The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-10-07

Aprti. a fund was left adeqnAte to
pay al taxes and upkeep e1penses
OF the house, 50 that there might
never need TO be any dispute be.
tween the two sisters about the old
house.
clarlce had died, leaving the
right TO the house TO her son, Mar.
vim Dawes, who had become 50 at.
tached to the house In his boyhood
that he never failed to arrange his
AFFAIRS so that he could occupy It
during the monthsI OF autumn and
winter Lucy, too, had died only a
year before, and the right to oc.
cupy the house from May first to
the last Of October had been hand.
ed down to a grandniece OF her
husband, also named Lucy.
Marvin Dawes had no luck in
finding a ,housekeeper or cook and
he stuck the winter out none too
comfortably under the rule Of Pat
In the kitchen. On the last day OF
April they departed, leaving the
keys as usual with the postmaster.
On May Lucy arrived, with
Irish Hannah IN the guise o:
chaperon and general household
assistant.
"1t's a perfect shame" Lucy
told Hannah on the second Of
May, "the way that Marvin Dawes
person upsets this place-takes
down all the screens, slows away
my white curtains and puts up
those dreadful velour things; puts
the wicker furniture. in the attic
and boards up the sleeping porch.
It's absurd to think Of the place
as winter home-it wasn't built
for. that sort of thing Il
Lucy delivered her remarks
from the vantage place Of the lad
der where she had been standing
taking down Marvin DAVIS winter
draperies. at takes two weeks to
get the place into decent shape for
summer. really think that some
thing could be done about II.
There was a will or something
that made 1t perfectly clear tina:
Aunt Lucy was to have her il-
terest protected-and / am sure
ought to be, too"
,"You might be calling at the
lawyers to find out" suggested
Hannah good naturedly., 1--WE
could be running into town some
day next week"
So 1t was that toward the end
Of the next week, aslsoon as ever
Lucy and Hannah had managed TO
get the old house into summer
garb, Lucy made flying trip to
the city. She waited in the recep-
ton room for a few moments
while the lawyer concluded his
conversation with a previous call
"rve never met the person." said
the caller, and I've no desire to do
SO, but 1 wish you'd look up the
will and see whether you can't find
some clause to protect me-perhaps
I could buy out the young woman's
share in the house. I'd be willing
10 pay more than a fair price TO
get complete possession. Suppose
you look up the will and see wheth-
er we couldn't manage somehow"
The lawyer saw Marvin to the re-
ception room and was there In
! formed by his reception clerk that
the young woman waiting was Miss
Lucy Brent.
"By the way" said the lawyer.
calling to Marvin Dawes as he was
opening the door to depart, Sup
fpose you wait a moment. may
have something to tell You about
the matter in question" So Mar.
vim turned back and took the chair
vacated by Lucy Brent, whom the
lawyer now graciously bowed into
his private office.
Lucy explained her perplexity. az
Ihave never met this unreasonable
Mr., Dawes and | have no desire to
do so. He Is, Of course, no real
relative-only very distant con
nection."
The lawyer smiled. "Tm sorry
that you don't want to meet him
He happens to be very anxious to
meet you. } In fact, he's in the re-
ception room now. was going Il
suggest that we go out to lunch
con together and talk the whole
matter over"
Lucy considered for a moment.
She had noticed the young man in
the reception room and-well, he
was not the sort OF man she would
mind meeting. The lawyer urged
and Lucy with feigned reluctance
consented.
i've wanted to meet you"
said Lucy. You left some inter
esting sketches at the house that
quite aroused my curiosity"
The LAWYER smiled a little, He