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FllAXK St OJi TIM Kit,
Editor and Proprietor. J
Vol. IV.
The Bloomfield Times
Js Published Weekly,
At New IHoomdeld, Pcnn'a.
r.Y
FRANK MORTIMER.
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Old Lawrence's Will :
WAS IT
LoHt or Stolen V
CONCLUDED.
excitement in the town was ten-
. Told, a hundred-fold greater now than
on tho occasion of the testator's sudden
death. Our post-office was besieged, and the
clerks plied with questions, while I kept
myself safely out of sight in the inner office,
brooding in perplexity over tho singular
occurrence. I could arrive at no other conclu
sion than that the packet must have slipped
into a wrong bag, and so been missent.
Of course there were worrying inquires
made by tho London authorities, to which
I could give no other reply than this sup
position. Tho affair was of such impor
tance that official circulars were despatched
to most of tho offices in the kingdom, re
quiring any information concerning any
missent letters ; and in the course of a few
weeks a handsome reward was offered for
the discovery of tho missing document.
About five weeks after old Lawrence's
death I received a summons to present my
self before the svrveyor of tho district, a Mr.
Talbot, who lived sixteen miles or so from
Thornbury. Ho, too, was an old friend of
our family, and had assisted in obtaining
the postoffice for my father. Ho was one
of those jovial, courteous old gentlemen of
a past generation, who liked to make his
own, and every one's life as easy and agre
ablo as possiblo, and who had somewhat of
an aristocratic contempt for the exacting
public, far less exacting then than now.
I received a cordial greeting from him, was
set down to a good dinner, and forbidden to
speak of buisness until ho began, which he
did over our wine.
"Now, Harry, just tell mo all about it as
shortly as possible," and I obeyed him.
" Hut this is a deuce of a mess !" ho ex
claimed, when I had finished. "The will
must bo found, sir. The authorities insist
upon it, and I will not answer for tho con
sequences if there Is much longer delay.
Do you know what your townsfolk are say
ing, my boy?"
His manner had changed from consterna
tion to anger, and then into compassion, as
ho spoke ; but I only looked into his friend
ly faco and shook my head in reply.
"They say just this," he continued,
"neither more nor less, that tho will is in
your possession. They say you aro going
to marry Parson Lawrence's only daughter,
and by keeping back tho will you expect
him to come into possession of all the prop
erty." "I should bo a fool if I did," I answered,
stammering ; for this phase of my position
had not failed to occur to mo.
"A confounded fool," ho added dryly ;
" tho estate will bo thrown into Chancery,
and the lawyers will get tho best pickings
out of it. Como, Harry, we arciold friends ;
AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY
jcw XSloomliclA, I3si., JT'elwiiiivv 1. 1870.
I knew you when you were a baby, and
your father and mother years before. You
might tell me anything, my boy."
" Thank you," I cried, graspinghis offer
ed hand, "but I have nothing more to toll.
I swear I know no more about the will than
you do."
" Could anybody else know of its being
in your office besides you and the clerks?"
said Mr. Talbot.
St range to say so strange that I mar
veled at it myself, until that moment I
had altogether forgotten, or it had been
kept back from recurring to my memory,
that Katie had been with me when my
mother's agonized voice called to me. Like
some vivid revelation made by a Hash of
lightning, lurid and blinding, camo back
the position in which we stood, and tho last
words I had uttered. The events which fol
lowed had been so hurried and engrossing,
the sleep succeeding to them so exhausting,
that the impression must have been, for the
time, almost obliterated. It returned all
the keener now ; and my pulse stood still,
and my heart sank heavily. Katio had
been there ; Katio had seen her uncle's will,
I had left her behind mo in tho office alone.
I answered incoherently, stammered, con
tradicted myself, and at last, for almost tho
only time in my life, fairly burst intb tears.
Never did a poor, weak wretch appear more
guilty than I did. My friend for ho was
truly my friend urged me, implored of me,
in vain, to confess all, and make him the
confidant of my temptations and my fault ;
he gavo it no harsher name. It was impos
sible for mo to east a suspicion upon Katie,
though as I camo to think quietly over it in
my bed-room I stayed all night at Mr.
