The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1894-06-07

DIFFICULTY?''
But not until now did she have sus-
picion of the depth to which he could
descend. From her front piazza she
could SEQ not far away the walls
around the state penitentiary. Reach
ing home, and stopping to rest upon
rocking 9lair on the piazza, her eyes
turned towards this place and looked
upon it for several moments. Turning
away at last, she said to herself
aloud:
Except for the dishonor, / would
rather live there than here"
In the interval before her husbands
return she strengthened herself as well
as possible for the work which she felt
had been imposed upon her. Wiley
found her dressed with somewhat
more than habitua1 care, and a slight
coloring was on her check. At supper
he remarked that she looked unusually
well.
.'I'm well enough, Mr.. Amerson;
quite as well as deserve or care to be. F."
''Why, what's up now?"
It was in his way, which, from i'm
punity of habitual use, had grown
more and more logging. He looked up
from his plate, and, noting the cour-
ageous scorn on her face, shrank some
what, then said:
II declare, Julia, 1 haven't tie
slightest idea what ails you"
Rising and resuming the shawl she
had laid aside, she said:
eff you care to know the occasion OF
this present special trouble, Mr.. Amer
son, and if, after you are through with
your supper, you will come into the
piazza, / will tell YOU"
Then she went out.
"What's the matter with your mis-
tress, Betsy?" he asked of the maid.
II declar', marster, / dom know.
She went to Miss Plume's little while
dis evenin', and sence she got back
pear like somethin' on her min"
.'Umph-humph. That's very often
the case. Clear the things off as quick
as you can; then go to the kitchen and
stay till you're called. Hear2''
'tYes, sir, marster.'
It was full moon in mid-September
The beams played with the yet green
leaves of the locust trees which grew
on either side Of the long walk lead
ing to the front gate. Anderson soon
d1UcTWdEu CeLLlc ouU3 uiitl, p1hC1llR d
| chair near his wife, with his back to
| the street. said, in tone which did
| not succeed in trying to sound entirely
unconcerned:
"Well, Julia, let's hear what's the
| difficulty?''
'Mr. Anderson, what was the precise
| date of your fathers will. which. as
| learned this evening for the first time,
you've had proved in court?'
Apparently she was calm as If she
| had asked about a matter of indiffer
| ent concern.
| 81 don't know" ne answered, "that
| noticed it particularly, Julia; but II
| was somewhere in the summer fou,
years ago.
$50 1 guessed. / was surprised
that you hadn't said anything about II
at home"
'+Why, you know I seldom speak o.
l business matters here"
! ''That is true; and / haven't been In
| quiring or interesting myself abou
them, as you know. In this matter
however, / cannot but feel very mucf
| interest, for two reasons; first, for tn.
sake of your brother and his family
who are cut off, except an inconsider
/ able portion, from the estate, blu
chiefly because to my certain knowl
edge your father destroyed, or tried t.
destroy, and believed that he had de
stroyed. the will made by him not long
after Cullen's marriage
"WeH, now, I'd like to know if whel
a man has destroyed one will he can
go to work and make another?''
Doubtless. But heard your fathe
say more than once that he had neve
had but that one which he made whel
he was in a pet with Cullen for marry
ing Hannah"
He simply forgot what he'd done
That's all that's in 1t. You know hov
weak he got in his mind towards tn.
last
81 know nothing of that sort. On
the contrary, your fathers understand
ing, until within less than day be
fore his death, seemed to me as clea
as ever it was. know also that afte
that temporary estrangement from
Cullen. which ought never to hav
been, he was intensely fond both o
him and Hannah and of their child.
know further, Mr.. ANDERSON, and
think you do also, that his wish an
his expectation were that Cullen shout,
have half Of his estate