Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-19

eOItlng WIN charge OF not WHISKY into hi
brother In laws yellow face. ne contented MIN
self by saying with an angry grin:
An whatu ye say when tell We my wife L
with her own sisther this very dee. as thick a.
bees In fve?"
The Irishman, though he had kept his tetape,
the worst, won the match after ali. Steldl leap,
from his chair With vOlley OF language tina,
proved his own temper to be no deeper than the
Your wife, you fOrtune-hunting Irish beg.
gar. Your wife with Miss MoiioyT so that
why youV been keeping me eres" He threw
the rest OF his liquor into the fire. and sent q
blaze up the chimney. Then he buttoned his
coat. defiantly, saying: Il will see Miss MOL
10y
= An that's what call mighty waste of good
drink. said Major O'Birn, guiping down the re.
mainder OF his own. Yes, We may CO. Steldl. l
won't bother even to see her door shut in your
face-though, faith, 1t would be fun
And tell you. Monsieur" cried Steldl rails
Ing his voice into sort OF scream. "tnat It is
my wife which Is now with Miss MolIoy,'
The two husbands glared at one another
hereby; And, short OF running the risk of being
them to do. Words had done their worst; and
they were evidently not men OF deeds
NO; Miss Bridgita Molioy had not turned out
oau sister after ALL She would never even
Major and the Count. and had an odd way of
speaking OF the married Miss Molloys as IL they
were widows; but she did not visit the sins Of
the fathers upon the children. AT very early
age 100 early for them to make a deliberate
Choice between their father and their fortunes,
she had sent both the little Ferentz and the
little Lucis Brfdgita to good schools, and, as
CANTERBURY for the holidays to meet their
mothers. who accepted the arrangement more
reasonably than mothers always WILL For
that matter, neither Count nor Major cared to
be bothered with baby; nor always with a
wife, so that the two young children We're re-.
moved from evil influence as much as lay In
Miss Molloy's power. She was a very strict
and fft,rr,
meant TO be kind, and was really kind 10 her
Owl way. | never saw much of the children
but 1 liked what l did see. Ferentz was a
fine. frank, high-spirited young fellow, with
way with the sons OF prodIgal fathers, and
I.uci5 was almost az pretty as her mother had
been when she eloped with the Major. Rather
a quiet girl, used to think; but am1able, and
with dash OF her aunt Biddy'5 good sense
about her way OF speaking. But it was one of
Miss Molloy's caprlces that the left hand which
she held out to one sister should know nothing
of how the right hand was held OUT to the
other. Neither mother, neither child was ever
her guest at the same time as the other mother
and the other Child. / doubt IL Ferentz knew
that he had cousin Lucis, or she that she had
a cousin Ferentz. Most assuredly each OF the
mothers believed that she alone was favored
with her sisters bounty That reserve was one
OF MISS MollOy'S very strongest foibleS IL one
may properly call foible strong. She would
never tell even me, her lawyer, more than she
thought absolutely necessary about anything:
and so OF course even she, with all her GOOD
business qualities, would sometimes make little
mistakes out of which l found 1t difficult to
help her.
And the same course that she pursued WITH
her lawyer she followed with her doctor TOP
That Is TO say, with certain doctor who hap
pene0 10 be personal friend; for she used to
boast that she had never had medicine bottle
In the house but once, and that she had thrown
out or the window. She often said that she
had nothing Of a coffin about her but the
md unf flnn -.
time she was compelled to send for her medical
friend In professional capacity, he found that
5he must have been suffering for years from a
most painful internal and organic disease, and
fatal one. How do hungry relations always
hear such news? Had she made her VIII? If
not. would she recognize the fact that the pa
lure OF her disease admitted OF no delay? And
so, for the first time, Mrs. 0'Birn and Mrs
>teldl. at the expense OF their husbands credI-
toTs, flew On the wings of sisterly affection, and
met together at Miss Molloy's bedside.
IL Was-for 1t must have been-a strange
meeting between the two torlorn, faded. worse
han widowed, halt-chIldless women Dy the
OF one who to them had for many
years represented strength, health comfort
All that they had wanted since they were girls
together long and long ago. There they had
10 sit, one On each side OF the bed, conscious of
question she had been commanded by her
-yrant 10 ask, conscious that the other was
similarly burdened, unable 90 ask It In the
)ther presence, not daring nor knowing how
% ask Ii had she been alone by the bedside
For declare that even l myself would sooner
nave led forlorn hope than have asked Miss
like to think OF the dismay OF the two nus
bands, but don't In pity like to think of what
The two poor wives must have suffered In
silence that afternoon.
knows places like Chatter5ury-been put in the
position OF being able 10 report the converse
ton between the two gentlemen In the coffee
ROOM. They had not spoken In whlsper3 and
U hntGQ rQ had
ears. so was not very much surprised when,
la The course OF the evening, received sum-
mons 10 attend Miss Molloy.
'Ah," said her doctor, who was dining with
n when the summons came. report the ex-
camation because 1t was meant to mean a
great deal.
II nope and trust find you better, Miss Mol
10y" said |, when | was shown into her bed
room, which she had not LETT for some weeks
now.
''No, Mr.. Lake. you don't" said She ~ didn't
believe was dying woman three hours ago,
but ! do now, Don't say anything stupid. I've
NOT lived such bad life that I'm afraid: and
I've never oeen afraid to face anything La my
lte, except marriage, and I'm not going TO be-
gin now. She was right; with all her little
oddities she had been really a good, il somewhat
hard hammered, woman, and always a singu-
larry brave one. 81 know I'm dying, because
the hawks and kites are abroad. We used to
keep oanshee In the old times, and its some.
thing between count and a major. Those
poor silly sisters OF mine have been here both
er1ng me TO make my Will. And IL you don't
know what that means Mr.. Lake, / do 1t
means death, as sure as I'm lying here"
You mean to say that your sisters have
mentioned such q thing?" q
1t wits really not case for common phrases.
Miss Molloy was-Miss Molloy
Not In words-no, poor things. But there
they sat and cried, and there was nothing but
Wili-Wni-Will, In every tear. 'Tlsn't them /
blame. though It's not nice to be cried over
that way. Twas as much as l could do not 10
say NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. but I've always had
since then I've been thinking how maybe It's
better to have somebody TO drop a real tear
over your own self. II It's half brandy, and
from Count or Major, than TO have lived in
peace only to die all alone. But that's fools
talk; and didn't ask we not to talk like stupid
that ye might listen the better to fool"
Steldl-Miss OBirn."
.'Pooh' who remembers a dead aunt for a
whole day. I'd like TO know? Would | want to
make boy and a girl cry before their own
troubles come? IT'S business | sent We for.
my WILL
. | am sure you are right In that / am en-.
trely at your service. Miss Molloy"
Then said she Il want you to draw my
VIII now. No instructions. mind, to &c
drafted tomorrow. ! might be dead by then
who Knows? My pains almost left me- and
that 5 bad sign, II deaths a bad thing. 1t
VIII be very short and very simple. Take a
sheet OF the big foolscap-thatll be plenty
ment OF Bridgita' mind We spell 1t with a
ia, Lot a "da"; and with only one st" mind:
for I'm particular about that way, for It's the
way my mother spelt It: right or wrOng-"of
Br1dgita MOlloy, or Chatterbury, In the county
of'-whateyer 1t was-"spinster'': praise glory