Talbot's, I could not banish from me the
dread misgiving that hero lay the solution
of tho mystery. I said to myself that at
first it would be nothing but a girl's thought
less curiosity which had changed into shame
and terror upon facing tho consequences of
her action ; and that every day had mado it
more impossible for her to own her fault.
Then returned powerfully to mo tho fascin
ation the mere sight of the will had exer
cised over me, and tho conjectures which
had rushed to my brain as I sat staring at
it. A tenth part of such a temptation, I
was inclined to argue, would bo too strong
for the curiosity of a woman, especially a
woman the most deeply interested in its
contents. Yet Katie was so good, so simple-minded,
so religious ; should I bo forced
to loso my faith in her? No ; I could not
believe her capable of a dishonorable and
criminal action. Yet where, then, was the
will?
It will be readily credited that I did not
sleep that night, and that I was haggard
and miserable-looking in the morning. Tho
surveyor made a last effort to gain my con
fidence, and my agitated reserve produced
upon him tho impression that I was guilty.
Tho last sentenco ho uttered, with unusual
sternness, was to the effect that unless the
will was forthcoming speedily there was no
hope of my retaining my oflieo, even if my
father kept his, being shielded by his dan
gerous illness at tho time.
I rode homewards wretched enough, and
found Snapo wait ing my return. Mr. Gray
had gone hack to Londfcn, after staying no
more than a few days in Thornbury.
" Nothing discovered yet ? " said Snape.
"Nothing", I answered despondently.
If there was, you'd have no need to como
to me, for I should bo only too glad to let
you know.
"It beats everything in my professional
experience," ho continued.
"That's no satisfaction to mo," I said in
a testy tone, "tho question is, what is to ho
done if tho will does not turn up at all ? "
" Tho very question all tho relatives aro
asking," replied Snape. Mr. Lawronco
drew up tho will himself, gavo no hint of
tho contents and has left no copy. Wo aro
every ono of us, utterly in tho dark as to
his intentions. Wo cannot proceed as if ho
had died intestate ; all the world knows ho
did not ; and no one has a legal right to take
a penny of his property.
"Will it bo thrown into Chancery?" I
asked.
"There will be nothing else for it if the
will is not found," ho said, "and to let you
into a secret which concerns you, some of
tho relatives aro talking of a prosecution
against you. But I ask them, what proof
have you that Henry SlaneyJias abstracted
that document? Tho abstraction of any
letter or packet from tho Postotlico is felony
such letter or packet being the property of
tho Postmaster General during its transit,
and tho penality, is penal servitude or trans
portation. But how can tho felony he pro
ved ? There may bo good grounds for sus
picion, but thero is no positivo proof, and
could bo none unless it was found in his
possession, or in the possession of some per
son who could only havo received it from
him."
"It's a pleasant position to ho in," said I,
biting my nails viciously, which is no habit
of mine, but which seemed to coino natu
rally to me in these circumstances.
"If tho will could only bo found," an
swered Mr. Snape, with a provoking signifi
cance of tone, " all might bo smoothed over
even now."
" If it could only bo found !" I said, over
and over again, to myself. As soon as tho
solicitor was gone, I went up stairs to my
mother's usual sitting-room. My father
had that morning boen pronounced well
enough to leave his room for a fow hours,
and he was sitting in an easy chair near the
fire with a faint smile upon his sunken face,
which grew stronger when he saw me. It
was a little brightness in tho deepening
gloom closing around me, and I forced a
smilo to my own lips.
"All going on well down stairs?" he
said.
"Why not?" I answered, evasively,
"why not? The work is simplo enough."
IIo was easily satisfied about that, but
not so easily about myself. What had I
been over to Mr. Talbot about? What
mado me look so pale and anxious? Was
thoro any coolness between Katio and mo ?
" Sho is a girl after my own heart," said
my father, warmly, "a perfect treasure.
Don't you let her slip through your fingers,
Harry. By the by, now we aro alone, tell
mo how poor Lawrence mado his will, and
what ho has dono for Katie, something
handsome, I hope ? Your mother would
not let mo speak about it, for fear of ex
citement." I hesitated for a moment but so briefly
that ho did not notice it.
"Tho will cannot bo found," I said.
"Not found !" ho repeated.
