The Chief Legatee

ve it a slight push and walk out when he heard the bustle of preparation going on in the two rooms in whose future occupancy he was so vitally interested. A maid stood in t

must venture out notwithstanding the rain. In

bad, such a day," said she, "but it's muddiest dow

cemetery is

se inscriptions are a hundred and fifty years old. But it's a bad day to walk amongst graves. Perha

out. A blinding gust seized him as he faced the hill, but he drew down his umbrella and hurried on. He had a purpose in following her suggestion as to

re all; desolation in the prospect and all but desolation in his heart. At the brow he first caught sight of the broken stone wall which separated t

r ten minutes before he found those of his wife's family. Then he had his reward. On a lo

to the

it

June

ears and

the Kingdom

s, that was the name of her other half. He remembered it well. Georgian had mentioned it t

where still another surprise awaited him. Here was the record of the brother; the brother

d Fra

y s

ti afterwards

ea Februa

enty-fi

e simple statement, Lost at sea. This, as the wry-necked man had said, admitted of a possible resurrection. Here was no body. A mound showed where Anitra had been laid away; a l

deceiving the general public. In fact, knowingly or unknowingly, she was perpetrating a great fraud. He was inclined to think unkn

oritti afterwards Georgian Hazen. Afterwards! What was meant by that afterwards? That the woman had been married twice, and that this Alfred Francesco was the son of her first husband

and wearing on his face a harsh and discontented expression. As this man was middle-aged and had no other protection from the rain than a rubber cape for his s

re fifteen years ago. N

fifteen years ago. Now I'm to cut 'em out. The orders has just come. The youngster didn't die it seems, and I'm commanded to chip the fifteen-year-old lie out. What do you think of that? A sweet job for a day like this. Mor'n likely it'll put me under a st

lty, pointed to the little mound. "But the c

good while after, a bit of the dress she wore that day was found hanging to a bush where some gipsies had been. There were lots of folks who remembered that them gipsies had passed the schoolhouse a half hour before the fire, and they now say found the

the number of those lost and would surely be able to tell if one were missing, a

staying now in one house and now in another as folks took compassion on her. She was never seen agin after that fire. If she was in the schoolhouse th

towards the gateway, but soon came strolling back. The m

remarked Ransom. "Is it the girl herself,-Anitra, I believe yo

for her name's been in the papers a lot this week. She's the great lady who married and left her husband all in one day; and for what reason do you think? We know, because she don't keep no secrets from her old friends. She's foun

her

't any name. From her looks! She saw

arkable the whole story. And so is this inscription," he added, pointing to the words Georgian Toritti, etc. "Did the wom

ip of a gal when she married him, and as he didn't live but a couple o' months folks have sort o' forgiven her and forgotten him. To us Mrs. Hazen was a

o know. But there was still much to learn. Should he venture an additional question? No, that would show more than a str

e fatality attending certain families, he nodd

ick of the workman's hammer on the chisel with which he propos