Year: 1870

muCn Ill Jlle Sllnple anu Inexpensive style
he had been used to i'll poorer days. His
money had grown by lucky speculations
and careful economy. A good number of
his kindred lived about the town, all mod
erately well off, and more or less successful
in life, except the brother next eldest to
himself, who, having entered the Church
had gained no higher promotion in it than
a poor curacy in his native town, with an
income of gI00 year. Old Lawrence
treated him with kind of fretful irritable
brotherliness, which was but poorly plas-
tered over by yearly gift, grudgingly Civ
en-, of another hundred. / need scarcely
say that all the kindred were specially af-
fectionate to old Lawrence.


His niece, Kate Lawrence, the curate's
daughter, was,- well shall not try to de-
scribe what she was, except by saying that
was in love with her, and had been ever
since had first seen her in church, listen
ing, with beaming and loving face, to her
father preaching one of his prosiest SER
mons. Every body knew l was in love
with Katie, for | made no secret of it; and
Katie was just as simply and frankly in
love with me, and made no secret of it Ell
ther. Yet am quite sure l had never ask
ed her, in so many words if she-would be
my wife but we were tacitly, without
pledge or promise, given, engaged to marry
one another as soon as tickle fortune would
hot ha fla
prophetic soul could not foretell for our
lavish household expenditure at home,
which had not been materially reduced up
on the failure of the bank, swallowed up
the united income of my father and my
self, while my three sisters, now portion
less, did not seem in fair way to make
eligible settlements. There was only one
chance, distant one, when old Lawrence
died, would he leave Katie or her father
any portion of his accumulated wealth?


Six Or seven years had passed without the
unexpectedly, one morning old Lawrences
housekeeper rushed in with news that she
had found her master dead in his bed. On
ly the night before, he and my father had
been trying some chemical experiments,
and the shock to the latter was so violent
that he was insensble for some time, and
continued speechless after his consciousness
had apparently returned. OF course, my
mother and sisters were in great agitation,
and it was an hour or two before could
leave them, after assisting to get my father
to bed, and sending for his doctor AS
soon as l could, however, fastened to the
poor solitary old mans house. The streets
were all in commotion, and the whole town
seemed in fever of curiosity concerning
the sudden event, and what might result
from it. In the house inself found every
one of the relatives who lived in the town,
including two younger brothers and mar
ried sister of the deceased, and by the side
of the dead man sat Katie s father, genuine
tears of sorrow binding his eyes,


The excitement, once awakened, did not
seem likely to slumber again till curiosity
was satisfied. 1t was plain that the old





soon as the town was assured of that, the
question upon every tongue was, "Has he
made will?" or, "How has he left his
money!" was myself devoured by anxi-
ETY., of which was half ashamed. If he
had died intestate, Katie's father, as heir-at-
law, would come into possession of his
landed property, and into fourth part of
his personality, which would he no insig-
niicant windfall in itself 1t was subject
which might well thrust itself upon me, in
spite of my fathers serious attack, which
seemed not unlike stroke of paralysis.
During the course of the afternoon, old
Lawrence's solicitor, Mr.. Shape, was an
nounced, aud went to speak to him. He
requested to see my father, with very i'm
portant tone and expression of counte-
nance.


! 1t is impossible" answered, "quite