The west shore., July 01, 1885, Page 219, Image 25

THE WEST SHORE.
219
" Oh! if I but knew this thing, I would leave nothing
to my niece. He, and none other, should be my hoir."
These words closed my lips, and whn she mntiond
my grandfather's name I pretended not to understand.
Madame Jansen sighed.
"How well preserved everything is here!" she con
tinued, in her usual affected manner. " Let us settle this
affair of the will"
"If you really wish to revoke your will in favor of
Matildo, madame, you had hotter give me the necessary
instructions."
As I spoke I drew out of my pocket a blank shoot of
paper, upon which I scribbled the following words:
" This is to certify that, being of sound mind, it is my
will and pleasure to revoke every previous testament
which I may have made in favor of others, and to be-
queath the whole of my worldly possessions, without ex
caption, unto my niece, Matilde Alton, oldost daughter of
Henri Alten, at present chef de police in the city of ."
Having affixed a date to this document I hamiod it to
her for signature. She looked at me for a moment in
evident perplexity, and I saw in her eyes the strange
light which had puzzled me more than once. I drew
chair toward her and offered my penoiL Her hand did
not shake as she took it and signed the oodioil.
"To-morrow we will draw up a formal document"
She made no reply and took my arm. Hue was so
feeble that I almost carried her down stairs. On reach
inc the wound floor she contrived to drag herself to the
front door, and as I emerged into the streot I hoard her
fasten the chain.
Early on the following morning I was soatod at my
desk drawing out the codicil While thus employod my
wife came in and told me that strange noises had been
heard during the night in the house of Madame Jansen.
"What do you mean?" I askod.
"The servants say that they heard sounds as thougli
heaDS of money hod been upset on the ground"
" What nonsense they talk!" said L " Why, the poor
old woman has not so much as a bag of crowns in the
i,.,0 Hl.n lm bnt a handful of Bold coins. Servant
uuuovm mw t
nrA nlwAvn imAfrinint? all kinds of iinpossiblo things.
At this moment there was a knock at the door, and an
stood on the threshold.
I was rather annoyed, because I did not wish people
t nt the idoa that the house was worth robbing.
" Something must have happened to Madame Jansen,'
! r1,1. "At six o'clock I knocked as usual, um ooun
o - .nr. I tried attain at sevon, but no answer
this time I knocked so loud that people came out of their
houses to see what was the matter."
I rose quickly and loft the heuse. When I got into
i.- .frt. T fnnnd that a neighboring locksmith had been
summoned. I requested hira to open the door, and that
done to force the chain, which was fastened on the ns.de.
ti, room on the ground floor. Wardrobe and
..i 1 tn draffsed away from the walk the bed
taken to pieces; the mattress and pillows strewn about
the floor; the large mirror botwoon the windows was
hanging by one loose support. Tho floor was strewn with
thnlors; imd in tho mid:;t of this confusion lay tho old
soldier's cloak bosido a bag from whonce the thalors had
come. A rigid form was huddled beneath the clonk, the
lifoloss body of the little old woman I
Aftor the funeral an official visited the Iiouko for the
purposes of inspection. Iu the collar, and behind the
wainscot even, quantities of valuables were found; but
the red silk purse with the strange gold piece had dis
appeared forevor.
The new will not having boon Bigued made me feel
anxious as to the validity of the dooumout which I had
induced Madame Jansen to sign. As might have been
expectod, a vigorous attorapt was made to invalidate the
oodioil, but that attempt happily failed.
Public opinion, which had long been advorse to the
institution in whose favor the original document hod boon
signed, seized upon this incident with avidity. The insti.
tution was subjoctod to a rigorous examination. A com
mittee of citissous was apimintod to report upon its ad
ministration, and, as a result, a thorough reform was
determined on. The idle vagabonds who had hitherto
infested the public highways wore rostrated within pro
per boundaries, and in time its pensioners dwindled to
about six brave men who richly deserved its bounties.
Now that fortune smiled upon Matilda the world
smiled also, and of her many admirers one only hold
aloof. Nothing would induce him to come forward.
Matildo, as a penniless girl, he had lovod. To him, Ma
tildo as an heiross was quite a different ponton. Hut I
knew the story, and, as I hod boon Instrumental in mak
ing her wealthy, I rosolvod to help hor to marry tho man
she lovod.
I oontrivod one evening to bring thoin together at our
house ,
It was summer time. The air was soft, and the sweet
moonlight lit up the gallon where I had climbed the
apple tree to pay my first visit to Madame Jensen. I
took Matilde hand and lod her to the foot of the tree.
"Look!" I said "Yonder is the ballroom whore, if
she had lived, you would have met your bunlximl"
"My husband?"
" Yes." And I told hor exactly how it all liapMHl
- It she hod lived, Matildo, you would never have mar
ried the man who still loves you with all his heart and
soul"
"And who is he?"
" I will send him to you."
Before Matilde had time to stop mo I was gone.
In due course the old house was reopened. The
faded curtains were replaced by gorgeous hangings. The
bats and the spiders, muob against their will, were driven
to seek shelter elsewhere.
Matilde and bor husband the happlst people In the
town are still living, ud can verify my story if need
be. Tmnjile Bar.