Middletown transcript., 1909-03-13
MICHAEL DARCY lIElRESS

Where did you get this, Dr.
Moran? Was it from Patrick
Darcy9
| bought it, my dear, at a
secondhand book shop. a year or
two ago. It was only the other
day I discovered that you had an
interest in it. Turn to the picture
Of Barnaby and his raven. /
think you will find something
there that concerns you.
She turned the pages with a |
practiced hand, until she reached
the one she sought.
Oh! she exclaimed, here Is my |
unele's writing. How strange it |
seems to find it here.
Read it, said.
She glanced quickly over 1t,
the color fading out of her cheek
as she did so.
1t is the will, she gasped-my |
uncle's will.
Mrs. Power was at her side in |
a moment.
Nonsense, Annie; how could |
your uncle's will have found its |
way into DR.. Moran's bockP
Here, let me see it. And she |
took the paper from the girls
passive hand.
Anastasia Ffrench looked at |
me questioningly.
Yes, my dear, l said, It's all
right; I have shown the will to
my solicitor, and he says that
you will have no difficulty in
making good your claim to the
money your uncle intended for
you.
But I do not understand, said
Mrs. Power. How did the will
come into your possession, DR..
Moran?
When I bought these books
with some others, / found the
will lying as you see, between
the leaves. I thought that it
was probably a discarded will,
invalidated by the existence of a
later one. I meant, however, to
make some inquiries about it; but
before | had time to do SO, ! |
received the news of Philips aeci-
dent, which put all minor matters
out of my head for long time.
I forget all about the will, until
it was recalled to my mind a few
days ago, by the sound Of the name
Anastasia Ffrench. You must
forgive me for my carelessness,
my dear; it is owing to me that
you did not come into possession
of your money year ago.
am more grateful to you, if
possible, for having forgotten the
will last year than for having
remembered it now. Had you
made its existence known year
ago, would not, in all probability,
be here to-day. !
did not think of that aspect {
of the case. Then you would t
have given up nursing, had you 9
known that you need not do so
as means of livelihood?
Certainly not; but should in
that case have done volunteer '
work, and so never have known g
Mrs. Power.
Nor Laurence, supplemented |
that lady. l think he has the '
strongest motive of all for being d
grateful to DR.. Moran. Bot a
what has become of this money e
now? Annie's uncle has been !
dead three years. )
The money is perfectly safe. Il
and probably well invested. Mr.. g
Patrick Darcy is, by all accounts, 2
not at all the man to let money : :
lie idle. :,
And can Annie get it back! fl
Certainly. There will be no d
difficulty about that. So you 2!
may begin to see about your j i
trousseau at once, Miss Annie. ]
| suppose the marriage need not d
be delayed now, I said turning to Il
Mrs. Power. q
Certainly not. Three thous. '
and pounds will make all the h
difference between a foolish mar q
riage and prudent one. Don't
you think you could be ready in 2
six weeks, Annie? Z
] do not know about that, said 1
Annie, but l am certain that v
Laurence could not Had we d
not better say six months, Mrs. v
Power? ?
As a matter of fact, however, 4
the marriage took place the fol- ri
lowing spring. Laurence was q
manager of country branch of I
his bank by that time, SO that j
the young people had to make il
their home in a small seaport
fnuyn soVno fhirRv vnfJne 9,to,a |