WEALTH WITHOUT WINGS. 41

 

“ Ah! What family did he leave ?”

“A wife and one child.”

Mrs. Claire sighed.

“Did he leave them comfortably off in the
world ?” she asked, after a brief silence.

- «JT don’t know; but I’m afraid, he’s not left

much, if any thing. Mr. Jasper has been appointed

the executor.”

“Mr. Jasper !”

“ Yes, This morning he called to see Mrs. Elder,
and found her in a very lowstate. In fact, she died
while he was there.”

“Edward! Died?”

“Yes, died; and her only child, a sweet little
girl, not five years old, is now a friendless orphan.”

“¢ How very sad!”

“Sad enough, Edith, sad enough. Mr. Jasper,
who has no taste for scenes of distress, wished me
to look after the funeral arrangements; so 1 went
to the house, and attended to matters as well as I
could. Ah me! It has cast a gloom over my feel-
ings that I find it hard to cast off.”

_ «Did you see the child?” inquired Mrs. Claire,
the mother’s impulse giving direction to her
thoughts.

‘Yes; and a lovely child it is. Poor thing!”

‘There are near relatives, I presume ?”

‘None; at least; so Jasper says.”

‘What is to become of the child ?”’

“Dear above knows! As for her legal guardian,
she has nothing to hope from his humanity. She
will naturally find a home somewhere—a home pro-

cured for money. But her future comfort and well-
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