Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1908-05-08

Mrs. Yeames, pursing up her lips and con-
tracing her nostrils viciously. Then
turning to Nurse Gertrude, she said
Have you made any plans with regard
to yourself, Miss Dalrymple? Have you
settled where you will go when you leave
hyah?"
No; it Is impossible to settle anything
definitely at present"
One thing there is which should GER
tainly be done without delay. 1t ought to
be intimated to the servants that their
services will not be required after their
month is up. The house will be given
up, of course. Perhaps you would like
me to tell them they must go?"
No. / am to consider my position
here unaltered and no change in the rout-
inc is to be made until the will has been
read, Mr.. Keene says"
Mr.. Keene seems to be unduly inter-
fering--to be overstepping the bounds of
his-ah function" said Mrs. Yeames
tartly.
Whereupon little Laure, with the cour-
age of desperation, declared l was dear
old man, and wouldn't let cook be sent
away, or let any one he made unhappy.
The day of the funeral came-and a
sad day it is in my memory, for even
a lawyer cannot bury an old friend with
out pang of regret for. the past that
can never be renewed; bitter yearn-
ing for the hand and the voice and the
eyes that never again one shall clasp,
and listen to- and look into!
l expected that Lynn Yeames would
be sufficiently well to come back for the
! reading Of the will: but he was not. How
ever, Mrs. Yeames was there with a tele-
gram Of regret from him (she had torn
of the heading, but l found out after
herself prepared to stand as his repre-
sentative; and a fine monument Of re-
spectabllity she was in her Grape. To
her disgust, I had up all the servants
into the room indeed. had invited every
one whose name was in the will. DR..
Awdrey was there, looking as il he were
going toahave his head cut of, and Miss
Dalrymple, and little Laure.
l opened the will, and in a dead ST.
lence l began to read it clearly and slow
ly. You might have heard a pin drop.
acies to the servants, whom Mrs. Yeames
would have packed off with a months
wages, and then began the shifting and
| signing and smothered exclamations Of
astonishment and pleasure as they learn
ed that there were a hundred pounds and
good suit Of clothes to come to each
Of them out Of the fortune of their kind
| old master. And when these were dis
posed of, l came to the Yeames bequest
ITO Mrs. Anna Maria Yeames, widow
| OF my brother, Joseph Flexmore, l give
and beQueath the sum Of five pounds"
looked at her over the top of my
glasses as l read this. She folded her
arms, closed her eyes, and assumed a
look of injured dignity. l would have
given as much as this bequest to have
been able to look round and see how the
servants managed to conceal their feel
| ings. However, l contented myself with
| reading on:
ITO my nephew, Lynn Yeames, stepson
of the aforesaid Joseph Flexmore"-h
l turned over the page, and glancing at
Anna Maria, found her eyes open, and
her expression indicative of assured tri-
umph-"I give and bequeath the sum of
fifty pounds and my glass case of stuffed
BIRDS
Lowering the will and looking over my
glasses, l said to Mrs. Yeames Flex-
more:
"As your son is not here, will apprse
him by letter of this bequest."
THAT is not all, l am sure. Read on,
if you please" said the lady.
l bowed, and proceeded to read out in
full the clause in which Flexmore con-
stituted John Howard Awdrey, NJ. D.,
etc., sole guardian of his beloved daugh-
ter, Laure Constance Flexmore, and in
recognition and consideration of his ser
vice in the capacity of guardian and trus-
tee bequeathed to him the annual inter-
est on such capital as remained after the
payment of the foregoing aforesaid leg
acies, life annuity to myself one hundred
pounds, and all outstanding debts, until
the said beloved Laure Constance Flex-
more should attain the age of twenty-one,
when the whole estate would revert to
her.
l paused here and again looked over
my glasses at Mrs. Yeames. The woman
| had risen to her feet; she was white with
passion. l saw she wished to speak, and
waited. Her lip twitched convulsvely
it was some moments before she could
articulate.
"Do-do-do I understand" she fall
tered, "that he has left nothing to my son
but fifty pounds?"
"And glass case Of stuffed birds that
is ALL" / said.
"All the property, in fact, goes to DR..
Awdrey"
"The bulk of the property goes to DR..
Awdrey, in trust for Laure Constance
Flexmore, who inherits when she is twen-
ty-one years of age. Until that time DR..
Awdrey will receive from me annual pay
ment of all interest accruing from the
estate, in payment of service rendered as
| Il IL. LII