The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-12-12

the dickens, but j tlipugiit he'd live
10 be ninety, and here 4 am. Maisie
20, extchorus lady. sole her
Of gll his real and personal gtatel
can hardly believe II! ! can tusl
family remember that big county
place he had. ! was always &c
sorry that my dad had quarraled
with him: ] thpught It you'd be 50
nice 70 visit there. And NOW j OWE
II! wish ! had had the money q
fix myself up q little better. Whati
the servants thipkg Oh, well, III
be getting all the clothes / want
n q few daysi" Tins MasIe'e
thoughts and plans spun along pa
the train flew past Fields and hills
At last they pulled In at Hills.
boro, a tiny dusty town that Masic
family remembered leaving with
her parents when she was q child
Hurriediy she inquired her way "a
the office Of the attorneys. hBFigRs
G. Brill" and hasteped down Main
street with her heaYy, sultease. Her
eyes were shining, her lips part
ed; she scarcely noticed the weight
Of her burden.
Mr.. Brill proved to bela thin
Tipped, sour-faGed old map and Mr.
Briggs a naughty, Eatstomached
snob and the couple Of clerks, dis
interested, cold.eyed. NaIse fell
somewhat ehIIledi she was sure
Mr.. Briggs resented her nTesepcs
and that Mr., Brill did not aplreYe
Of her spalgled bat nor her con,
plezion. She had e8pected o dc,
feTens TeceRttahi It was p ltttla dis
appointing. There waA q "Sigp
here, please" and then, @That d
alle Maisle, confused, gazed halp'
lessIy about.
could you call a taxk-or hack
to drive me eut?" she stammered
Old Brill said to enc OF the
clerks, "Call Jenkinsi he'll be your
neighhor and he'll take you out for
fifty cents"
stu in a daze Maisie stepped int1
q modify old buggy beside an over
allied, wrlpkled farmer, but al
least he smiled in a friendly way.
"Wall, wall, 50 you be old Raw
ley's niece, eh? Going to live on
his place?" Maisle nodded. "And
be hat his bank book you're Gluten
ingeH
Maiste hastily looked at what old
Brill had put IN her hand
The old farmer chuckled and
slapped the reins on the white
naz's back. Mulsle, sitting beside
him, uncomfortable, confused, won
dered why he kept chuckling.
WALL" refining in his horse be
fore a broken. gate that led to a
wesdy garden and tiny, dllapidat,
cd cottage, "here We. areln
Us this where you lIYew asked
Malste, making no move to get
"Ne, live right beyond that hill
This ia your uHcle's place." CLINT
Ing out he deposited Maisie's suit,
case on the ground "Now, jumpi
There! Wall, goodnight. wish you
luck in your new house! II you
want anything SO to the top OF that
there hill and noller, Well hear
YOU He climbed in the buggy,
leaving an open.mauthed Malsie
they say he was rich man at ona
standing. "Your uncle wasn't A
bad Sort" he called back, 'if he
hadn't drunk himself to death. And
time, too"
When he was out Of sight
Malsie just ,slipped 10 the ground
and sat on her suitcase, too stun,
ned, too sick to even cry out her
cruel disappointment.
A few hours later she MANAGED
to start fire in the rusty little
kitchen stove, then lighted a iamn
and found some tea and crackers.
From her suitcase she pulled a
pad and pencil.
I'm glad" said Maisie to her
self, that I never said a word To
anybody about this inheritance. /"
Then she began to write her let.
q" and II you'n, como,
Dick, we'll get married and live
right here! 1t isn't much Of q
place, but it's something to start
on and 1t has possibilities. There's
a few hundred dollars in the bank
and ! think we'll buy some chtck-
ems and ducks and maybe a COW!
Dick, this is our chance to break
away! want to tell you some.
thing Dick--you and l will neyer