The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-07-23

odd. Nobody wanted It But what a
relic 1t would be TO her OF Benz only
she could not ask for It
She could take 1t hide It under her
shawl-all folded aat as 1t would be
and keep II forever. Ben's hat
her Ben's hat! Why. she had right
to 1t
And Miss Candida obeycd the i'm
pulse took the hat and hid It neatly
away. II seemed. almost as though
1t were theft; still it would not DO
wrong to take it.
When she came home Mrs Black
told Miss Camiola the walk had done
her good; her cheeks were quite red;
but she went early to bed that even
ing, She bolted her door and un-
dressed In n hurry. She put out the
light Then she felt for her shawl In
which the hat lay folded and took it
In her arms. A certain perfume that
was always connected with Ben's hair
was family noticeable odor oil
bergamot. 1t brought back the past
wildly. ltalmost seemed as though
Bens head rested on her, heart She
clasped the old hat close and kissed it
'Oh. Ben she whispered. Il was
always ready to make up; but you
were rich and l was poor; and was
proud. Oh Ben! on. Ben. Ben, my
darling!"
And for hours she lay awake-the
Camiola OF the past--in the darkness
which blotted out the changes In her
face. and fell asleep at last and dreamed
OF young Ben and his perfumed hair,
and heard him once moro say they
would be happy together.
She awakened suddenly in the early
dawn. and came back TO herself She
dressed herself; smoothed her prin
bands OF hair; pinned the cushion an0
the sheath OF scissors ut her side; and
looked at the hat OF course It must
be hidden away; and she spread
newspaper on the bed in which to
wrap it paused 10 look ut it again.
The inside OF the hat presented it.
SELF The piece of leather which lines
the crown looked curiously thick. She
touched 1t with her hand. Under II
was Il long paper folded into a mar
row slip; she drew it out and saw that
something was written outside. TAX.
ing the paper to the window she saw
that these words: The Last Will and
Testament OF Benjamin Barker"
At this Miss Camiola began tc
tremble from head TO foot but she
was "a daughter OF Eve. softly and
reverently indeed she opened the will;
but she did open it and read it
through. and when she had finished
she crept into bed again and lay there
sobbing for long while; for in il
she had found strange things. Some
OF Ben,am Barker's money had
been left TO the hospital 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 luxuriously
were bequeathed to Camiola Brown.
spinster in memory OF the love bore
her all my lonely life"
No wonder poor Camiola wept
But Mr.. Black soon found out the
cause OF Camiola's agitation. and Mr..
Black was a lawyer; the witnesses
were found.
Why Benjamin Barker had put it
in his hat lining no zone knew. He
often carried papers there. Perhaps
he meant to leave it in safe keeping.
but he died very suddenly with hat
and coat on. as he was about 20 drive
out But the will was found and was
all right Nothing had yet been
taken away. The money was re-
funded to the purchasers OF the old
furniture
The young nephew had tolerable
legacy. and made no fuss whatever.
and one day Camiola entered the
homestead as its mistress 1t was
strange ending to her love story. she
thought She was here at last, but
how? 1t almost seemed to her as
though some spiritual union had taken
place between her soul and Ben's; and
in the keeping-room, on peg near
the door she hung his coat ana hat.
There they hang always, and to the
stranger who sees them. and looks at
the mild old lady rocking in the great
chair as she sews or knits. it seems as
though the master OF the house were
within upstairs somewhere. per-
haps. 1t often seems SO. too. to
Camiola Farmers Voice.