The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-06-08
AN UNSIGNED WILL.

va StsiN - w. AA1I ltSi ~ M 1t ~
frosty winter night. and he WIS five
miles from home, and cold and hungry.
How is sEc:' he said TO tie saunt,
grim old Woman who opened the door.
Il don know. Better see yourself.
I'm no doctor" was the rough reply.
The ROOM WAS low and n3eaIl, but the
woman who lay OF the bed struggling
with death had a eoquettish All that
clasilcd with her age. Perhaps it came
from the real lace on her nightcap, per
haps from the valenciC2ncs that eHcir-
rleG her slriv"Ioi brovA tisraat. or
maybe the golden fringe, which, too
young for the shrUnkcn face, gave it to
her.
"Amary-lis,' said the surly woman,
there the Guctor.'
Tie lul..l-a coc-i.ey practitioner step
ped folws.d, I'D cvsa IL TIE dina lamp
light could lc seen the flannel cuffs,
hiatus CT gay stocking between Old
trousers and c.ulnsy boots. frayed linen
twofcld colla-. silve- watch chain and
greasy, ready I;&1e tie that betrayed the
small local PRACTICE.
"Anaryllis, wake up. wake mp. Dec
tors here. God Knows You've called
enough fer him
The Womau Gel the he'd, whose name
seemed a jest, opened Ecr heavy. vague
eyes. coughed family and sroaEed.
is it DR.. Watson, Janet she asked.
"Of coarse! There's none other for
miles," was the testy reply.
DIR. Watson went through the orthodox
farce of feeling pulse and taking temper
allure, but saw ut a glance that she was
at the last whirl III her Galce Of death.
Has she made her will:'' he asked
softly.
However, Amarylisc caught the words,
said:
That's it. That's it, doctor. l want
t. make a will. l cant die easy. Janet,
get him pen and ink"
Its nonsense, DOCTOR said Janet.
Let her die in peace. She need make
no will-she's no kith nor kin but me,
her sister"
Put the pillow under my head. both
pillows, called the patient. I'm chok-
ing! Yes, that's it. Now, doctor. for
Gods mercy do what l ask-Janet will
let me-or I can't die easy"
Janet's face grew black with anger.
"She's not fit to make a will, and
I'm all she has in the world said she.
Listen, listen, doctor! I'm i'll my
mind; I can't die easy. It's short
enough-e3, 900 and the cottage to
Janet, the rest to Charles Hartford, now
on the training ship, the Monarch"
The doctor took out a stylographic
pen and picked up from the fender an
old letter, on only one side of which
there was writing.
"Stop, stop" said Janet. .'She's mad.
There's no such person. Ask her who
he is"
"God forgive me-" groaned Amaryl-
lis. "11ndie happier if some one knows.
I've been a wicked woman.
The doctor sprinkled some eau de
cologne on her head from a curious old
silver bottle that stood on a chair by the
bedside and gave her something to drink
put of a medicine bottle. