The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-05-13

| bent eagerly over the table as Hawkes.
traced some figures with a pencil on
one of the pages Of the WILL
How much. did he leaveY' And
| Alaric's voice rose to pitch of we'll
| defined interest.
Ills estate is valued. approximately.
| at some 100000" replied the lawyer
Alaric gave Il long, low whistle and
smiled broad. comprehensive smile.
Ethel for the first time showed a
gleam of genuine interest
Mrs Chichester began to cry again.
Perhaps it was my fault didn't see
him oftener." she said.
Alaric, unable to curb his curiosity.
burst out with. How did the old boy
| split it up?"
ITO his immediate relations he left
Mr. Hawkes. looked up from the will
| and found three pairs of eyes fixed on
him. He stopped. 1t may be that
| constant association with the law
courts destroys faith in human nature;
but. whatever the cause, it seemed to
Mr. Hawkes. in each of those eyes was
| reflected the one dominant feeling
greed The expression in the family's
| combined eyes was astonishing in its
| directness. in it's barefacedness. II
struck the dignified gentleman sudden
| ly dumb.
We'll? Well?" cried Alaric. How
much? Don't stop right in the middle
of an important thing like that. You
make me as nervous as Il chicken"
Mr.. Hawkes. returned to the will and
after looking at it a moment without
reading said:
ITO his immediate relations Mr..
kingsnorth left. regret to say-noth
ing"
A momentary silence fell like pail
over the stricken Chichester family.
Mrs. Chichester rose. indignation
flashing from the eyes that moment
since showed a healthy hope.
| ''Nothing?" she cried incredulously.
Not a penny piece to any one? ven
| tured Alaric.
The faintest suspicion of smile
fitted across Ethel's face.
Hawkes. looked keenly at them and
| answered.:
Il deeply regret to say-nothing."
Mrs. Chichester turned to Ethel who
| had begun to stroke Pet again.
His own flesh and blood!" cried the
poor lady.
What shabby old beggarr' com
mented Alaric Indignantly.
"He was always the most selfish. the
most began Mrs. Chichester, when
Mr.. Hawkes.. who had been turning
| over the pages Of the document before
him. gave an ejaculation Of relief.
"Ah. Here we have it. This, Mrs.
Chichester. is how Mr. Kingsnorth ex
| pressed his attitude toward his rela-
tions in his last will and testament:
| "1 am the only member of the
Kingsnorth family who ever made any
money. All my precious relatives either
inherited it or married to get it.
81 assure you began Mrs. Chiches,
| ter.
| Alaric checked her. Half moment,
mater Let us hear 1t out to the bitter
end He must have been an amusing
old gentleman
Mr.. Hawkes. resumed: Consequent
| ly | am not going to leave one penny
to relations who are already well pro.
| vided for"
Mrs Chichester protested vehe-
mently:
But we are not provided for.'
NO" added Alaric. Our banks
busted"
We're ruinedr' sobbed Mrs. Chiches-
ter.
| Broke" said Alaric.
We've nothingr' walled the old lady.
Dear, dearr' said the lawyer How
extremely painful!"
Painful? That's not the word. Dis
gusting call it." corrected Alaric.
Mr. Hawkes. thought a moment
Then he said, Under those circum-
stances perhaps Il clause in the will
may have a certain interest and an ele-
/ ment of relief. -
As two drowning people clinging to
the proverbial straws the mother and
son waited breathiessly for Mr.. Hawkes.
to go on.
| Ethel showed no interest whatever.
when Mr.. Kingsnorth realized that
he had not very much longer to live he
| spoke constantly of his other sister.
Angela" resumed Mr.. Hawkes..
"Angelar' cried Mrs. Chichester in
surprise why. she's dead"
THAT was why he spoke of her"
1aid Hawkes. gravely.
And not word of mey' asked Mrs.
/ Chichester
/ I'VE will come to that a little later
and Mr.. Hawkes. again referred to the
will. at appears that this sister. An
gela. married at the age of twenty a
certain Irishman. by name O'ConneI
and was cut off by her family
''The man was an agitator-a Fenian
agitator. He hadn't penny. It was
disgrace
| Alaric checked his mother again.
/ Hawkes. resumed: WAS cut off by
her family. went to the United States
of America with her husband. where 9
/ daughter was born. After going
through many conditions of misery
with her husband, who never seemed
to prosper, she died shortly after Civ
ing birth to the child" He looked up
Mr. kingsnorth elsewhere expresses
bis lasting regret that in one of his sis
ters acute stages of distress she wrote
to him asking him for the first time Il
assist her. He replied: You have made
i voiYr l,a,d r io in II ~
'She had disgraced the family. Hs
was justified" broke in Mrs Chiches
/ ter