The Legacy Hunters.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1823, 18 December 1875, Page 8 (Supplement)

The Legacy Hunters.

It was Abigail Varley's three-score and tenth birthday. She was a rich widow, childless, and with no known relatives save two gentlemen cousins. Never were cousinly attachments more beautifully illustrated, or cousinly jealously more amiably exemplified, than in the daily walk and conversation of these two collateral kinsmen. They bestowed so much affection on their common relative that they had none to waste between themselves.

Boih were several years younger than the lady, with a fair prospect, according to the course of nature, of surviving her, and how to supplant each other in her will, which, at least, she had begun to talk seriously of making, was the problem which at present engaged their attention. On tho morning in question, when cousin Roger called to wish Cousin Abigail the usual 'many happy returns,' he was not a little chagrined to find Cousin Dick there before him. However, he presented his annual gift and went through tho recitation of his annual spoeeh without missing a word ; and seeing Tabby, the cousinly cat, perched snugly on his rival's knee, by way of not being outdone in cousinly attention, he took up Pompey, the cousinly poodle, though dogs were his abomination.

' Well, Cousin Abigail, I hope your health continuos good,' said Cousin Kog^r, patting Pompey's head, and glancing suspiciously at Cousin Dick, whom he devoutly wished at Jericho.

'.No, not so good latterly as it has been. The fact is,' the old lady continued, ' I have been thinking seriously of sending for Mr. Parker, with a view of settling my worldly affairs without delay.

'Oh, there is no need of haste, cousin,' broke in Dick; 'you have many years before you yet;' mentally adding, ' what has possessed the old ninny to put it oft'so long !' ' Well, well, I suppose there's no hurry about it,' said Cousin Abigail,

' And yet,' cousin Boger ventured to hint ' it's always well to be prepared and none of us can tell the minute or the hour, you know.'

' And after all, calling in a lawyer is not so serious a matter as calling in a doctor,' said Cousin Dick fastidiously.

The conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a young and beautiful girl, at whom Cousin Dick stared with a surprised and troubled look.

' Pardon me, ma'am,' she said, in a voice remarkably sweet and gentle, ' not knowing you were engaged, I came to see if you wished me, as usual to read to yOu to-day.'

' Presently, dear,' Mrs. Varley answered in a tone that plainly hinted her visitors would not be pressed to stay if they offered to go.

After an awkward pause, the two cousins took their departure together.

' Who is that girl ?' inquired Roger, as soon as they had reached the street.

' You may well ask,' said Cousin Dick; and, estopping, he wbispered something in. his companion's ear, at which the latter started suddenly.

' Whew! the resemblance is certainly striking. But what is to be done ? Do you think the old—Cousin Abigail, I mean —suspects anything ?'

' .Not yet, I think; but no' time .is to be lost- I have a plan which it would be well for us to talk over together.'

The two hurried rapidly along. Mrs. Varley had occasionally found time hang heavily on her hands, and so had advertised for a person to fill the post of 'companion' to an aged lady. It was thus that Hester Darling had become an inmate of the house.

At as early an hour as was seemly on the morning following that on which we introduced them to the reader, Roger and Dick again presented themselves before their cousin.

'We have thought it our duty, cousin—' began Dick.

' Our bounden duty,' put in Boger. 'As painful as it is imperative,' Dick continaed.

' To put you on your guard, ma'am, I Koger added. ' Against a deceitful and designing person,' exclaimed Dick, ' Who is no better than she shpuld be,' shouted Boger indignantly.

