The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-05-11

ton, and was almost disappointed at find
ing none. However, all's well that ends
well, and he successfully accomplished his
purpose, for Polly's mother, true to her
word, made speedy exit from the house.
At first Jack and his wife missed the old
lady greatly, for she fuAd always been
much in evidence. In fact, SO lonely and
solemn did the house ROW seem without
her that Jack sometimes almost wished she
hadn't gone, and as for Polly, she had
many good cry all to herself over the af-
fair. AS her husband, however. now
made a point of spending less time at his
club and more at home in her society, she
could not help becoming reconciled to her
loss. So, as the lonely feeling gradually
wore off, and the young couple got used to
the new order of things, Jack Hadley at
length congratulated himself on having
done the right thing at last.
Some three months later, when Jack
was returning from business one day, he
was met by his wife, whose swollen eyes
told of something amiss.
81 have sad news to tell" she said,
bursting into tears. mother has been
taken suddenly i'll and is dead. My poor
motherp'
Jack at once set about assuaging his
wife's grief When she had sufficiently re-
covered, she impaired another bit of news,
by far more important from his point of
view.
"They tell me she has died rich. Worth
$4,000, in fact"
"Three thousand pounds!" echoed Jack,
in amazement "Well, I'm blessed! Who
have thought it? Why, didn't know she
had 5000 pencep'
''Nor l." added Polly.
"Three thousand pounds!" repeated
Jack thoughtfully. "And you're the only
child, ssaren't you, Polly? You know" he
went on, after pause, II don It much like
that drawing room carpet Of ours; do you?
It's faded pattern, and not nice one.
We want new one badly, and better.
These curtains, too, are not at all up to
the mark, to my way of thinking And
there's the dining room suit. Pm sure it
begins to look quite shabby. Don't you
think SO? And, oh, Polly, as was passing
Streeter's, the other day, saw a lovely lit
tie diamond brooch, which I should GER
tainly have bought you had been able to
afford it. It's only Is guineas, and would
suit you admirably. Now, don't you fret
about your mother, dear. It's what we
must all expect-when we're old, you
know. And take care that all the funeral
arrangements are done decently and in or
der. would never have it rest on my
bead that the dear old creature WASH
comfortably carried to the grave. Three
thousand poundsl And Polly's the only
child"
The last sentence was not intended for
his wife's ears, but she heard it, and it
made her smile despite her grief.
When the funeral was over, Jack Hadley
found himself one of very small company
gathered together in little room, the
most conspicuous object in which was a
fussy lawyer, seated at table with two
open documents spread out before him.
This" said the man of law, coming at
once to business and holding up one of the
papers, SIS the last will and testament of
the deceased Sarah Juliana Haslop, wild
ow. 1t bears date, April 8, 1852
"A week before she left u.s." murmured
Jack, under his breath.
-''and runs as follows" continued the
lawyer. "'I hereby give and bequeath to
my son-in-law, John Hadley, and my
daughter Marianne his wife, the sum of
SO, 900 sterling now standing to my credit
at the Bank of England, with power to
use and employ the same for their mutual
benefit. Z"
s'The dear old soulp' exclaimed Jack,
only restrained by an innate sense of pro-
priety from shying his hat to the ceiling
Sand this" said the representative of
red tape, taking up document No. 2, sis a
codicil, executed exactly IA days later
ga week after she left us, f" gasped Jack.
sit is not Of great length, and runs as
follows: Il hereby cancel and revoke all
my former wills whatsoever and whereso-
ever made and substitute therefor this the
final expression of my intentions. To my
daughter, Marianne Hadley, give and
bequeath the sum Of e10 sterling, to ena-
BILE her to buy suitable mourning to wear
at my decease; to my sof-in-law, John
Hadley, her husband, in consideration Of
his kindness to me in turning me out Of
his house at time when I had thoughts
of leaving on my own account, I make a
present of Is in current coin of the realm,
and the whole Of the residue of my proper
ty, howsoever acquired, bequeath to the
governors Of Guys hospital, in London, to
form fund to be applied to the special
care and treatment of afflicted mothers-in-
law"
"The spiteful old cat'' growled Jack,
between his teeth. "May she''- He
checked himself, and taking up his hat
sorrowfully, walked homeward, "sadder
and wiser man."
Years have passed since then, and Jack
Hadley, among other things, has developed
an inveterate and irremediable taciturnity,
but if any one wishes to ''draw'' him efec-
tually for the nonce, it is only necessary to
mention the subject Of mothers-in-law in
general and his own in particular. Lon
don Tit-Bits.
He Complied.
They are telling a story at the expense
of very charming young North Carolina
girl, who lives here. 1t runs this way: The
girl, as I said, is charming, but like a
great many other charming people she is
poor. She never has more than two even