The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-24

Whelmedg Send Gar here and trust all
arrangements TO me-
It was the old reassuring voice. And
with restful confidence. the pious souls
fell back into their usual dependence
upon Ezra, allowing him to manage
everything, even TO the minutest sad de-
tail
Strange he could be so cool, so deliber-
atei Extremely convenient for them GER
tsinly; still such self-control is so I'M
usual that they were constrained to say
to various people: 1.-The colonel is pc
culiar. but you mustn't think he lacks
feeling. o no. though il isn't as If ne
had lost his home as we have. In that
case he couldn't be so philosophical, Of
course. But he has really great depth
Of feeling"
After the funeral Lawyer AIagee asked
the little family of mOurners, consisting
of three, to assemble in the parlors and
hear the reading of the will. The aunts
in deepest black sat together upon the
sofa, truly sOrrowful, though by no
means insensible to the Importance Of
what was TO follow. Col. Ezra, by the
window. folded his hands and looked at
tentively at the lawyer. He thought he
knew well enough the words Of the dOcu-
ment written two years since at Los
Angeles.
But to his surprise, Mr.. Mage pro-
duced a new will bearing date only a
month ago. 1t declared that the tesla
tor, having lost the greater part of his
property, had destroyed all former wills.
and now, after small requests to his
friends, Miss Pope and Mrs. Sill. he be-
queathed all his existing fortune, mea-
ger one, indeed, to his only and well-be-
loved brother, Ezra Preston.
AS these words fell slowly from the at
torney's lips Col. Ezras face clouded per
ceptibly. 1t was evident that he was
astonished by the shrinkage in the eS-
tate. and he took no pains to conceal his
surprise. There are actually tears in
his eyes," thought Aunt Pope, who was
watching him. II wouldn't have thought
it of him, when he never shed a tear
at the funeral" But Ezra was not
thinking of his own disappointment
Poor Sam he was saying TO himself
mot even his house left 10 him And he
has been fretting over It all these weeks
and never told met Dear old brother, 1
should have been tenderer to him if 1
had known"
An Ezra, could you have been ten
derer?
His next thought was quite as char
acteristic OF his Limited nature" The
moment il came to him he could have
no rest till he had given ii utterance
Springing up he exclaimed in clear, ring
ing tones:
MIR. Magee, my brother. the judge,
had il in his mind to make a cOdicil.
ladies. in all probability, would have re-
ceiVed each Of them some thousands
more. THAT is. we-talked of it only
last Monday. He knew they richly de-
served it."
"Oh, you dear SOUL sobbed Aunt Lou
lisa Historically.
Aunt POpe's voice trembed as she
struck in penitendy:
You're too unSelish, Ezra
ALLOW me to ask" said the lawyer
dIily ARE you aware, Col. Preston. That
there is really nothing further left for
these ladies? That is" he added. with
a slight touch Of sarcasm, unless you
make over your own share?'
Il am aware of it," returned the col
opel, who was still standing.
And as YOU have lost by your brother
already"
II cannot have that alluded to-" inter
rupted the colonel. MY brother, the
judge, like all men. was liable To- mis-
takes. ] wish it distinctly understood
here and now that [ relinquish all my
claims to the estate in favor Of Mrs
Sill and Miss Pope. I say this because
1 think il would be my brothers wish
If he could speak today.
"He does not say Il was his wish.
thought the lawyer with a keen glance
at the colonel .'Yes, yes. L see. He
thinks he might have talked the judge
into this scheme if there had been time
enough. But he makes slight mistake
there: the judge couldn't have been
talked into It: he wasn't that kind of
man; he was too level-headed."
II Ezra speech really had a double
meaning as Mr.. Magee suspected. the
aunts did not perceive it. Aunt Louisa
threw back her crepe veil from her
flushed face, eXclaiming:
"Oh, Ezra, you're too good TO live!
But we can't accept it."
And Aunt Pope, weighed down with
remOrse for her nomentary doubt Of
him, echoed brokenly:
no, no. Ezra, we can't have il So
The colonel listened to these deniurrers
in respectful silence, measurably sure
that the aunts could be persuaded in
time.
The lawyer himself had no doubt of it.
Not that they were I'm any degree avari-
cious or designing women, but some men
are never so eloquent as when they
plead against themselves, and the colonel
was precisely one OF this sort.
A few days later the aunts were say
ing tentatively:
Then If you are absolutely sure. Ezra.
that ii will not he defrauding yourself?
IL you really think this would have been
dear Sans wish? And would it make
your conscience any easier. you blessed
man?"
They went to live in Ohio in Aunt
Pope's native village, which had been al
ways their ideal Of a suhunary para
disc. Their last days We're their hap
piest ones. thanks to dear sam so
they said to their friends.
People laughed at Ezra. and he knew
it. No excuse could be made for him
save that which pity makes for the weak
and unwOrldly
But he smiled as he cultivated his lit
tie ranch. which was already equal to
the best i'm Chula Vista, and remarked
in an undertOne to his lemon trees:
What signifies the speech of people?
Is II worth while 20 vindicate myself at
the expense of my brother. the Judge
Twas only my duty to make up for his
shortcomings, and / believe he thanks
me for it now.
And you, Margaret, I think YOU saw
the sorrOwful faces of the old aunts and
have never blamed me.-Sophie May In
the y. y. Post.
Young and Great.
Washington was a major at nineteen.
4 ffiC Il 1rr191 ~ bod Il l.