Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-02-07

cd to him, just then, that he would lik,
TO keep it longer, but she drew it away
gently, and he followed her TO the bed
side of Miss Parrot and prescribed {
composing draught.
"Have you ever heard Staccato sing
Miss CarrieP' he asked as she let hin
out.
Neither staccato nor anybody else
to speak Of" laughed Carrie.
"The season is remarkably dull, az
they say: everybody, with the excep
tion of Miss Parrott, is preternaturally
healthy Just now; so mean to dissi
pate this evening. Staccato sings here
tonight. Could you, will you, make
the pleasure greater by listening with
mePn
~ would give tho world to gor' said
Carrie. "How kind you arel But poor
mamma has q headache, and there is
nobody but me to look after Aunt Par.
rott. o dearl Well, thank you very
much; | am glad you asked me-"
81 sha'n't enjoy it half as much with
out YOU" he said.
Carrie had gone out marketing when
DIR. Gilbert made his next professional
call on Miss Parrot.
"Dearl dearl" cried that lady, "you
were here only Wednesday; do you
think I'm worseP Feel my pulse, look
at my tongue; I'm not grain weaker;
my appetite's growing; I'm good for
some time yet. You don't feel anxious
about meP I'm an old woman, to be
sure, but creaking gates, you know,
hang long on their hinges"
"Yes," said DIR. Gilbert, $50 they say;
but our breath is in our nostrils. If |
had anything | particularly wished to
do, any wrong to right, any cherished
plan TO fulfill, should want to make
sure of it before the breath left them ~
"You mean you'd pay all your debts
and make your will if you were in my
situation. That's exactly what I've
done. Now wouldn't you like to know
how I've disposed of my filthy lucreP
Ha! ha! you'd be coming here too often
if | told you. Carries no beauty, but
I've known money to gild a palmer
face.n
Had he been coming to see Miss Par
rott more frequently than was necessa-
ry, and had the old lynx found it out?
"Your affairs are nothing to me, Miss
Parrott," he said gravely; "they are
between your own conscience and your
self. AT the same time, l must confess
that have no respect for those who de-
wise their estates to Borrioboola Cha,
and leave their relatives as legacy to
the town. BY the way, heard of Gu
rious case the other day; man having
come into fortune through the estate
of his wife's father died, leaving her u
paltry portion of her own money, and
the bulk of it to his own sisters and
brothers. There's justice for your
BloOd's thicker than water" said
Miss Parrott, peevishly. Cant you
give me a sleeping potion, doctor?"
And then he went down and met Miss
Carrie on the staircase, and asked if
she could spare the time and had the
to drive into the country,
where he had patient ITS half
holiday at your school, believe; | am
going to-day instead of tomorrow, for
that very reason"
What q charming drive it was
through the autumn woods, away from
a sick bed, from ragged school, leav-
ing all the dusty and sordid cares of
every day behind her! What if fortune
were niggardly toward her, was not ma
ture rich in bountyP Leave sorrow and
trouble for tomorrow, but for the pres
ent moment it was happiness enough to
listen to DR.. Gilbert, to meet his kindly
glance, to know that he had thought of
her pleasure and planned for it.
As Carrie was preparing Miss Parrott
for the night, the latter said: "Now,
you'd like something interesting to
read, I'll be bound. just take the KEY,
the skeleton key What a hateful word!
il suggests all sorts of horrors. How
ever, it unlocks my desk. You'll find
my will there; read it while l drop off
% sleep; it's as good as Il novel"
- don't want to read it," said Car
lie.
"Nonsense! you're dying to get it
his minute. Read it aloud; perhaps
til lull me to sleep"
Without more ado Carrie produced
,he document, and began: 81, Rebecca
Parrott, being of sound mind, this sixth
lay of June, 1860, do hereby"
"Stop! what mess you make of it!
tOOO1 lldNCu u u VIII
.hatP My minds growing cloudy; |
must have been dreaming. You found
It in the deskPn
Yes
"Well, what are you waiting forp
Read"
And Carrie read to the bitter end;
hen the will slipped from her hands
upon the floor, and she sat before the
slight blaze which the autumn weather
demanded in sick room-sat and
gazed at it with an air of depression
and hopelessness quite foreign to her,
rs if she had got over the habit of max
ing the best of things.
"Only string of gold beads" she
'obbed, land all my great-grandfa-
hers fortune left to strangers! Only
string of miserable gold beads"
"HeyP what did you sayP" asked
Miss Parrott, waking suddenly. "What
have you there, Caroline FaneP"
Your last will and testament" an
'wered Carrie, picking itup.
my last will and testament Where
lid you get that, you hussy? Have you
1een ransacking my things before the
breath is out of my bodyP Put it away
safely"
81 mean to; I'm going to put it in
he fire"
"And take the bread out of your own
nouthp Don't be an idiot. girl; lock
I up and put the key under my pillow.
IL see Lawyer Equity in the morning.
There! goodnight. Burn it, to be sure!
What a fine bonfire it would make!
Houses and what not all swept away in
/ single night by the devouring element!
It's safe with old Equity, if he is a slow
,oach. Therel | shall go to sleep now"
While she dozed off again, Carrie
leld the will in the reviving blaze till
I dropped into shreds and ashes upon
he hearth. And crouching beside it
ill the brands were cold and the gray
lawning looked in at the easement, try
ng'to follow the tangled clew of right
md wrong, to justify error, TO make
me that her motives were unsellish-
hat she needed the money not so much