New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-01-21

sadly when, little later, it became
evident that her husband was declining
in health. Never strong man, it at
tracted little attention at first that he
came in spent and exhausted from his
daily walks; but when the walk gradu-
ally shortened, and at last one eventful
morning there was no walk at all, and
Mr.. Bevel, for the first time within the
memory Of man, remained in doors all
day, Mrs. Bevers anxieties, slumber-
ing till then, awoke to full life, and
communicated themselves to her chill
dren. The result was much well-meant
but wearisome restriction. Papa was
to eat this, not eat that; must not walk,
or tire himself, or talk too long; above
all, must not follow his own inclina-
lions in anything. Very patiently did
Mr.. Bevel endure these cures, but he
did not improve under them. His oc-
cupation was gone with his failing
strength. The experienced fingers
which had handled so many choice
things lay idle now, with nothing worth
handling within reach. Life had lost
its SAVIOR for him; he made haste, as it
were, to be gone from it. And almost
before his family realized that there was
cause for alarm, all was over.
The last morning of his life he was
lifted, at his own request. into an an
Gent ebony chair, spoil of some Sien-
nese palace, which was one of his
special treasures. High, hard, straight
backed, it was not the most commo-
dious resting-place for 8 sick man, but
Mr.. Bevel seemed to like it, as he Law,
propped with pillows, gently following
with his feeble fingers the rich and in
Ificste wandering of the ivory pattern
with which it was inlaid. His wife and
daughters were with him; they rarely
left him now.
"My little Rose," he said, after q
long silence, Il should like you to
keep this chair. You are the only one
who cares for such things. Keep it
TOR your own, my dear. The rest
wouldn't value it. I made my will
while ago." be continued, after short
silence. have tried to do fairly by
you all, and to act justly. Some of
you have thought hard of me at times,
l am afraid. for buying 80 many things,
but you'll get over that later. All the
arrangements are made for the sale of
everything-advertising and all. You
are not to have any trouble in the mas-
ter'-turning to his wife. "All is left
in the hands Of Leonard Ashe. He
knows the full value Of everything, and
will see all properly done. The sale is
to be advertised for two months before
hand. Ashe will attend to that"
Eyes, my dear, yes" replied Mrs,
Bevel, soothingly. "Don't worry your
poor head about those old things now;"
while even at that mournful moment
Matilda could not refrain from a glance
at Maud, which meant, poor papa!
still harping on that absurd craze of
his" Only little Rose, with pitiful
tenderness, strOked and kissed the
wasted hand. Misunderstood in death
as in life, old Mr.. Bevel passed from
his narrow corner of this narrow world
into the wide liberty of the next.
The will was read in due time. Mat
tiers proved in a worse condition even
than the family had feared. There
was small life insurance for the ben
eft of the widow, five thousand pounds
in consols, the house-that was all, save
the collection, whose proceeds-so the
will ran-were to be divided among the
six heirs. Mrs. Bevel was stunned, the
others indignant.
1T was really like insanity" pro-
tested Maud. If we had only guessed
it, and stopped papa in time! Why,
Arthur estimates that pa could not have
spent less than seven thousand pounds
in buying those trumpery things. Sew
en thousand pounds! And think what
that would be to us now"
"Oh dear! Oh dear! how comforts,
BILE we all could have beenr' moaned
her mother, while Matilda, between
angry sobs, protested that she "never
should be able to forgive pa quite. II
seemed dreadful to say such thing,
but she couldn't help it. 1t seemed as
if he hadn't cared a bit for his own
family, only for those horrid, useless,
ugly old duds, which nobody would
ever want so long as the world stood"
"Oh, Matte! don't talk So" urged
her mother. "Your pa never meant
any wrong. 1t was just disease with
him to buy things. And they'll fetch
part back.'
Yes, couple of hundred pounds,
perhaps. What's that out of seven
thousand pounds? l declare, to think
OF it makes me feel as if should like
to bite somebody" remarked the
amiable Matilda, with a click of her
sharp little teeth. The others, more
respectful, were no less in
wardly miserable. None of them had
any hopes from the sale.
The two months advertising were
duly fulfilled, and the collection re-
to the auction-rooms. Very
bare did the old house look after it was
gone; but that mattered little, for it's
occupants were preparing to move as
soon as the sale was over. They wait
ed for that. but with so little hope or
interest in the affair that it was not till
late in the afternoon of the third day
that Bryan troubled himself to "step
down" and learn the result. He came
back 80 red and excited that his mother
turned pale with apprehension, while
the girls crowded about him.
"What'y the matter9 Hasit all gone
II always knew it would"
$ Haven't they fetched enytsinq?'-
this from Matilda.
Anything! lshould say so. Moth
er, my father was right all through,
and the rest of US q pack of fools.
What do you think the things have sold
for?'
"Two hundred" give hundred"
$ A thousand" the last in timorous
voice.
ga thousand! just wait and hear.
They were selling the last lot when I
got there. By Jove, it was the old
sign-board we all jeered at. Well. that
brought thirty-two poundsr'
. Oh. Bryan. perfectly impossible!'
It did, though. Well, that was
but when at last got hold of
Ashe, and heard the full amount of
the sale. you might have knocked me
down with pin-feather. Now listen!
what do you think of-forty three
thousand OOundsp,,