously drawn up will, is it not Z"
said the solicitor, replacing it in his safe.
Henry Beresford was an eccentric man.
It was a pity, though, that he did not
know his brother better!"
DO you mean TO tell net" asked AM
brose abruptly that Jacob Beresford
has been able TO do as he likes all these
years with his niece's money? Did no
one think of looking into matters? 1t
seems inerediblei"
You see," answered Mr. Rowner, ''he
had the sole right of dealing with affairs
until the young lady reached the age If
30 or until she married We certainly in
quired occasionally after Miss Beresford,
as matter of course, but we were told
she was under the care of governess in
the country. and IL was not our business
to see how her education was being ear
ried out"
Ambrose reflected for a moment in
silence. Then he asked where Jacob
Beresford was now.
Awaiting his trial." the solicitor told
him. "And / fear the result viii be dis
sstrous for him. It viii be penal seryi-
tude-nothing less"
So this was the meaning of it all. AM
brose understood now why Iris had been
shut up at Fieldholme park all her life,
and why the marriage with Jellifer had
been arranged. Jacob Beresford had
played desperate game, but he had lost
at the eleventh hour.
1t almost seemed as though Fate had
led him, Ambrose, to Imery Dene, so that
ne might deliver Iris from her prosecutor,
and ne shuddered as he thought that she
would now have been Jellifer's wife had
he chosen any other spot in which to
spend his holidays"
Briefly he related the story of his ro-
mantle wooing to MIR. Rowner, and that
gentleman listened with the deepest pos
sible interest.
Il must confess he said, as Ambrose
concluded, chat It is a fortunate thing
for Miss Bercsford that you did defy
conyentionality, and you have my best
wishes for your mutual happiness. And
now, when may we have the pleasure Of
seeing my client, your wife? There are
many business details to be settled, rs
you can understand, and VIC cannot move
until we nave seen her"
L will bring her round this after
hoon, SAID the young author, preparing
10 take his departure. Il win 20 now
and break the news 10 her. She viii be
very surprised"
The solicitor smiled as he shook hands
with him.
It's the kind of surprise that might
come TO more of us. with advantage, Mr.
ostin! However, it is TO be regretted
That Mrs. Ostin must hear bad news with
t'ie good. 1t is pitiabIe end for mau
IN Beresford's position. is II not?"
The young author returned to his bride
N whirlwind OF thought. He walked
'iong the Strand TO the hotel in North
lmberland avenue where they were stay
ing, and tried TO feel glad in his wifs's
unexpected fortune, but it was not easy
lie had q guilty sort of feeling that
both llis and Mrs. Hetling would suspect
nm OF having known the terms of the
VIII all along. That Iris was worth a
million spoilt the perfection Of their ro-
nance. He had looked forward TO work
ing and building up fortune for her by
ms own efforts, and be had already
Wanned out novel which WIS to eclipse
aii ms previous attempts. His name vas
~iaely known and his books popular, bus
Win his as his inspiration, he felt that
-