Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-03-03
DIR. wiLBUR's WILL

wy ~ sim reads outside
IL, the door: sigr
~ ~ o which will soor
be changed IL
viii will soon read:
"Dr. Henri Garcau, physician ant
sur.rror.'
For IA" slsillful senior partner is NJ
more. us hrr n 50 often ra"hed fol
knowlr !ge viii n will relieve the suf
fr.ingS of mankind. is al r. st. The
kindly voice IS hushed The gentle
tender hand Is lying lifclcSs upon hi
breast. The noble heart mas ceased r.
beat. He is lying upon his led. up
parently sleeping. He has been car
ried there after the inquest lie |,
sleeping-the last long sleep which
must come to us all-the sleep from
which there Is no earthly awaking-
the sleep of death. In the Office below
the junior partner sits alone, his head
resting upon his folded arms upon the
desk, the light shining upon the red
dish brown hair, lingering lovingly
upon the man who is nursing his sor'
row. the genuine sorrow of noble
hearted man. lie has lost his bene-
factor, the only living being he loves,
and his manly form is convulsed and
shaken with the sobs that well up
from the depths of his soul.
lie has been sitting thus for a
long time - has eaten nothing
since morning lie cannot eat.
Cannot b ing himself to think OF
anything save the cod lifele IS clay, in
the room above, lie rises and locks
about him. me .hanical V observing the
familiar obje IS surrounding him.
Dead. he murmurs. ''Dead-and
soon to be placed beneath the sod. And
such n DEATH He shudd,.rs. Then
his face grows dark, his eyes flash
ominously, he clenches his hands: the
finely moulded lips compress. Curse
the hard-hearted wretch who did this
foul deed" he mutters. Curse, aye,
damn the fiend, who for miserable
pittance struck down this good old
man. May his limb w tacr may his
eye-balls rot in their sockets" lie
stops, and smiles bitterly. How mclo.
dramatically he has spoken. But he
means il. every word.
lie walks to the door and throws 1t
open. The night is dark, the warm
summer winds gently fan his heated
browne sign of lfe about him. They
retire early in these ru.al towns. He
looks up the street Within stones
throw is the cemetery. the cemetery
where the loved form will be laid
away, in his last resting place, the
cemetery where awaits his blnefactor
all that he can claim OF earth. the six
feet which can brrlai!nrd by all, King
or peasant, potentate or pauper.
''And he will soon he laid there" he
mutters bitterly.
Suddenly, he remembers the words
used by the Lowell prrtner. the last
time he has seen him alive. the promise
he had cxacted during the last inter
view.
IF should die suddenly, read my
will before burying me-"
He remembers he has promised to
obey him. lie recalls his own words.
"Your will shall be read before You are
inferred. Pray heaven that / shall
never be called upon to read it."
Then the impressive tones of the
other. 'Pray heaven that you will! II
is for the benefit of science that You
should
lie remembers how the words have
impressed him. lie had felt curious ut
the time.
1t seems long time ago to him. He
can scarcely bring himself to believe
that II was only the day before that
this interview took place, but a little
over twenty-four hours There has
been SO much crowded into the short
day. So much Of horror, so much OF
sadness
lie closes the door and returns TO the
desk. The will shall be read. His
partners last wishes shall be obeyed
He has said the document was in the
lower drawer OF his private desk He
has the keys in his possession. He
turns TO the desk. the desk where the
good old man has passed so many
hours in study, has written so
many prescripti ons Upon the leaf are
evidences of his work Half written
pages of manuscript, the pen lying
upon the rack, the cover OF the ink
stand lying near. lie inserts the key
in the lock of the lower drawer, and
pulls It open. A collection of odds and
ends meets his gaze. Walls, instru-
ments, old-fashioned, abandoned, grow
ing rusty from disuse. a bundle of
manuscript, tied with pink tape, .
legal looking document ut the very
bottom.
II Is the will. He takes Il out
Yes, across the top Is written In the
doctors angular hand,
Last tctlt and testdneslt Of Ezrd wa
bur-
He pushes the drawer In with his foot,
and busting the document, sits where
the light can strike the paper and rev
erently unfolds Is.
The psper Is written in the doctors
hand. He has not trusted this
precious document to his lawyer. II
begins
II, Ezra Wilbur, being of sound
health and mind-do make this my
last will and testament, the requests
whereof earnestly hope win be car
ried out faithfully 70 the very letter by
my more than son, my truly beloved
and faithful partner, Henri Gareau." 4
Then follows n list of requests, one
hundred doll.rs here, Eve hundred
there. principally TO some of those who
have bee n his patients-people In the
low w alks Of life; poverty STRICKEN
CT, res who have partaken Of his
bol in the years gone BY.
my adopted son, and loved part-
ner. Henri Gafenu. do give and BE-
qucath al the balance Of my property,
whether real estate or personal. c.