Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-04-01

would think more of your wife and
less of this everlasting wool-sorting. -
John made no reply.
"Besides.' continued Maria, 81 am
very anxious to see the Los Angeles
Doctor When can we get OFF,
Still no reply from John.
joint said Maria.
An oppressive silence followed, as
before.
"John.' exclaimed Maria, ''what is
the matter? Why do you not speak?"
II do not know how to speak" re-
piled John, as he took his wife in his
arms. 'sBe brave woman, Maria,
dear. l must be mother as we'll as
husband to you now. My darling child,
you have no mother; she died yester-
dayr'
The proposed visit to Los Angeles
was of course omitted, and the carriage
of Mrs. John Templeton never stood at
the door of the unknown doctor as the
chariot of Naaman the Syrian stood at
the door of The prophet Elijah.
| After the first shock of the blow had
passed away, Maria Tempieton, by a
supreme act of the will, aroused herself
| and became the brave woman which
| she was at heart. She bore herself
well on the long journey home, and
| rose to the emergency which the sad
| occasion demanded. The old home of
her mother, with its solid furniture and
its familiar appointments, became hers;
and within months time the Temple
ton family had removed from their
narrow home in side street to the
spacious home of Maria's childhood on
the favored side of Walnut street.
Philadelphia The will Maria knew
would be all right, and, being engaged
in the more congenial details of ar
ranging the house for her own family,
had left this mysterious business to her
husband and the family attorney, and
that unknown but ultimate combina-
ton, the prothonatory court and the
register of deeds.
Mr.. Templeton had told his wife each
week after their return from California
that he would bring home her mothers
legacy in a day or two; but full month
had passed away without the appear
ance of the conventional tin box from
the safe deposit.
At last, one Monday afternoon, when
Maria had returned from days busy
shopping at the grand central depot of
John Wanamaker's, the conversation
with which the story began took place
in the hallway of the Walnut street
residence. Aunt Amelia had come!
Aunt Amelia was to be domesticated in
Maria Templeton's new home, and was
to be a constant factor in the equation
of the home life of the new establish
ment. At breakfast, dinner and sup
per, on the stairs and in the drawing
room, in her own room and in the
guest-chambcr, by day and by night,
in the short days of winter and in the
long days of summer, at every turn in
existence, she, Martha Templeton, was
continually to behold the face of Aunt
Amelia, and BE- conscious of her pres
ence, subordinating the ways of the
household to her own depraved and in
tricate will.
mo, John" she exclaimed, as the
bleaching white of the sense of ennui
took the place of the glow from the
excitement of shopping which was on
her cheeks as she entered the house
mo, John, this can not be. There
must be some mistake about it. NV
mother never would inflict such load
of care and responsibility upon one
whom she loved so much as she did me.
Let me see the will.
John handed his wife stiff piece of
parchment from the inner pocket of his
coat, and, spreading it out upon the
piano in the parlor, laid his finger upon
the following passage:
Il give and bequeath to my cousin
Amelia Burton CranbroOk, otherwise
known as Aunt Amelia, the interest on
the sum of thirty thousand dollars,
during her life, the money itself to be
given to my daughter Maria on the
death of the said Amelia Burton Gran
brook. And it is. moreover, my wish
and desire, as the condition upon
which the aforesaid sum shall descend
to my aforesaid daughter, Maria Tenn
pleton. that the aforesaid Amelia Bur-
ton Cranbrook shall live with said
daughter Maria, if the aforesaid Maria
occupies during her lifetime my resi-
dencc situated upon Walnut street, in
the city of Philadelphia.
"You could move out, Maria, and 90
back again to your residence on South
Nineteenth street," said John, as he
watched the daZed look on his wife's
face; 'but then you are so comforta-
bly, settled now that it would be a pity
to take up the carpets one week after
they have been put down. Besides,
you would have to go. every few days,
to see your Aunt Amelia at her board
ing-house on Mount Vernon street.
All further conversation about the
will was interrupted by knock at the
drawing-room door.
''Miss Amelia wants to know if
there is any more boiled milk for her
chocolate?" asked the waitress. 1.-The
milk l took up before was scalded; and
she says. ma am, please not to forget her
belladonna pills, and the pepsin. And
one thing | most forgot. She wants
John to 60 up to her boarding-house,
and fetch down her hot-water spine
bag. She left it behind when she packed
up her trunk
an