The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-11-10
MY PROPERTY,

uouot oUlLlLlSl SlSlG duu 1 udu
proudly taken her through the house
to have her admire the improvements
made since her last visit.
sit is all very nice and convenient,
! dear" she said. as she seated herself
in the easy chair I offered her "but did
you g regret giving those bonds to
your husband, May9'
-Most assuredly not, auntie. Why ?"
Because I thought it very unwise
and that some day you would. bitterly
regret it. 1t was your poor fathers
property and should have been re-
tanned in your|own name I am sure"
"Now, don't worry, auntie, please.
You came to have a pleasant visit
with us. Ella has been nearly frantic
with delight since I told her you were
coming"
1.-THE child, yes. She Is a dear little
thing, to be sure But do you know
that If your husband should die to-day
: she would inherit the property you
gave him. If she were your own
child it would be different"
"But she is mine, all I have, certain
ly. Ilove her dearly, and I hope to be
good mother to her, Notwithstanding
all the bitter things written and said
against step-mothers."
Eyes, and you are a good mother to
her. But to suppose still farther. If
she, too, should be taken away then
your property would not revert to you,
but go to her relatives. of whom you
know nothing. would that be right? p
Perhaps not. But why do you say
these dreadful thingsp She and her
father are as likely to live as l. And
wife is entitled to DOVER"
Eyes. the interest from one-third of
what her husband leaves. Just the in
terest. mind you. And you gave him
b means to go into business. You
know he failed once, and may, posi-
bly,. again"
but he paid up every penny" l
dashed back proudly,
~ know, AMI it was right; but. con-
sequently you married a poor man
! with a child as well as a wife to sup.
port on a clerks salary"
"You forget, auntie. that he still
had this beautiful home when all his
creditors had been fully paid: the
home in which Ella was born and
where his poor wife died."
81 forgot nothing | and what I re-
member with the greatest bitterness is
your unadvised act of yielding up your
y little patrimony. intrusted to ne by
your dying father for you. and that
you took no obligation for 1t what
ever
But" l replied, che invested it IN
a business which supports us nicely.
Besides, it was not his fault. He
wanted me to have Interest bearing
notes, or to be the company in the
business, as If l wouldl and I told him
never to mention the subject to me
again, and he never has"
''Then all I have to say is you were
very silly as well as imprudent."
But it was not all she had to say,
even to telling me that a certain
matchmaking mother had said that
my husband would have preferred one
OF her daughters if she had held prop.
erty in her own right as I did. That
he needed the money and married me
simply to obtain it. !
"Don't, aunty, please" l said with
a little shiver.
Nor would I, but to convince you
that he should have secured your little
property to you, IL only for the opinion
OF Others"
ut is all right just as it is. Ahl
here comes Ella" and my, dear old
worldly wise aunt forget to lecture In
her delight at seeing the little fairy
who nearly smothered her with kisses.
But 4 had received a hurt that rank
led like a thorn in the flesh. And so
Mrs. Jones thoughtShe married me for
my money? And perhaps others have
the same opinion? OF course 1 knew
ne did not, and said it over and over
Y again TO myself AL helped our one
servant 70 prepare the evening meal.