Beverly [pp. 2-9]

APPETOS' JORAL OF POPULAR
APPLEITO-ZVS' JOURNAL OF POPULA-R
"It's de berry one, sure's you're born," Jerusha cried, excitedly;
"it used to be in his room, and when he was dyin' he tole de minister
his will was in dat desk. Dey hunted all over for it-you know, Mas'
Chi-an' dey broke all de inside out ob de ole desk, but dey nebber
foun' no will. An' den dey said he was dreamin' when hlie tole de minister; an' de ole desk was carried off up garret. S'pose'twas ole mas'r's
ghost-Lord, Miss Margy! "
Jerusha's eyes seemed ready to pop out of their staring white circles,
and old Josephus shrunk together till he looked more than ever like a
shrivelled-up persimmon, at this awful suggestion. Even Chi was a
little startled; there is a vein of superstition in the bravest men; and as
for me, I lost all the remnant of courage I had retained. I clung to him,
imploring:
"Come down-stairs, for Heaven's sake, Chi-somewhere where
there's a fire and a light, and we can see what's around us. I shall die
of fright up here!"
So we went, and fresh logs were piled on the smouldering fire in
the library, and blazing lightwood knots sent their bright glow into
the farthest corners of the spacious old room. Lighted candles added
to the brilliance, and in the cheery illumination we gathered courage
again, and Chi began the examination of his papers, which had certainly acquired a very vivid interest for all of us. Jerusha was evidently convinced that Uncle Chichester's spirit had taken this method
of discovering the will to us; and she was rather-crestfallen when Chi,
after running over the papers, threw them carelessly down on a table, as
if they were of no importance.
"Old love-letters-from great-grandfather Hezekiah Clhichester, to
great-graindmiother Mildred Scarborough," he said, turning to me with
a curious expression. "Uncle Chi might have saved himself the
trouble of smashing the old desk, Jerusha, if that was all he had to
show," he added to her. "I reckon you'll have to believe it was the
cat, after all. And you and Uncle Joe had best go to bed again. I shall
sit up, for my part, with Miss Marjorie, and if any thing happens
we'll let you know. But I don't think any thing will."
Jerusha demurred a little at leaving me to sit up, and had to linger
awhile to gossip about the missing will, and the search for it when
"ole mas'r died," and to wonder "how dem ole papers could ha' got
into de desk arterward." ButJosephliuswas anxious to layhisoldbones
to rest again, and carried her off at last, to our great relief. Tlhen I
turned to Chi with an irrepressible conviction:
"You've found the will; I saw it in your eyes. Ohl, Chii!"
"Yes, I have 1" he acknowledged. "It wasn't just the thing to
read it before the old folks, but you and I have the right-eh, Marjorie? if anybody has. Here it is I" producing a long slim paper from
the heart of the package.
"I should think so! " was my eager response; and our two heads
were soon bent over the document, which, fortunately for our scruples,
was not sealed.
It took us some time to decipher, for the ink was faded somewhat,
and half a foolscap page was filled with legal formulas before we came
to the body of the instrument. We got to it at last, though:
"Igive and bequeath to my nephew, aWentworth Osborne Chichester, the
bulk of all the property of which I may die possessed; inzcuding the man7or
of Beverly, with all scrip, bonds, mortgages,funds in bank, etc., etc. Subject only to the following conditions: first, that he shallpay to his cousins,
my nieces,.'~arjorie Denham7n and Panmela Ponsonby, the sumn of ten thousand dollars, to be equally divided between them; second, that he shall
marry, at or before the age of thirty, a. honest woman of good birth, and
such good looks as it may please God to give her; third, that he shall
faithfully bestow the following legacies, in the order, and to the objects described below. And so may God prosper him! "
The legacies filled a long page, and comprised sums of greater or
less amount, for servants, friends, and distant relatives; together with
bequests of certain old heirlooms to Pamela and myself. We merely
glanced at these; the great fact of Chi's inheritance of the estate
overbalanced minor considerations. And yet neither of us was greatly
surprised, or altogether pleased.
"It is to keep up the wealth with the old name," said Chi. " That's
understood, of course. But I confess a more equal division would have
pleased me better. What right have I to so much, when you and Pam
have a pitiful five thousand apiece? Between ourselves, Marjorie, I've
a great mind to throw this bothering paper into the fire, and let the decision of the court stand."
"Oh, Cli! but have you any right?." I held his hand back as he
made a motion toward the lightwood blaze. "Here are all these legacies and things-they ought to be attended to at any rate."
i' That's true; I suppose I have no right to destroy the precious document," hle assented. "But there are more ways than one of getting
round a difficulty, and, you may depend upon it, Marjorie, I shall not
leave the thing in this shape. It doesn't signify about you "-giving me
an unnecessary squeeze-" but poor Pam must not be robbed in this
way."
