Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-11-03
Miss Pillsbur1

was tying himself up. Miss Pillsbury
she nodded and says: 4 understand; 90
out to the carriage-shed and find the
Doctor And then she takes a straight
racket down from the top cupboard
shelf and slips into that office as silent
as an Indian, and before Miss Bagby
knows anything she finds herself strap
ped to her chair. Mad! When the
Doctor came in that woman was Just
ravlng. He dursen't unfasten her for a
spell, while Miss Pillsbury she stood
there smiling as sweet and innocent as
ever you see, thinking she'd managed
that lunatic pretty clever.
"Another time-"M
"Ihat is enough about 'Liph," inter-
rupted Charlotte; ''but did you happen
to know Tirzah Pierson, who lived with
Mr.. Pillsbury one winter?"
"Know Tirzah Piersonp went to
the 'cademy with her. She was a big
girl and I a little 'un."
"What became of herr Did she die
of a broken hearth"
"She that was Tirzah Pierson? Not
as I ever heard on. 1t was azimuth or
plumbago, Or something. She died at
her sons, Solomon Burleigh's, up on
Charlotte grew deadly pale.
"Then my John Burleigh is Tirzah
Persons grandson" she said.
thing She was not aware of her ex-
preston, "My John Burleigh," but /
noticed it.
Aunt Debby maundered on unmindful
of the impression she had made.
"Miss Pillsbury set a sight by Tirzah;
she remembered her in herwill that was
lost, but all she ever got was her grave
clothes. You see, Miss Pillsbury was
buried so s%udden-like, on account of the
plague, and without a Christian fu-
neral; and when the estate come to be
settled they found her shroud and things
all marked and laid away in a chest up
garnet. 1t didn't seem worth while to
send 'em to 'Liph, and faint likely
he'd a set any store on 'em, being a
man, and SO it was decided to give 'em
to Tirzah. There was just one thing
about TirZah that I never could under
stand. When she died her son sent for
me to come and lay her out; and hid
away in a chest under her clothes what
do you suppose l found?"
"Mrs. Pillsbury's will!' exclaimed
Charlotte, with flushing cheeks.
Eyes; and whatever possessed tho
creature to steal it is more than I can
make out. She'd "a come into a nice
little property if she'd "a let it alone;
but Satan does possess people to do
themselves the worst harm they can. I
gave it to her son, and we talked it over
together. He said such a length of time
had passed that like as not the will was
o%utlawed, and at any rate the lawyers
would require more money than he had
to recover anything. Then, too, it
seemed like slandering his mothers
memory to accuse her Of stealing any
thing, and we agreed to hush the mat
ter up betwixt us. I don't know but
I'm doing wrong speaking of it now,
and I don't know as I am. The Scrip.
ture says that that what is hid shall be
made known, though perhaps I hain't
any call to be a%-shouting it from the
house tops"
Charlotte drew her mantle about her,
and I followed her to the door. "No, I
shall not leave Deepgrove until 1 have
seen John Burleigh,'' she said. .tIowe
Tirzah Pierson too great a debt forthat.
To think of her concealing the will that
made her an heiress, to leave every
thing to my good-for-nothing grand
father!!"
"And John Burleigh has the will
now, you thinkp
Eyes, and like his grandmother, gave
up all attempt to profit by it when he
a%scertained in whose hands the prop
erty rested"
Ireceived an invitation to myfriend's
wedding the following winter, and with
the cards came a letter:
DEA L.: More disclosures. John sent me
my wedding, present yesterday, none other
Piflsbury speaks of making in her journal,
which petticoat was laid away with the cloth
ing designed for her burial, and was finally
given to Tirzah Pierson. 1t has been sacredly
kept all these years in Johns family, and has
being I am. Well, the quilting is exquisite,
and US the lining to my sealskin sacque which
1 bought in London two winters ago is a little
worn, I decided that I would have it refined
had my dressmaker take it partially apart, and
we found the upper portion wadded with the
very papers which Mrs. Pillsbury threatened
to carry with her when she died! You know I
Tirzah. Well, she really did possess them all
her lite without knowing it, and in marrying
JohnI make a richer match than he does. If
it were only written outas a story who would
-Lazzie w Mampney, IN The Cont.
mental.