Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-11-14
The Old Fenton
Mansion
(Copyright.)
By JANE OSBORN

SOOu n1dUv Rather ullnCult lhtcl VIC" .
to go through with, but now as he
turned his steps toward the old Fen
ton mansion on the outskirts of a
quaint little New England town, some
four miles from his home, he wished
heartily that he was out of this bust
ness.
Rodney FentOn's present errand was
not exactly professional one, though
II was because he was a lawyer that
he had been elected to attend to 1t.
had become q rather reluctant mem
Der of the FentOn association of his
state. They had started a fund for
the purchase Of the Fenton mansion,
tive hundred years old, and built On
part of the original Fenton land grant
that dated back almost three hundred
years. Somehow the old mansion had
got out of the family, and now old
Miss Abby Hawkins and her niece,
Estelle. were living there. OF course
they had no right-save that Of legal
ownershfp-and this the Fenton as
0OCldtICu T6tucI T60cutcO
SO Rodney Fenton called. A de-
mure-looking young woman opened the
door. She summoned her aunt, and
it was Estelle, not the aunt, who
asked Rodney to take a seat in the
dreary old drawing-room. Abby Haw-
kins fatty refused any offer he might
make, and would not listen to his at
tempted persuasion.
"But I understood that you and
your niece are joint owners Of the
house." said Rodney. II was told that
1t was left to you in that way by your
uncle, it's former owner"
Exactly" said the aunt, "but on
condition that it could not be sold
unless such sale were mutually agree
able"
"Or in case" interrupted Estelle
looking rather embarrassed. But her
aunt did not permit her to continue.
Meantime Rodney, while trying to
concentrate only on the case in ques-
ton, felt his attention drawn all the
time to the rather unusual young wom
an beside her aunt. SO when Rodney
had left the old Fenton mansion and
gone back home he could not forget
Estelle. He made some excuse to go
again, though there seemed no chance
Of coming to an agreement with Abby
Hawkins He found Estelle alone, on
one Of his calls, and asked her If she
would sign an agreement giving them
an option on the property in case Of
her aunt's death.
"In all probability Aunt Abby will
survive me-" she said. "She has
very durable nature-and she's really
not at all old"
Aunt Abby was at home, but Estelle,
seeing Rodney to the door, managed
to have few minutes with him alone.
There is of course one loop-hole,"
she said blushing. II rather thought
you would have looked up the will Of
my uncle. 1t must be filed somewhere
where a lawyer could get at it. I
just thought / would tell you-and
now, Mr.. Fenton, 1 suppose you won't
be coming again, so good-by."
Radney stammered something about
hoping that he might come again and
went out wondering how it had hap
pened that he had not thought of look
ing up the will.
For IA week Rodney was much pre-
occupied with important legal work
and then one day he took time to go
to the county house where the Haw-
kins will was filed. With experienced
eye he skipped over the verbose for
malities of the document and came TO
the important clause. 1t was the
will of Michael Hawkins. Estelle's
uncle, that it might not be sold save
by consent of both his sister, Abby,
and his niece, Estelle, during the life
time of either-the house was to be-
come the sole property of either Abby
or Estelle in case one or the other
should marry member of the FentOn
family, surnamed Fenton.
Rodney Fenton sat looking at the
document spread open before him. A
look Of annoyance "She would think
I was doing it just for the house," he
said to himself THAT makes it rather
awkward"
Late that afternoon Rodney was
knocking on the great front door Of
the old Fenton mansion and Estelle
came quietly to open it for him. "My
aunt has positively refused the house
to you," she said. "And she has Or
dered me not to see you. But she Is
out-and besides the house is as much
mine as it is hers. Please come In
and We'll drink tea together"
"Tve read the WILL" he said. There
was joyous twinkle in Estelle's eyes
as she looked back at him that rather
surprised him.
~<,.x 20 @ax,