" No, indeed, especially when she has just been robbed of something
else," I said, demurely. "It wasn't my fault, really, though, Chi-.
Confess that I gave you ample opportanity."
"Not much," he laughed. "Didn't you intercept me on my very way to her, make me break an engagement, keep me prisoner here at
Beverly, wake me out of my peaceful slumbers, and heap up the measure by getting me into the tangle of this will? Don't boast of your ex ploits to-day, Miss Denham."
"Would you like any of them undone?" I asked, mischievously.
"Because you can go back to Pam to-morrow, you know, and I dare
say she will forgive you. It's Christmas Day."
"You don't deserve to have me tell you a secret," he said, pinchitng
my fingers, which had acquired a sudden habit of playing with his. "I'll
set you a good example, though."
"And I'll promise not to follow it," I answered, saucily.
"And I'll take the risks," confidently, "that you will follow it, with,
the first secret that falls in your way. This is Pam's-can you make a.
guess I"
"No-unless that she rejected you this morning."
"Little wretch! She never had the chance "-and I was punishe&d
with another pinch. "There's no telling what might have happened,.
though-Pain is a great deal prettier than you, and there's no comparison as to temper-if she had not told me in the beginning that it was no,
use."
"Considerate of her, and not in the least vain," I retorted.
"Certainly not; only sensible. She took me into her confidence,you see, which you never did, and told me how her young affections.
were already engaged. It's an artist in New York-going to be something wonderful some day, but in the shell at present, and poor, of
course. It has been Pani's little dream to go abroad with him, when
her share of Beverly was realized, and set up housekeeping in a Roman
studio. It was no use thinking of it before, for you know Pam's inheritance from her father was very snmall. And now comes this stupid.
will to spoil plans; but I'll manage that."
I listened with mixed feelings, of which the uppermost and shortest —
lived was a selfish vexation. Pamn engaged all the while, and I tormenting imyself so needlessly! No wonder she called me a fool. That little
bit of vanity overcome, I had room for more generous feeling, and satis —
fied Clhi, who had the matter very much at heart, with my expression of
sympathy.
"You see how much there is at stake," he went on afterward, "and
what a beast I shlould be if I could think of keeping all this money. The
only trouble will be to make Pam accept a compromise; she is proud
and delicate."
"That needn't prevent her from being sensible; and, considering
that she has some one else to think of, as well as herself, I fancy she'll
not be stubborn about it," I said. "Let's look at the will again, and
see what these legacies are, and how much the whole thing amounts&
to."
"Two hundred thousand, Wilcox told me to-day-half in real estate, half in cash, bonds and mortgages, etc. And, by-the-way, there.
are three or four valuable bonds amnong these papers here, answering toa
some that Wilcox said were missing. It must have been a well-contrived
secret drawer in the old desk, or else they searched it very stupidly.
What made the old gentleman hide his will, I wonder."
"What made hirnm do queer tliings all his life." I answered. "He.
was always odd as Dick's hat-band."'
"Did you ever learn the fashion of that hat-band?" he said, carelessly, unfolding the will again. We had not really read those inside
pages, and now, conning them together, we gave a simultaneous start,*
as the ominous word " ~odicil" met our eyes for the first time.
"Ah!" said Chi, dryly, with a quick intuition of the truth; "this
cuts the knot, I fancy." And he read aloud:
"After due deliberation, I repent of eerifying Scripture, and choose
not to furnissh another illustration of the saying,'To him that hathe shali
be given.' Withdrawing the name of my nephew, who has suficient orF
this world's goods, Isubstitute that of my niece, Pamela Ponsonby, whose
patrimony is small, and whose sweet face and winsome behavior have infinitely cheered the solitude of mny sick-room during her recent visit. I
double the portion of my niece Marjorie, and upon my nephew (Uhi bestowmy blessing.'"
"Well," I gasped, when he finished. Words failed me, and I simply stared at him in blank dismay. The feeling was reflected in Chi's.
face for half a second; then he burst into a hearty laugh of genuine
amusement.
"The best joke I ever,heard!" he exclaimed, fairly shaking with
laughter, partly at the comicality of the whole tihing, but equally at my
rueful countenance. isYou and Pam are the heiresses, after all, and I'm
dismissed with his blessing! What will come next, i wander? Will
you dismiss me, too, Marjorie?." and he snatched me up in his arms,
and nearly squeezed the breath out of my body. I had only voice enough.
to utter:
"It's a shame, Chi, a horrid shame!"
But, if he had crushed me, I would have borne it, rather than ]et
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[JANUARY t,.