Upon my word, cousins, 1 do not comprehend a syllable you have' uttered,' said Mrs Varley; ' nor shall I be likely to, if you both keep talking at once. Come, Dick, you seem the least excited, what is the meaning of of all this ?' ' What means, may i venture to ask/ said Dick, ' did you take to ascertain the character and-anteced-ents of the young woman at present sheltered beneath your roof ?' ' Why, none/ replied the good old lady. ' Her young and truthful face was recommendation enough on which to give her a trial.' ' We have ascertained her to he a most abandoned creature/ proceeded Dick, ' and have deemed it proper at once to apprise you of the discovery. Should she deny the accusation, we are prepared with abundant proofs.* And the two cousins- took their leave with an air of exalted virtue. Mrs Varley was a lady of the strictest propriety, and severest morals. Much as she pitied the poor and friendless girl, she must be promptly freed from this foul and dreadful charge, or cross her threshold, never to return. She went directly to Hester's chamber. ' You must tell me your past history, child/ said Mrs Varley in a determined but not unkindly tone. ' Oh madam, I pray you pardon nic ; but I cannot tell it.' ' Then it has been one of shame aud guilt P' 'For a time of shame, madam/ answered the young girl, with flushed cheek, ' but never of guilt.' What was it that caused Mrs Varley to start so suddenly, and stagger, half fainting to a seat at Hester's dressing table ? ' Who —whose likeness is that ?' she exclaimed, in a scarcely articulate voice, pointing to an opdn miniature on the table. ' My mother's/ Hester answered. 'Then you are Florence Marvin's child?' • 'Thai was, indeed, my mother's name.' ' More—you are the daughter of my only brother, Q-eorge Heywood, for Florence Marvin was his wife.' With a stifled cry, she, who had believed herself alone and friendless in the world, fell on her kinswoman's neck and wept tears of mingled gladness and sorrow.

Her story, which Hester had refused to confide to a stranger's ears, she now willingly imparted to one from whom she felt' she had no longer a right to with-hold it.

That her brother had married in opposition to her father's wishes, and had been disinherited in consequence, was already known to Abigail Varley, but what distant spot he had selected for his home, aud what had befallen him there she had never learned.

The story was sad enough. After a few toilsome butnotunhappy years— for they were spent in the loved society of his wife and child —a dire calamity had fallen upon George Heywood. He came under the suspicion of a* fearful crime. A network of circumstances too intrioate for man's wit to disentangle environed him, and he was condemned to die. The stern judgment was carried into effect, and the executed murderer's widowsought concealment for herself and child in a change of place and name. Long, long years afterward the truth was discovered; but the judicial murder had passed among the things irreyocable. The poor widow died at last, brokenhearted, but with one consolation —she had lived to see her husband's innocence vindicated.

' And this, my poor child, is the shame of which you spoke?' ' My life has known no other.'

Not many days after, Hester was sent to one of the first seminaries in the land, for she had yet time enough to avail herself of opportunities of culture hitherto beyond her reach. Her aunt and herself kept their own counsel. Cousins Roger and Dicfe only knew that the object of their solicitude had disappeared, and probably congratulated themselves on the success of their virtuous stratagem.

After a time, Mr. Parker, Cousin Abigail's lawyer, was sent for, and after that, the good old woman seemed wonderfully revived in spirits. At her next birthday, the prospect of 'many fyappy returns,' produced anything but

a happy effect upon the two expectant cousins, who began to think that, after all, the life tables might not be infallible But her time came at last; and, within a decent period after the sad event, Cousins Boger and Dick were duly summoned to attend the reading of Abigail Varley's will. They were a good deal startled at the sight of their old enemy, the strange girl. Boor Tabby, as if seeking consolation in her bereavement, leaped upon the knee of her old friend, Dick, who stroked her back pathetically but a little nervouslyPompey, who took things more philosophically, stretched himself out for a snooze at the fteet of Boger. Mr. Parker, drawing from his pocket the document, proceeded to read it. The introduction was long and formal. But hark ! there's something coming now: ' To my cousin, Bichard Figgins—' Richard looked at Roger in triumph. ' I give and bequeath—' You could have heard both their hearts beat. 'In consideration of the natural love and affection which I have observed, between them—' Dick looked puzaled. ' My favorite cat Tabby.' Dick gave Tabby a furious stroke the wrong way. ' And no more of my estate.' With a fling that betokened a most emphatic renunciation of the legacy, Tabby was sent mewing and spitting to the other end of the room. ' To my cousin, Boger Smith—' It was Soger's turn to triumph. 'In consideration of the like natural love and affection —'

Roger began to feel suspicious. ' I give and bequeath my dog Pompey, • and no more of my estate.' With a violent kick Pompey was sent spinning after the cat; and the fear of her who had so long kept the peace between them being no longer before their eyes, the pent-up enmity of years found vent in an uproarious fight, in the noise of which the voice of the old lawyer was almost drowned; but the words ' rest and residue of my estate—niece, Hester Heywood' were sufficiently audible, and Cousins Dick and Boger stayed to hear no more.