The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-11-16
THE WILL.
BY j. 8. FRTTTs.


came to the door Of our cabin. heard it first,
tor used to sleep in little snug basket near
the FIRE but didn't speak, for was frightened
1t was still repeated louder, and then came Il
cry: "Con. Cregan Con. say open the door {!
want you," l knew the voice well it was
Peter M'Cabe's; but I pretended to be fast
asleep, and snored loudly. AT last my father UNI
bolted the door, and I heard him say, "Oh Mr.
Peter, what Is the matter ? isthe old man worse:"
"Faix that's what he is; for he's dead !"
"Glory be his bed when did it happen?'
"About an hour ago." said Peter, in . voice
that even l, from my corner, could perceive was
greatly agitated. "He died like an ould hay.
then, Con-, and never made will"
That's bad" says my father, "for he was al
ways polite man, and said whatever was pleas.
ing to the company"
worse if we couldn't help it. Listen to me now,
Co5ney; want 70 to help me in this business;
and here are hve guineas in gold II ye do what
bid 70. You know that 70 were always reckonsd
the image Of ny father; and before he took IL
re were mistaken for saoh other every day Of the
week"
"Anan !" said my father; for he was getting
frightened at the notion, without well knowing
why.
swell, what want is for ye to como into the
house and get into the bed"
"Not beside the corpse!" said my father trem.
bling.
"By no means, but by yourself; and you're to
pretend to be my father, and that ye want to
make yer will before 70 die; and then I'll send
for the neigbors and Billy Seaman the school,
master, and ye'll tell him what to write, leaving
all the farm and everything to me-ye under.
stand. And rs the nsis hbors will see ye and
hear yer voice, it will never be believed but it
was himself that did it,"
"The room must be very dark" says my
father.
"To be sure it will; but have no fear No
body will dare to come nigh the bed, and yell
only have to make cross with yer pen under the
name"
Sand the priest ?" said my father
"My father quarrelsd with him last week
about the Easter dues; and Father Tom said
he'd not give him tho rites, and that's lucky,
now" Come along, now-quick-for we've no
time to lose; it must all be finished before day
breaks"
Ny father did not lose much time at his toilet,
tor he just wrapped his big coat round him, and
clipping on the brogues, loft the house | sat up
in the basket, and listened till they were gon
some minutes; and in costume as light as my
parents set out after them 10 watch the course OF
the adventure. / thought to take short cut
and be before them; but by bad luck fell into
bog-hole. and only escaped drowning by
chance. AS it was. when reached the house
the performance had already begun.
think see the whole scene this instant be-
fore my eyes, as I sat by little window with
one pane and that broken one, and SURVEYED
the proceeding. 1t was large room, at one end
OF which was bed, and beside it was table
with physic bottles and spoons and tea cups; a
little further of was another table at which sat
Billy Seaman, with all manner Of writing ma.
terials before him.
The country people sat two and sometimes
three deep round the walls, all intenty eager and
anxious for the coming event; Peter himself
went from place to place, trying to smother his
grief. and occasionally helping the company to
whisky, which was supplied with more thar. nc.
0ustomed iberality.
All my consciousness Of the deceit and trickerv
could not deprive the scene OF certain o)emnity
The misty distance Of the hAlf-lighted room; the
highly wrought expression OF the country peo-
pies faces, never more intensely excited than at
some moment of this kind; the low, deep
drawn breathings unbroken save by sigh or
sob; the tribute of affectionats sorrow TO lost
friend Whose memory was thus forcibly brouyh,
back: these were all 40 real, that, as looked,
thrilling sense of awe stole over me, and actu.
ally shook with fear. ftA
A low faint cough from the dark corner where
the bed stood, seemed to cause even deeper
stiffness; and then, in silence where the bua.
zing Of y fly would have been heard my father
said:
lsnt no