Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-06-20

not CRY. for she had to face those people
down stairs again; but she muttered little
moans of anguish as she stood there. She
realized what life was at that moment, and
it seemed very cruel to her-onee young,
beloved, pretty, ana hopeful; now old, un-
loved wIinkled and with nothing 10 wish
for. No wonder She suffered.
At last she turned her back on the eter-
nal mountains - unchanged while lives
were lived, and while youth fled and love
departed, and graves were dug-and saw
the coat upon the wall; Ben's coat-au old
mans coat, worn long and earelessly-and
a big broad brimmed soft hat The WON
an went closer She nestled up against
the coat, and talked to it and caressed it,
and she took the hat in hand and kissed it.
1t was worth nothing 1t had rain stains
on it. Nobody wanted it, But what a
relic it would be to her Of Ben! only she
could not ask for it.
She could take it, hide it under her
.hawl-all folded Hat, as it would be, and
keep it forever Ben's hat-her Ben's hat.
Why. she had a right to it.
And Miss Camiola obeyed the impulse,
took the hat, and hid it neatly away. 1t
seemed, almost, as though it were a theft.
Still it would not be wrong to take it.
When she came home Mrs. Black told
her the walk had done her good; her
checks were quite red; but she went carly
to bed that evening She bolted her door,
and undressed in a hurry. She put out
the light Then she felt for her shawl, in
which the hat lay folded, and took it in
her arms. \ certain perfume that was al
ways connected with Ben's hair was faint
ly noticeable-an odor of bergamot. 1t
brought the past back wildly. 1t almost
seemed as though Ben's head rested on her
heart She clasped the old hat close, and
kissed it.
"Oh. Ben" she whispered, Il was ready
to make up, but you was rich and l was
poor, and l was proud. Oh, Ben, Oh, Ben,
Ben, my darling!'
And for hours she lay awake-the Cam
lola of the past-in darkness, which blot
ted out the changes in her face, and fell
asleep at last, and dreamed of young Ben
and his perfumed hair, and heard him say
once more that they would be happy to-
gether.
She awakened suddenly, in the early
dawn, and came back to herself She
dressed herself, smoothed the trim bands
of hair, tied Oh her black apron, pinned
the cushion and the sheath of scissors at
herSide, and then looked at the hat OF
course it must be hidden away; and she
spread a newspaper on the bed in which
to wrap it, and paused to look at it once
again.
The inside Of the hat presented itself.
The piece of leather which lined the crown
looked curiously thick She touched it
with her hand Under it was a long paper
folded into a long slip; she drew it out and
saw that something was written on the
outside. Taking the paper to the window,
she saw that the words were these: "Last
VIII and Testament of Benjamin Bar
ker"
At this Miss Camiola began TO trcmble
from her head to foot, but she was a daugh-
ter Of Eve. Softly and reverently, indeed,
she opened the will; but she did open it,
and read it through, and when she had fin
ished she crept into bed again and lay for
a long while; for in il she had found
strange things. Some of Benjamin Bar
I,,.' Ial Iaf fg hn al
some of his land TO the church, and there
were legacies for many people; but the
homestead, with all its furniture garden,
and farm land, and an income on which
she could live luxu.iously, were bequeath-
ed Ito Camiola Brown, spinster, in memo
ry Of the love 7 bore her all my lonely life. >
No wonder poor Camiola wept.
Bat Mr. Black soon found out the cause
Of Camiola's agitation, and Mr.. Black was
lawyer. The will was correctly made;
the witnesses were found
Why Benjamin Barker had put it in his
hat lining no one knew. lie often carried
papers there. Perhaps he meant to leave
it in safe keeping but he died very sldden-
ly, with hat and coat ON, as he was about
to drive out. But the will was found, and
was all right Nothing had yet been tax
en- away. she money was refunded to
the purchasers Of the old furniture.
The young nephew had a tolorable iega-
cy, and made no fuss whatever and one
day Camiola entered the homestead as its
mistress. IT was strange ending to her
love story, she thought. She was there at
last but how! 1t almost seemed to her as
though some spiritual union had taken
place between her soul aud Ben's and in
the sleeping room, on peg near the door,
she hung his coat and hat. There they
hang always, and to the stranger who
sees them aud looks mt the mild old lady
rocking in the great chair as she sews or
kniis, it seems as though the master of the
house were within-up stairs somewhere,
perhaps. 1t often seems 50, too, to Cami-
ola