The Red Cloud chief., 1879-09-25

old man, and that ] ought io accumulate
property against the time when 7 could
not work. | tried IT, i.r more ~cyacting
in money matters, hui -oon found that
] had commenced too late. refused Ia
~ out nj night in the rain 81 the call #
4 panpcr: bat tn" messenger stared at
me IN blank amanrmeni, and ] went l
asked a wealthy man 4" raN Inr what he
owed me: but l,e whinci about bad
business. and I aid no moro. Nobody
knows better than Il physician how sud
denly "A man NAV Lee i~ncapacitcl for la
bUr, aud the more ] thought about the
helpless plight ia which I would b" left
10y such a mi-f"rtun. the more | dread
ed II. This fe"lin" was not all selfish.
for there was my aged mother wholly
dependent upon me.
One day ! Ivcciv.d ihl- letter:
NEW l"EK, April ;. Is75.
DEAR ~BEoIHEE-I write 10 you on brhIif
~ oar cousin. Alice -hutuwav. t~h" -
now Mr.. Wayic. A. yDu dpIhii'ss Know
Alicc J. in poor hcaIih. sod her husband i
uui M'-f ou tusius... Her Bhy-ician Ia-
adNi-"d hrr o" ~p"nd the summer in -pInr
Fuict country place, where she can have
good medical care. I thought 81 Won ~
Once, aud now Toe" YOU To- take hcr i"'s Aour
hon" for i few months. Pira.r answer i'm
mrdiai.ly.
Your truly, HENRY SHUMwNY.
remembered Alice very we'll. partly
because her father viii connected In.
with her in an odd manner. He died
when IA" Wa q mere child. AMI hc-
glrath"d {" Alice $4,000, under rpmli-
ii"n-. lie had already chosen 4 hu--
band for her IN .I"mc> Nayt-. ~" >nnof
an old cron,. and l." intended. through
hi VII, ~ enforce that choice. AZ
cordiug 10 the provisions of the Will,
Alice Wa To- hay" the income # the
>.Ju,oHr until III" wa u wears old. and
IL "u her 2l~t birthday She wa- not the
wife of James WaSi". IN" money Wa all
Ia 90 {" me. II she died before her 2l-r
birthday, the money was Ia hc divided
among the surviving heirs; but if she
lived longer without obcying his matri-
monial command, ~hc was to DO :" pen
niles, the only release for her hriu" the
death "f Wayt", or his refusal 4" wed
her. The "hdurIic man talked over hi~
plan with me many times, and had the
viii carefully drawn 10y -killful laNNcr~.
Neither he nor ! believed il wa> possible
that Alice would di>ohcy. Therefor
my interest in The estate wa, not sui
ticirnt Ia raise an avarici"u~ hope. nor
+" a"itat" m" when ! heard of her mar
ria"r to James Waytc.
My answer &" my brothers letter was
that Alice could come. and that she
would bc made comfortable ia our
somewhat lonesome corner of the world.
She arrived Il few days later. She had
been, ~ | rccullrrtcl. = blooming.
healthy, ViNaci"u- girl. Al thai Was
w"fuIlt changed, leaving her wan deli
cate and detected. We gave her the
best room in the h"u~". and were Kind
I" her. have an mcnmninrlk ~lmpa
thctic nature. notwithstanding tn" con
irarl opinion that some of the readers
IF the statement may hold, and the fad
iuy beauty of the invalid was II pitiful
sight. Consumption had made much
progress in taking her 10 the crave he
fore she came under any care. and the
best that | could do was Ia rive her u
liItl" strength {" fight hopclc~~ll against
the RELENTLESS disease.
Nv mother WAS too old io h. compan-
ionabl" with our quest. and the country
%irl who performed the duties of 4 nurse
Mas hardly a c"uwcnial spirit, 80 il WAS
a matter IF course that Alice and | fell
into tn" relation of familiar friends rath-
cr than IF physician and patient. She
rod" with m" every fair day AT first. and
il Mas on one of orr rides that her IA
Tiers will became the t"pico of c"nNrr~a-
lion. | j"kin"ly accused her of cheat
in" me ont Of Il fortune by marrying in
obedience Ia her fathers Injunction. She
"rcw instantly ~ serious that | looked at
her, | suppose, with inquiry expressed
in my face.
-" wish. Doctor" she said. ~ near
II a. | can rrcnllcci her words. THAT |
had not been 81 oi~dicnt. Ii 4 had Dis
ohcyci. | might now Ice well. in body
and mind. ! would like 10 tell you all
about ii. Doctor. because il i hard +"
i, bear trouble silently. y"u know; ana |
am sure you viii help me with your
sympathy
pulled her shawl closer around her
neck. for il MAS nightflll. and tn" horse
WAS @"in" AT a pace that made Il breeze
of the still air. She turned grateful eyes
on me- for this slight attention.
"lou take such good carc of me-"
she said. THAT | ann sure - would he
careful of my secret. was only -
wears old when | WAS told of the c"ndi-
lion in my fathers will-that | must
MARRY .lam"S Wayte or he disinhcritrd.
There We're nine wears IL some and -
before the alternative would he forced
upon me. and | childiShlv put off >cri-
"u> thoughts about ii. II was not until
| was Ii that | really began Ia consider
the question. WAS told that Won were
a generous man-that Nnu had never
dreamed of prolitiug by my fathers
will-that You would not take my in
heritancr from me. Well. While | was
making up my mind Ia trust You. James
WAITE came from college 4 da>hin~.
capitatin" fellow Of -. and | fell sin
ccrrly in hove with him. no longer re-
GREETED the requirement. al the will. lie
profc>>cd Ia love me, and We were mar
ri"l. Misery Was not slow in following
the brief happiness If our we,llock. |
~ had convincing proofs that he was
unfaithful. and that he had married me
solely for the MONEY that | would bring
Ia him. The $4,000 that | am Ia have
when | am IL"
When will that be?" | asked. The
question being suggested lay Il Thought
at the short time probably left her Ia
live.
I'm about two months" she answer
ed. The 18th Of June will hc nv 2l>t
birthday. | WAS saving that the money
was invested :" advantagcou>lv that |
rot a sufficient income from it while |
was single: but James spent cNtrava-
gantly and earned little himself. We
were all the time in trouble with debts.
He was Il drunkarl and a gambler. and
he made me, oh, 81 unhappy, Doctor.
He WAS impatient for the time when he
could put his wa>teful hands on nv
$4,000. At last | became aware Of a
browning inSult--a wrong that WAS fatal
Ia my happiness rs a wife"
Alice had excited herself. and Il tit of
coughing interrupted her. | again adj
iu>ted the wrap, which she had allowed
To- fall away from her shoulders. and adj
vi>ed her Ia finish the narrative AT some
other time.
There Is not much more that | wish
To tell you," she said. flames and | are
practically parted. He went away as a