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Article CATHERINE CARMICHAEL; on, THREE YEARS RUNNING. ← Page 12 of 15 →
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Catherine Carmichael; On, Three Years Running.
walked with them as they carried it , and stood there as they did tfew-ffork ; and tho old woman went with them , helping a little . But the widow spoke not a word , ancl then returning , seated herself again in the same chair . Not once did there come to her the relief of a tear , or even of a sob . The ferryman went back to his' river , and the shepherds to their sheep , and the old woman and the boy remained with her , preparing what food was eaten . _ The key been taken out of his
of the store-room was now in her possession , having pocket before they laid him in his grave , and they could do what they pleased with what it contained . So she remained for a fortnight , altogether inactive , having as yet resolved upon nothing . Thoughts no doubt there were running through her mind . What was now to become of her ? To whom did the place belong , and the sheep , and the money , which , as she knew , was lying in the bank ? It had all been promised to John , before the old had hinted to herin his that it would
her marriage . Then man , coarse way , be hers . Then he had hinted again that John was to be brought back , and to live here . How would it be ? Without the speaking of words , even to herself , it was settled in her heart that John Carmichael should be , ought to be , must be , the owner of Warriwa . Then how different would Warriwa become ? But she strove gallantly against feeling that , for herself , there would be any personal interest in such a settlement . She would have kept her thoughts away from that if it had been possible;—if it had been possible .
At the end of a fortnight there came out to her from Timaru a young man , who declared himself to be the clerk of a solicitor established there , and this young man brought with him a letter from the manager of the bank . The purport of the letter was this : Mr . Carmichael , as he had passed through Timaru on his way home from Christehurch after his marriage , had then executed a will , which he had deposited at the bank . In this he had named the manager as his sole executor , and had left
everything of which he was possessed to his wife . The writer of the letter then went on to explain that there might have been a subsequent will made . He was aware that John Carmichael had been again , at Warriwa , and it was possible that Peter Carmichael might have reverted to his old intention of making his kinsman his heir . There had been a former will to that effect , which had been destroyed in the presence of the banker . There was no such document at Timaru . If anywhereit must be at
, Warriwa . Would Mrs . Carmichael allow the young man to search ? If no such document could be found , the money and the property would be hers . It would be well that she should return with the young man to the town , and take np her abode there in lodgings for a few weeks till things should have settled themselves .
And thus she found herself mistress of Warriwa , owner of the sheep , and possessor of all the money . Of course , she obeyed the counsel given her , and went into the town . No other will was found ; no other claimant came forward . Week after week went by , and month after month , very slowly , and at the end of six months she found that everything was undoubtedly hers . An agent had been hired , to live at Warriwa , and her signature was recognized at the bank as commanding all that money . The sum seemed so large that it was a wonder to her that the old man should have lived
in such misery at home . Then two of her brothers came to her , across from New South Wales . They had come to her because she was alone . No , they said ; they did not want her help , though a little money would go a long way with them . They had come because she was alone . Then she laid a task upon them , and told them her plans . Yes ; she had been very much alone;—altogether without counsel iu this particular matter ; but she had
formed her plans . If they would assist her , no doubt they would be compensated for their time . Where was John Carmichael ? They had not heard of John Carmichael since they had left him when they went away from Hokitika . Thereupon she explained to them that none of all that property was hers : —that none of it all should ever be hers ; that , to her view of the matter , the station , with the run , and the sheep , and the money , all belonged to John Carmichael . When they told her that she had been the man ' s wife , and , therefore , much nearer than John
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Catherine Carmichael; On, Three Years Running.
walked with them as they carried it , and stood there as they did tfew-ffork ; and tho old woman went with them , helping a little . But the widow spoke not a word , ancl then returning , seated herself again in the same chair . Not once did there come to her the relief of a tear , or even of a sob . The ferryman went back to his' river , and the shepherds to their sheep , and the old woman and the boy remained with her , preparing what food was eaten . _ The key been taken out of his
of the store-room was now in her possession , having pocket before they laid him in his grave , and they could do what they pleased with what it contained . So she remained for a fortnight , altogether inactive , having as yet resolved upon nothing . Thoughts no doubt there were running through her mind . What was now to become of her ? To whom did the place belong , and the sheep , and the money , which , as she knew , was lying in the bank ? It had all been promised to John , before the old had hinted to herin his that it would
her marriage . Then man , coarse way , be hers . Then he had hinted again that John was to be brought back , and to live here . How would it be ? Without the speaking of words , even to herself , it was settled in her heart that John Carmichael should be , ought to be , must be , the owner of Warriwa . Then how different would Warriwa become ? But she strove gallantly against feeling that , for herself , there would be any personal interest in such a settlement . She would have kept her thoughts away from that if it had been possible;—if it had been possible .
At the end of a fortnight there came out to her from Timaru a young man , who declared himself to be the clerk of a solicitor established there , and this young man brought with him a letter from the manager of the bank . The purport of the letter was this : Mr . Carmichael , as he had passed through Timaru on his way home from Christehurch after his marriage , had then executed a will , which he had deposited at the bank . In this he had named the manager as his sole executor , and had left
everything of which he was possessed to his wife . The writer of the letter then went on to explain that there might have been a subsequent will made . He was aware that John Carmichael had been again , at Warriwa , and it was possible that Peter Carmichael might have reverted to his old intention of making his kinsman his heir . There had been a former will to that effect , which had been destroyed in the presence of the banker . There was no such document at Timaru . If anywhereit must be at
, Warriwa . Would Mrs . Carmichael allow the young man to search ? If no such document could be found , the money and the property would be hers . It would be well that she should return with the young man to the town , and take np her abode there in lodgings for a few weeks till things should have settled themselves .
And thus she found herself mistress of Warriwa , owner of the sheep , and possessor of all the money . Of course , she obeyed the counsel given her , and went into the town . No other will was found ; no other claimant came forward . Week after week went by , and month after month , very slowly , and at the end of six months she found that everything was undoubtedly hers . An agent had been hired , to live at Warriwa , and her signature was recognized at the bank as commanding all that money . The sum seemed so large that it was a wonder to her that the old man should have lived
in such misery at home . Then two of her brothers came to her , across from New South Wales . They had come to her because she was alone . No , they said ; they did not want her help , though a little money would go a long way with them . They had come because she was alone . Then she laid a task upon them , and told them her plans . Yes ; she had been very much alone;—altogether without counsel iu this particular matter ; but she had
formed her plans . If they would assist her , no doubt they would be compensated for their time . Where was John Carmichael ? They had not heard of John Carmichael since they had left him when they went away from Hokitika . Thereupon she explained to them that none of all that property was hers : —that none of it all should ever be hers ; that , to her view of the matter , the station , with the run , and the sheep , and the money , all belonged to John Carmichael . When they told her that she had been the man ' s wife , and , therefore , much nearer than John