"Yes," I continued, hurriedly, "but
every search is being mado for it. Snapo is
positivo that thero was a will executed a
few months ago, but all ho knows of its
contents is, that you and Mr. Grey are the
exocutors."
" Poor Lawrence !" sighed my father.
"Do you think they havo searched his lab
oratory well. It is not unlikely ho would
deposit it thero, in his cabinet. Tell them
to leave no corner unsearched in tho labo
ratory." I promised to do so, and mado haste to
getaway. In the drawing-room I found
Katie, in her mourning dress and bonnet,
como in to go walking with my sisters, who
luckily had just started off before her arri
val. Sho advanced to meet mo with both
her hands stretched out, and with her usual
frank, pleasant, calm smilo upon her face.
There was no ono thore, and I stooped
down to kiss her, feeling myself an unhap
py guilty wretch, as if I were tho culprit,
and unworthy to lay my lips upon her
smooth fair forehead, which grew rosy with
my kiss.
"Harry !" sho murmured in a tone of re
monstrance. "I am so miserable, Katio," said I ; and
on tho instant I resolved to lay before her
my position, to exaggerate it oven, to paint
it in tho blackest colors ; and then to make
it plain to her that, could tho will bo found,
all might yet bo explained away, and
NEWSPAPER.
smoothed over, without any public expos
ure. I did my best, and acquit ted myself
so well that she shed torrents of tears, her
head rest ing upon my shoulder ; but not a
syllabic did sho utter which in tho slighest
degree hinted or betrayed that sho had any
knowledge of the missing will.
"Katie," I said, when I had exhausted
all my cloquenco, "you understand that no
ono now will como into possession of your
uncle's property?"
"No one!" she cried, lifting up her
head, and looking earnostly in my face. " I
thought, if there was no will, my father
would have everything. You said ho was
heir-at-law, and I should bo a great heiress.
It will not signify if you do lose your situa
tion, Harry ; I shall havo enough for us
both ; and, if every one in tho world
thought you guilty, I should know you wero
innocent."
" But it will bo thrown into Chancery in
stead of coining to anybody," I said, a cold,
hard feeling towards her creeping over mo.
" But Chancery could do nothing, after
all, but give the landed property to my
father," she persisted; "there can be no
nearer heir, and if tho will is lost, it is tho
same as thero being no will if Chancery
has any sense," she added, half gayly.
Very heavy indeed, grew my heart, I at
tempted again to impress upon her iho po
sition in which her father, herself, and all
tho relatives stood ; but she either could not
understand it, or would not believe it. If
it camo to tho worst, sho answered, they
would all agreo to some arrangoment for
tho division of the property, and her father,
being the eldest, and the heir-at-law, would
receivo the largest share. Sho would ho an
heiress, and why need I fret myself about a
paltry place in tho Postoffice ?
I could not, for tho very life of me,
look her in tho face and say, "Katie, is it
possiblo that you wero over-tempted, and
took tho will ?" Yet I could not throw off
tho growing conviction that this was the
truth. I dospair of conveying to you tho
hundredth part of the maddening conflict
of my feelings during tho next few weeks
my love for Kato Lawrence, my disappoint
ment, my strong desire to believe her inno
cent, my pity for her, my close vigilance
upon every word and glance which fell from
her, and my terror lest tho truth should be
come known to any ono else. There could
be no suspicion of her in any heart but
mine, which loved her so truly, and was wil
ling to enduro mistrust, cold looks, ann
angry insinuations for her sake, yet which
every day was growing colder towards her,
and more full of severe judgments upon
her crime. Expectations wero dying away
in tho town, and hopo was almost dead
within me.
It was not possiblo to keep tho secret any
longer from my father, when ho became
able to attend to businoss. A London sur
veyor, accompanied by a detective, camo
down to investigate tho matter thoroughly ;
but they could learn no moro than was al
ready genorally known. It was a severe
troublo to my father, and serious conse
quences threatened him in spite of his plea
of sudden and dangerous illness. Tho fact
that ho was ono of tho executors told
against him with the strangers who were
appointed to investigate the affair ; for they
appeared to argue, that ho might have taken
possession of tho will, though it was illegal
to do so after it had oneo been posted, and
for somo reason or other suppressed it,
throwing , the onus of tho loss upon tho
Postoffico.
