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Newspaper Page Text
STflSSS! mi ported lost off the Canada coast. Only a few of the passengers had been saved. The name of Jabez Thorpe was not among the list. A week later it was generally accepted in the village that he had met with a watery fate. Nellie went to his law yer, who was a sensible, kind-hearted old man. He told Nellie to remain right at her post of duty. So far as heknew.no will had been left. This being true, the nearest of kin would inherit Nellie was not in that list, but he encouraged her to believe that the heirs would make some provision for her. And then, much to the discomfort of Nellie, the heirs apparent began to arrive. There was the relict of a brother of Jabez Thorpe, in weeds, and always snuffing and pitying her self. There was a fantastic, fussy old maid cousin who entertained great hopes because Jabez Thorpe had once sent her a birthday gift. There was a callow youth studying for the bar, who claimed near rela tionship, and a vast deal of knowl edge as to the legal phases of the es tate. There was --a shiftless youth, besides, and all these planted them selves about the premises. For two days Nellie welcomed them. Then she thought the situation all over. She went modestly but firmly before them one morning. 41 have only the directions of the lawyer, Air. Bandall," she said, "as to being In charge here, but he has told me to go right on doing my duty in Mr. Thorpe's interests until the estate is settled. Mr. Thorpe left me only enough fnoney to cover the reg ular expenses, and I fear I cannot af ford to entertain so much company." Thereupon the lazy young man growled out something about nig gardly treatment, the lady in mourn ing flounced out of the room in hys terics, and the fussy old maid flared up like an offended pussy cat. The young legal sprig walked out on-his dignity,. There was no dinner that day. The tribe thereafter got their meals at the village hotel. They By no means deserted the old home stead, however. There was too much envy and suspicion among them for that. They watched one another as though afraid that some one was go ing to carry off the estate house, farm and all. Never would the faithful, persever ing Nellie forget one bright afternoon as she went about the house attend ing to her manifold duties. The young limb of the law was smoking a pipe in the sitting room, the other male watcher of the slow develop ment of the estate was asleep with his feet on the table. In the parlor the snuffling relict and the fussy old maid were chattering away like mag pies, when Nellie heard a roar. She "dropped the plate she was holding, and it was smashed to smithereens at her feet. Then with a scream of dejight she darted into the sitting room, gave one glance at a sturdy, wrathful figure filling the doorway, and bounded straight into the arms of Jabez Thorpe. "Oh, uncle! uncle!" she cried. "I am so glad so glad!" "Yes, and the only one who is," re plied the old man, as he placed a sheltering arm about her. '"You young sprig of insolence!" he shouted at the astonished smoker, "out of here with that vile pipe of yours! Here, wake up and march!" he added, pulling the sleeper from his chair. "As to you, ladies," he sang out to the occupants of the parior, "I've heard in the village of how you've all flocked here like a set of crows after a carcass. Well, old. Ja bez is alive and kicking, after all. And before the day is over he's going to save you the expense and trouble of coming to any more funerals by leaving what he's got, when it's ready to leave, to the only one among the crowd of you who is worth two pins and that's Nellie." It was after the dejected, disap pointed mob of fortune- seekers had