Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-04-23

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sometimes he left it in bulk to a library;
sometimes to a hospital; but never one
dollar was left to Polly or her hus-
band"
But why did he never sign them?''
"Superstitious. He believed that
signing a will always preceded speedy
death. Why, there are wills in this
office my father drew up forty years
ago, and the testators-to-be are alive
| yet But | never told John Akin that.
told him every yarn ever heard about
men who dropped dead going home from
the lawyers after they had signed their
wills, all the cases of heart disease and
| apoplexy that followed their testament
tary efforts. l knew if he died without
a will Polly must inherit his property,
and wasn't going to stand in Polly's
| light If | could help it!''
Il see! Did he die then?"
1t was long after we had lost sight of
Polly that people began to shrug their
shoulders and talk in low tones about
John Akin. Nobody liked him. Such
airs of superiority are hard to
swallow in a free country, and
there was not man in Eyreville quite
ready to eat humble pie to John
Akin. So when he began to show signs
of mental weakness there were plenty
to nod and wink and laugh behind his
back. The first inkling l had was in
the wild directions I got about his bust
ness affairs, and when one day had FIVE
directly contradictory orders in one
note, l won't for DR.. Hay. After seeing
his patient he sent for New York ply
stefan, and they both decided that he
was as mad as a March hare We in
troduced keeper into the house as an
old friend come to make visit, and l
! undertook TO find Polly. Little knew
the task it would be. Letters were re-
turned, visits to New York were un-
availing, and advertisements of the most
urgent kind were UNDECIDED l was
breaking down with the weight of re-
sponsibility, for Mr.. Akin was in full
bodily health, and cunning as fox.
was in terror all the time lest he should
do some mischief, and yet had no au-
thority for shutting him up in an asy-
lum."
II should have taken the authority"
"And perhaps he would have recov-
cred in a month and sued you for false
|
raving lunatic, and there were times
when he was as sane as any body. Just
when was getting desperate received
a letter from Philadelphia. 1t was writ
ten by the superintendent of an institu-
tion for the instruction of the blind, and
stated that having seen my advertise
ment, he wrote to say that he had had
man named William Marshall under his
care, and thought he might be found if
l so directed. He was quite sure this
William Marshall had son named John
Akin, and thought it might be the man
l was seeking"
''Blind! Poor little Polly!''
81 took the next train for Philadel-
phia, and three days later found Will
Marshall, Polly and their three chill
dren. You might well say poor little
Polly then. viii had injured his eye
sight by writing late into the night,
earning a mere pittance as q clerk,
He had never had any business train
ing, and found it very hard to obtain
any employment fear they came
very near the starvation of which
Pollys father spoke, and that it was a
want of proper nourishment that at last
broke Will down with typhoid fever,
from which he recovered blind. But
this was after years of struggle, and
when the youngest of the children was
nearly year old. Brave little Polly
never lost her heart. Will spoke of heI
as he might have done of an angel as he
told me of her cheerfulness, her cour-
age, her hopeful spirit that never broke
under all the burdens laid upon it. She
had taken in sewing, had tended in q
store, had forty times turned every
penny earned before spending it. She
had never let an opportunity to work
pass by when her little hands could 40
complish the task. When / at las
found her she had established schoo
for little children, and managed tx
live on what she earned; but it wa!
we'll Will was blind. Could h'
have seen the pale little Polly who
came in while he talked, with haggarC
, face, gray hair and hollow eyes,
think his heart would have broken
Only the CHEEKY ring of her voice wa
left of the Polly Of old, and that, l an
sure, was cultivated to meet Wills ear
, Shabby in dress, WeariHess printed OF
every line Of her face, with three pale
thin children as shabby as herself, Poll.
wrung my heart, tough as it is. 1t tool
some argument to make her return t
= Eyreville, but she came at last, as m
: guest. To my relief and amazement, MI
Aikia received them all as distin
guished guests from abroad. The bes
in the house was not too good for them
, and could supply money for all needs
Our first care was to place Will unde
the treatment of an oculist, who gave bu
little hope at first, but after year c
building up of the whole system, under
: took an operation that was successful
BY that time there was no question c
Mr.. Atkins insanity, and the necessar
: legal measures to give his son-in-la'
t control of his properly we're easily man
5 aged. He lived three years after Poll
v came home, never once recognizing her
t but sometimes insisting he was enter
;. tanning one royal visitor, sometimes an
/ other. They were very kind to him
t humored all his whims. and think Iii
e tie Polly mourned sincerely when b
died. But if you call at the house nov
n ! am sure you will have cordial greet
n ing from your old schoolmates, Wi
Marshall and RoilS."
a 81 will certainly call. Midnight
It How time flies! There are q lot {
n other people ! want to ask about, bblr
D. If there is as long story for each on
d as you have just told me, we must pos
e pone our gossip until tomorrow"
II Goodnight, then. Bat beYar'
IS Don't tell my clients that gossip, 6
ID the results will be dreadfUl!"-Jeapetl
], Linden, in N. Y. Ledger.
r. ===
Of ESGENTRlC LOVERS.