Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-03-08

poor lady was considerably fr;oh.a.,
ed at what she had done, for han go ~
ror oil her husband overshaslo
ner' even though he lay HELPLESS 80 )
deaths door before her ewes ~ =.
possibility of his recovery sngcastas
startling reflections to her agitatas
mind; while she dreaded seareelv -.
her action being found ont hy 49,
brother.in-law. The demeanor ~ AZ
later, which to her excited in,aa;ra
ton, seemed plainly to indicate I so,oa
suspicion OF what she had been doi,,a
increased her uneasy annrebans ;o..s'
anu sne was grateful indeed to avail
i'sTseH oil the doctors interferenc 81
and to flee from William ockdyne's
hated presence. ''o
When ste found herself alone. how.
ever, IN her own boudoir, she plncSaa
up her spirit, and determined Ia AZ.
stroy the letters at once resoI,tal,,
disregarding what might hannan =,
case her husband should recoyar
without more ado she stirred ths 6ra
INTO q blaze and thrust the nackat =;
letters into it. Words would fell
to describe the blessed sensation
oil unspeakable relief with which
she beheld the fatal nansrs
ignite and slowly burn ana
snnouioer away into shapeless mass
OF Under but she was not allowed
time to completely recover her com
posure, Tor barely had the flame died
uown When she was startled by a
knock at the door. Instantly apnre.
hending message relating to her hus.
nand, she rose at once and turned the
Key back in the lock; but before sba
could grasp the handle the door was
opened from without, and her brother.
in.law stepped nimbly into the room.
What is the matter?" inauired
Mrs. Ockdyne in alarm and confusion.
our husband is worse" said
William Ockdyne, with a comprehen-
sive glance around the room as he
spoke.
"Worse" exclaimed Mrs. Ockdvne
1es; another seizure"
Mrs. Ockdyne rushed past without
giving another thought to her own
affairs. Had she done so she would
have waited to allow him to precede
her, for in the single instant that he
fingered on the threshold of her room.
he unhappily caught sight OF the char.
RED einbers IN the fireplace. Not a word
aid he utter, however, but followed
silently to his brothers bedside.
The seizure which William Ockdyne
came to report turned out to be the
last thicker of John Oekdyne's life. A
lew minutes later he had expired.
Mrs. 0ekdyne left the chamber of
death with that awe stricken and
chastened feeling which the last earth.
ly scene never tails to inspire, and
when later in the day she went down.
stairs to eiIe some orders to her
servants she learned that William
OcSdJne had just left. after having
taken possession oil the dead mans
keys and thoroughly overloaded all
the dead mans papers. Seals had been
placed upon her husbands desk and
escritoire, upon the plate chest, and
even, as she was informed, upon the
door OF the wine cellar. Mrs. Ockdyne
experienced some natural Indignation
at these proceedings, considering that
her husband had ceased to breathe
but q Few hours previously. The
news, however. affected her chiefly as
proving what wise precaution she
had taken in securing these fatal let
ters-now, happily, no more; fact
which rendered her completely indif-
ferent to William 0ckdyne's proceed.
ings.
There was curious difference in the
tone OF the servants when they men.
toned the name and stated the or
ders given by her brother-in-law, and
a marked mystery in their manner to-
ward herself, which puzzled Mrs. 0ck-
dvne, though she forebore to make
any remark on the subject. But she
concluded from these signs that it had
gone forth that William was his
brothers heir, and that she. herself,
so to speak. deposed. Her brother
in-law's bearing toward her, however,
during the interval before the funeral.
did not entirely bear out this idea. 1t
was true that he took possession of
his brothers valuables and assumed
a control over the household which
Mrs. 0ckdyne did not care to dispute
3ut while treating the poor lady with
the scantest courtesy, he seemed to
reg ard her with sort OF jealous sas-
pieion, which appeared quite unac-
countable. The result. was, that al
though Mrs. Ockdyne stroye to take
comfort from the reflection that he
was powerless to harm her in any
way, she was seized with vague and
uncomfortable presentiment OF evil
which she could not shake off.
William 0ckdyne did not let fall
single word about the contents of his
brothers will to his sister-in-law be
fore the funeral, and rs he seemed de-
sirous to avoid the subject Mrs. Ock
dyne forebore to question him. But
on the afternoon OF the day when the
funeral took place hegrimly requested
her, when the other mourners had LETT
the house, to step into the study to
hear the will read. This she accord
ingly did, more because she thought
it was expected oil her than from any
pressing desire for information, when
she found her brother-in.law in com.
pany with a sharp-featured, redwhis-
kered little man, whom he briefly in
PRODUCED to her rs Mr.. Boyle, the So
licitor who had prepared the will.
As soon as Mrs. 0ckdyne had seat
s;s noctat somewhat torn and
dilapidated looking document, from
which he proceeded TO read in a brisk.
high-toned voice The will OF the de.
ceased which was dated some years
back, may be briefly summarized as
follows: The widow took only a leg
acv Of 90 600 and certain furniture,
and the bulk OF the testator's proper
~ ,ent 20 he hrotbar William. who
was annomted sole executor.
"It IL what / expected" said Mr..
Ocldvne onietiv. when the LAWYER had
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