When nothing could be discovered by
the surveyor or detective, old Lawrence's
relatives held a family meeting to consult
upon what was to be done. But it was not
very clear what the law would permit thorn
to do in such circumstances ; and there was
not ono of them who would havo agreed to
proceed as if he had died intestate. Every
lawyor in Thornbury had given 6omo opin
ion, and recoivedafeoforit, upon tho point;
but nothing was clear and certain.
Those wero the most misorablo three
Term: IX ADl'AXCE,
i One Dollar per Year.
mouths that ever passed over my head.
Tho changed faces of my townsmen, the
suspicion attaching to me, and tho near
prospect of my igntnniniously losing my
post, wero hard to bear. But the deepen
ing conviction of Katie's guilt, and my
gradual decreasing love for her, were in
comparably harder. She did not fail to foci
tho coldness and distrust of my manner,
and being a girl of spirit sho did not fail to
mark tho cha ngc by a corresponding change
in herself. I pondered over such questions
as these how was tho will made, and what
had sho dono with it ? Had sho destroyed
it 1 Or was it still in existence, to be dis
covered, perhaps, at some future day to
work a just judgment upon her? However
it mijht be, I knew that my Katio was lost
to me forever ; yet not for worlds would I
throw upon her the burden of suspicion
which weighed so heavily upon me.
Tho last day of tho year came. Thero
had been a semi-official letter in the morn
ing from Mr. Talbot, intimating that the
peoplo of Thornbury were dissatisfied at
my retaining an important and confidential
placo in tho Postoffice, and that their com
plaints were about to be noticed from head
quarters. My father only partially recov
ered, was very low, and my mother and sifi
ters cried at intervals during tho day. I
found myself as usual, in tho oflice about
tho samo hour in tho evening as when old
Lawrence's will was brought in and laid
before mo on tho counter, just as I had fin
ished and folded up tho quarterly moncy-i
order aocoiint. Another quarter was ended,
and I said, with somo bitterness of tone,
"that there could bo no objection to me
making up tho account once again." The
forms upon which they wero drawn out
were kept in a small drawer in the counter,
and I found them packed rather tightly,
having evidently been pushed in. in some
haste and confusion. Tho drawer would
open with a sharp jerk, and as I gavo it, I
heard a sound of something falling behind,
whilo tho drawer came out in my hand. 1
stooped to look what had fallen, and you
will havo guessed already there lay old
Lawrence's will, looking precisely as it had
done when it lay on tho counter before me,
directed to " R. Grey, Esq., Mitro Build
ings, Tho Temple, London."
I gave a great shout which mado my fath
er spring up from his desk, and I fell down
on my knees before the empty space where
tho drawer had been, scarcely able to stretch
out my hand to touch tho will. How it
had got theie was plain enough to me.
had left it lying amongst tho forms, which
wero not unlike it in shape and size, and
tho clerks coming into their hurried and
unaccustomed work, had cleared the coun
ter after a summary fashion, sweeping them
all away together into tho drawer beneath,
which was used for no other purpose, and
never opened, excopt on tho last days f
March, June, September, and December.
It had boen lying thero all tho while, under
my hand a seoro of times a day, whilo Iliad
been sufi'ering ono of tho bitterest conflicts
a man can suffer for it.
Whon I looked around, with tho will in
my trembling hand, there stood my father
and tho two clerks from, tho outer office
who had rushed in on hearing my shoul.
whilo through the door which they had left
open, a lucky unit of the public surveyed
tho scene
"Old Lawrence's will"' I gasped, and
tho unit immediately darted into tho streets
to proclaim tho discovery.
Almost before I could recover my voice,
which sounded choked and unnatural in n.y"
own ears, or had risen from knees and pick
ed up tho fallen drawer, tho outeroflico wr.u
invaded by a crowd of excited and anxious
inquirers, somo of whom pressed into our
sanctum, and began shaking hands with mo
in that frenzy of good-will and congratula
tion which now and then breaks out among
tho sympathizing public.
Old Lawrence's relatives were not long
behind their iowns-peoplo : thoy camo in
agitated numbers, Katio and her father