North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-02-03

| ldIIu' DuL LHeH ever lutuS WeuL WAouS'-
the two boys died-one was killed by tree
falling on him, and Sam had stroke which
| kept him to his bed for the rest of his life
which wasn't long. He was out of his head
at the end, and Kitty never let any one near
him but herself. Since he died, she has lived
alone, and shared the land. It's good land
and should think she must have saved mon
ey. | wonder who she's left it to-"
"Young Martin, perhaps"
| guess not. She always had sing'la dis
like to his mother. May be, her conscience
told her why. No: it's more likely to be
Am'rilly Dollman. She took fancy to her
when she was child, and kept to it,"
Well, it'll come to pretty much the same
thing which has it, SO as one of them gets 1t, )"
remarked Mrs. Blake.
| A sudden stir in the corner made all look
towards the bed. The invalid had opened
her eyes, and raised hOrself, unaided, on her
arm; for moment or two she gazed round
on the asSemhlagc, as if not understanding
| their unwonted presence; then she broke out
into laugh, harsh and loud: "Aha" she
cried in sArill voice, "they looked every
where but in the right place! Up and down
| up chamber and down cellar, but they neve
thought of the north wall !" and sunk back
exhausted.
A kind of shudder ran through the spec
| tators.
"My! amt that awful?" said Bella Jones !;
while pretty Amarylla shrunk, as if for pro
lection, little closer to Martin Foyle, and
the nurses attention became absorbed in
their charge. She, however, had again sub
sided into stupor, and said no more.
"She'll go off that way" said Mrs. Green.
''She may linger awhile, but she'll sleep her
life out so. And now, as it's getting late,
think I'll clear out"
Tbs clock, indeed; by this time announced
that it was most dissipated hour for the
inhabitants of CrocksviIle; nothing but the
agreeable feeling that on Sunday morning
there was no occasion for waking with the
daylight, would have kept them so long from
their rest. All now departed except the
watchers for the night, and the shanty was
left to comparative quiet and repose.
V.
No one was surprised the next morning to
hear that Kitty Clark was dead. She had
never moved or spoken since the demonstra-
ton that had so alarmed her visitors the pre-
ceding evening, which had evidently been the
last effort of expirating nature. ''She just
went out like the snuff of a CANDLE" Mrs
Jores remarked to those who came with in
quiries and offers of assistance. That lady
had taken on herself the office of superin-
ending the preparations for the funeral, and
was arrayed in her robes of state, a black
silk gown" which," as she had once observ-
ed, ''was the conyenentest dress you could
have lit answered for everything from wed
ding to funeral, the richness of the materi-
al adapting it for festive occasions, and its So
ber hue rendering Unsuitable garb of mourn
ing. There was considerable excitement in
Crocksville this Sunday morning; it would
perhaps be uncharitable to say the people
were glad old Kitty had DEPARTED, but GER
tainly they were glad that there. was now
the opportunity of gratifying the curiosity
felt by all regarding the paper in Mr.. Crooks
hands.
1t was pity the contents could not have
been known on this idle day, when there
would nave been nothing to do but to discuss
them; but Mr.. Crooks said that, :cordin' to
rule, the will hadn't ought to be read till af-
ter the funeral +" and announced his intention
of not making them public till the proper
time, rather enjoying, in the meanwhile, the
conciousness of doing the only person in pos
session of the secret. 1t was considered a
most unnecessary piece of ceremonious for
mality, however, speculation and conjecture
kept the interest alive.
1t was surprising how most people found
they could leave their work. "inst for an
hour or two," the next afternoon to attend
the funeral. Certainly, old Kitty was more
Gin her ashes honored', than she had ever
been in life. As Mrs. Jones remarked; " it
was ,nazin, what folks would do for the sake
curiosity there was old Jim White who had
never been known off his own place for six
years; and Sally Black had left her wash
ing half through to hear the news an hour
sooner" As old Kitty had neither kith nor
kin, every one deemed him or herself TO have
a chance of the inheritance, and a right to be
present. Whatever else she might have died
possessed of, there was, at all events the
land, more than fifty acres, in first rate con-
dition; it was prize to be coveted and as
the old woman was generally considered to
have been 'not quite right" no one could
tell on what unlikely person her favor might
have fallen. !
Curiosity was gratifed, and patience re-
warded at last Mr.. Crooks opened that i'm
4