San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-02-27

Iowance and maintenance as to my beloved
wife may seem fit
And | hereby appoint Lucy l. Cecil my
sole executrlx of this my last will and tesla
ment, hereby revoking all former wills by
me made.
"In witness whereof | have hereunto sci
my hand, this third day of November, A. d.
| 49,"
II suppose you understand" undertook
to explain, 'that this will vests all your hus-
bands property in you, and to leave your
daughters allowances to your discretion is to
leave at law nothing in her own right The
provision is, in short, meaningless, except
that it shows the teStator had her in his
mind when he made his will, and SO far
makes it all the more binding"
"Exactlyl" She spoke with animation.
sits his wish-and | shall see that you are
well paid for your trouble and counsel-the
carriage will be here very SOON" And she
had gone as quickly rs she had come.
That remark about payment had antered a
very threadbare coat, and mad struck right
home
But it's too mean, all the same, pay or no
pay,n growled, Ito cut that girl off that
way without cent? But it's the old story
sophical smile on my face.
Then-just in sport, in fit of malignant
satisfaction-I took up a second sheet of
legal cap, and scrubbed thereupon, with a
formal opening and close, that this same
Robert E. Cecil gave all his property to his
dearly beloved daughter, Mabel Cecil, and
left the lady of the veil where the law found
her.
But such is the history of the world~ |
concluded, sOlemnly, lever such. and what
gulf, deep, impossible, between what ought
to be and what is! How should like to
bridge it over" And buttoned up my coat
and walking to the window, imagined |
could see through the darkness the coming Of
the carriage of Madam Cecil
The time dragged slowly, very slowly, and
| never felt more genuine relief than in hear
ing heavy wheels grinding through the mud
and slush, and a knocking at the door to no
tify me the carriage was ready
| sprang into the carriage and away we
dashed through such darkness that could
not for the life of me discover to what pOr-
ton of the town we were being driven. But
in very short time we came to sudden
halt, and the carriage door opened. The
coachman conducted me up the brown stone
steps, where the open door was already
awaiting me, and | stepped into the dimly
lighted hall
As did so a lady, whose figure and man.
ners told me she was Madam Cecil, glided
from side room. and with little plantive
smile babe me follow her at once. But in
that instant read her face and perhaps her
character. She might have been IS, only she
DOL bril-
pearly teeth and elegant manners, but be-
hind all these read the positive force that
turned to good may save a country, but given
over to evil would sacrifice everything to
success.
Noiselessly she glided over the heavy car
pets, and as silently followed her She
passed into the library, and from thenCe-as
| instinctively felt-into the chamber of
death; even elegant furniture and costly
paintings and embroidered coverlets are not
tooverawe our destiny.
"Mr Cecil, the lawyer has come" she
softly said, as she stopped over the emaciated
face of a silver haired man.
What! who" as he started from seem.
ing stupor, and looked wonderingly at me
from his sunken eyes.
He will read it to you now, Mr. Cecil"
adding in low tone: He is sinking rapidly;
| fear you must hasten"
felt that | must. l seated myself at his
bedside, and as did so saw his lips tremble,
and believed they were breathing a name:
imagined it was Mabel"
Our boldest moves are born upon the spur
of the moment.
Mrs Cecil, may trouble you for glass
of waterF' | asked, as l took out the will she
had drawn.
Quick, sir, quickI' said I, as I noticed his
Sunken eyes watching her fastening foot
steps. "Do you want your daughter to have
all your property, save what the law gives
your wifeI"
He started back from me as if he could not
trust his own senses, or was doubling
whether to put confidence in me; but se
seemed to feel the necessity of doing SO, and
suddenly the dull eyes frightened with a mo,
mentary CLEAN Of relief and Joy as he clearly
answered:
YES, yes! And God bless you"
And l, too, was thanking heaven for the
within that had led Inc to write two wills SC
very like in strength and appearance, and it
was only the work Of a moment to make the
change, and just in time,
With Mrs. Cecil came the housekeeper and
a man servant, and in their presence the
dying man trembliugly signed his name tC
the second will, and they witnessed it.
They had gone, and | started to 60, when
the old man pressed my hand, and saw the
tears gathering in his eyes AS | turned to
go Involuntary felt that the black eyes of
Madam Cecil had witnessed all and suspected
everything.
Il should like to see that will" she said,
firmly, in low voice.
Some other time. He's dying, Mrs.
Cecil"
80 much the greater reason sirI Show