Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1906-01-13

of his old associates, who appeared to
him a likely person to act as clerk or
underling. and to double that character
with the more dignifed role of solicitor
to the Mutual Cooperative Friend-in-
need and Friend-in1eed Society; but af-
ter reading that dismal paragraph re-
specting Mr.. 1.ans1ell Jack the Scribe's
ideas underwent a considerable change.
1t might be that this big pleasant me-
tropolis, In which there Is always such
nice little crop of dupes and simple
tons ready to fall prone beneath the
sickle Of the judicious husbandman,
would become. In vulgar parlance. a lit.
tie too hot to hold Mr.. Sleaford..
He obtained all information about
speedily departing steam vessels. and
early the following smorning. burdened
only with carpet.bag and the smallest
Of portmanteaus, Jack the Scribe left.
unhinderci and unobscrvcd. bound for
Africa. And here he drops out Of my
story, as the avcnging goddess might
disappear from a classic stage when her
work was done. For him. too. a Ne
mesis waits. lurking darkly In some hid
den turning Of the sinuous way along
which scoundrcl walks.
IF any calm. calm despair Such
a calm fell at last upon Isabel Gilbert.
but 1t was slow to come. For long
time 1t seemed to her MS If a dreadful
darkness obscured all the world. a dark
ness in which she CROPPED blindly for q
grave. where she might lie down and
de Was not he dead? What was there
left In all the universe now that he was
gone?
Happily for the sufferer. there Is at
teudant upon all mental anguish a kind
of numbncss. stupefaction of the
senses. which In some manner deadcns
the sharpness Of the torture. For long
time Iaibcl could not think of what had
happened within the last few troubled
weeks. She could only sit helpless and
fearless In the little parlor at Gray.
bridge.
1t was on the second day after the
surgeons funeral. the day following that
infinitely more stately ceremonial at
Mordred church that Mr.. Raymond came
to see Isabel. lie had been with her
several times during the last few days:
but he had found all attempts at con.
ISOLATION utterly In vain, aud he. who
had 80 carefully studied human nature.
knew that 1t was wisest and kindest to
let her alone.
But on this occasion he came on a
business errand: and he was accompan.
led by grave-looking person. whom he
introduced to Isabel as the late Mr..
l.ansdell's solicitor.
II have come TO bring you strange
news. Mrs. Gilbert" he said. News
that cannot fail to be very startling to
YOU"
She looked up at Charles Raymond
with a sad smile. whose meaning he
was not slow to interpret. II said so
very plainly: "Do you think that any.
thing that can happen henceforwar,l
upon this earth could ever seem strange
to met"
"Whcn you were wlth--him--On the
last day of hls life. Isabel" Mr.. Ray.
mond continued. "hc talked to You very
seriously. lie ch,ngcd-chnngcd won.
dcrfuily with the near approach Of death.
1t seemed rs II the last ten years had
been blOtted away. and he was a young
man again. just entering life. full of no.
bit yearnngs and aspirations. I pray
God those ten idle years may never he
counted against him. Hc spoke to you
very earnestly. my dear: aud he urged
you. II ever great opportunities were
given you. which they might be. to use
them faithfully for his sake. I heard
him say this. and was ut u loss TO I'M
dcrstand his full meaning. ! compre
bend II perfectly now"
lie paused: but Isabel did not even
look up at him. Tho tears were slowi,
pouring down her coiorlcss cheeks She
was thinking Of that last day at Mord
red: and Roland's tcndcrly earnest voice
seemed still sounding In her ears.
isabel. great charge has been In
trusted to you. Mr.. Lanslell has left
you the bulk Of his fortune"
II II certain that Mr.. Raymond ex
nected some cry of surprise. some token
of establishment. To follow this announce
ment; but lsabcl's tears only flowed q
little faster, and her head sank forward
on the sofa cushion by her side.
Had you any idea that Roland In
tended to leave his money In this man
ner?"
"Oh, no. no! don't want the money
! can do nothing with It. oh. give It T.
some hospital. please; and let the hos
pital be called by his name, II was crue
Of him to think that should care fol
money when he was dead"
II have reason to believe that this will
was made under very peculiar circum
stances" Mr.. Raymond said. presently
"when Roland was laboring under a de
fusion about yOu-a delusion which you
yourself aftcrward dispelled, Mr.. Lans
dell's solicitor fully understands this
Gen. Ruysdale and his daughter also
understand It; and no possible discredil
can attach to You from the inheritance
Of this fortune. Had Roland lived, HI
might very possibly have made some
alteration and modification of this will
AS II stands. II IL as good a will as any
ever proved. You are q very rich WON
an, Isabel. Gwendoline. her father and
myself are legatees TO II considerable
amount; hut Mortlred Prlory and tn,
bulk Of the Lansdell property are lef,
to you."
Gwendoline hard promised to be tn,
friend OF Isabel; and she kept her word
There was no bitterness In her hear
now; and perhaps she liked George Gil
bert's widow all the better on accoun,
of that foolish, wasted love that made
a kind Of link between them.
SO Mrs. Gilbert was permitted to pos
sess her new wealth In peace. Sh,
went away with Gwendoline and thu
general to those fair foreign lands fol
which she had pinned In the weedy gar
den ut Camberwell. Even during til.
first bitterness Of her sorrow she wa'
not utterly selfish. She sent money te
Mrs. Sleaford and the boys--mOnsy
which seemed enormous wealth to them
and she instructed her solicitor to send