The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-09
CHAPTER ONE

~ AN
a tennis racquet on a chair and
untying a silk bandana, dropped j
beside the racquet. She ran long
slender fingers through her hair tina
was the hue and texture OF corr
silk With that gesture she hftee
1t from her shoulders to where II
hung framing the oval of her race
She crossed the room in long, easy
strides and dropped an elbow on thf
mantle, facing the others from the
hearth.
Her eyes gray and lo~ng-lashed
were amused as they swept the
room.' They were also a trifle hard
Speaking in A cool detached voice
that revealed the sort of finishing
schools she had lately attended, she
said:
The curtain rises! 1t is late aft
ernoon in September. The scene
The drawing room of the Comtesse
de Lighe. The characters on stage
are the heirs of the late .Elihu Will
loughby -"
The Comtesse de Ligne gave her
daughter a glance of despair.
"Heirs.!" she repeated, and put a
lace handkerchief to her mouth.
Fabienne gave her mother a
glance in which pity was not ap'
parent and continued:
You've always been SO proud OF
your flare for the dramatic, mother.
Doesn't this little scene appeal to
your She covered the room with
u gesture that included the two mid.
dle-aged people, sitting calmly by
the window; her mother, the posed
figure of tragedy in the high-backed
carved chair; the tall, good-lookins
boy trying. with no success. to palm
a coin as he had seen it done.
The telephone rang and the. four
heads turned again to the door. Only
Fabienne's remained turned to the
window. The telephone call was not
the one they were waiting for. Fa-
bienne began TO speak again:
80 Hike d stage set. Uncle Mark,
looking exactly what he is-the dis
1inouished scholar, and Aunt Edna
practically labeled: Uncle Marks.
And Dick, darling, unable to con-
zeal his impatience to escape his
little family party and get back to
Cambridge. AS for you, mother, you
look like the program note: Cos
TUNES by Mainbocher.' She looked
toward the wide door. "Ah, the
perfect note. The butler enters!"
Marcus, old and distinguished as
any theatrical butler. brought the
evening papers in and laid them on
d table.
Il suppose there's something in
the papers, Gertrude de Ligne
said.
Her son SLID the coin he had been
playing with into his pocket AMI
came across the room to pick up a
PAPER. He scanned the front page
Here it is" he told her. Shall ]
read it,"
The others nodded.
"'E.ihu Willoughby wills entire
fortune to charity" he read. THE
contents Of the will OF the late
Elihu Willoughby, whose death
occurred in Paris on July 10, were
announced today. The millionaire
manufacturer bequeathed his entire
fortune, estimated at more than
five million dollars, to charitable
and educational institutions"
Gertrude said, why doesn't
Nelson call? He should have kept
this ridiculous story out of the
newspapers. Well be the laughing
stock . >"
Fabienne said, Continue, Dick"
1.-The sum of one dollar each is
left to the surviving seven mem.
bers of his family, for whom, the
will read, the millionaire has pro-
vided amply"
Gertrude shifted loudly.
Her son gave her a short glance
and went on, With the exception
of the old Willoughby mansion -
long a landmark in the heart Of the
Henderson street district-which is
left as an outright gift to the Hen
derson' Street Settlement house
with the proviso that it is t. be
known hereafter as Willough5y
house, all other gifts are in the
form Of trust funds ETC."
Don't read any more" Gertrude
cried.
"Oh. mother, please don't be sc
dramatic" Fabienne said disgust
edly. She dropped into a low chair
and picked UP a magazine as
though. the bottom Of their luxuri
Gus word were not about to droI
cut.
Mark. Willoughby fished an OLE
pipe from his pocket, looked at hi:
wife and slipped it back. He said
perhaps Edna and 1 had bette;
bs running along. 1 doubt if Nelson
car get any definite word today. 1
takes a long time to learn il vol
can break a will"
Gertrude flashed an angry gianc'
At her brother. "It wouldn't matte,
to you, would it, Mark? You ant
Edna live quite handsomely on tn
trust fund u grandfather gave you
when.you were married. But thinl
Of me - and my children's future
The latter was so obviously al
afterthought, her children 'exchane
ed glances and Dick said, wv
wouldn't be penniless. -. I'm no
sure the old man vas being SO un
kind at that. He had to make hi
own money and he got some ful
out of it. W. didn't, and we've al
ways had plenty Of it-but what
it got us?'. '--'''.