Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-05-23
Continued.


face, its palor accumulated by the
black dress, and Mr.. Petherick rose
to get her chair, but Guilford Ber-
ton stepped before him, and placed
one in the window recess, so that she
sat little apart from the crown, and
with her face half hidden in the
shadow of the curtains.
Norah did not raise her eyes to his
face, but took ner seat and sat mo-
tionless and holding Lady Ferndale's
hand tightly. The crowd of faces
swan before her eyes and the first
words Mr.. Petherick uttered in his
thin voice sounded unintelligible IL
her ears. She knew that all the ey S
burning with suppressed eagerness and
anticipation, were covertly regarding
her ears. She knew that all the eyes
Ferndale's loving clasp.
Mr.. Petherick coughed in his nerv-
Gus fashion. ana fingered the Will
Before read the last will and
testament of the Earl of Arrowdale,
he said, his voice quivering, Il feel it
my duty to express my regret at the
absence of the-the present earl i
have used every means to discover
his whereabouts and acquaint him
with the melancholy news but have
failed to reach him." There was an
intense silence. Sooner or later
soon, l trust!-he will arrive, and
and-reiieve me, and all connected
with the estate, of a serious responsi-
bility, but until he does | must ask
you to regard me as executor. as the
: person in charge"
Then he proceeded to read the will.
Many glances of curiosity and envy
and suspicion had been cast at Gull
ford Berton's tall figure as he stood
just behind Norah and Lady Ferndale,
and when after reading out the
small requests Mr. Petherick slowly
recited the clause in which tile earl
bestowed his watch and chair-and
nothing else-to his closest friend
Guilford Berton, suppressed murmur
Of surprise and relief ran round the
room
Lady Ferndale was as surprised as
any one. and her hand closed over
Norah's significantly. But Norah
made no sign.
Mr. Petherick read on in the sing
song, unpunctuated legal voice, ana
presently he came to the clause re- att
ing to her. He read it slowly and i'm
pressively, and Ivorah felt rather than
saw the hungry eyes fixed upon her.
She heard nothing more until she
found Mr.. Petherick standing before
her, with the will in his hand. All the
rest had left the room excepting Lady
Lady Ferndale and Guilford Berton:
You will allow me to express
my satisfaction Lady Norah,' said
the old lawyer. IF I had drawn the
will myself it could not have been
more in accordance with the advic, [
should have given. Very right AMI
and just. indeed"
Lady Norah looked at him vacantly.
still holding Lady Ferndale's hand.
"A very just and proper will" said
the old man, turning his spectacles
on Guilford Berton, who stood with
his hands clhsped behind him. mis-
eyes fixed on the ground.
Yes said Guilford Berton, in a
low voice But how could the earl
have done otherwise"
drew little closer to Lady Ferndale.
III do not understand she falter-
ed, almost inaudibly.
TELL her." said Indy Ferndale, in 1
whisper, and she looked up at Gull
ford BHton
He took step forward.
Your father has left you every
thing that was his to bequeath, Lady
Norah," he said. "Will you let me,
too. say how rejoiced I am that it
should be so?"
Norah raised her eyes to his face,
which expressed q qualification con-
sistent with his words, and not sign
Of Disappointment or envy.
I do not understand" she said. al.
most pdteously Am = the vfscount,
the present earl, Is he"
yes, yes" said Mr.. Petherick, In
the tone lawyer adopts when he Is
enlightening ignorant womankind.
"The viscount--that is, the earl-has
the estates, the land with the Court.
Of course: but the rest is yours. 1t
represents a vast sumZvast. The
earl, your father. my dear young lady,
had for some years saved large por-
ton Of his income. and had been ex-
tremely fortunate in his investments;
extremely so. II really seemed as II
everything ne touched turned to gold.
On several occasions felt 1t my duty
to utter a word OF wlrning respecting
some of the speculations in which he
embarked. hut he always had his way,
and am bound to say that the re-
suits proved me wrong and him. right
II is Impossible d this juncture 70
give an approximate estimate OF the
sum he has left you 1t must be
rarx- f.rve-very large indeed am =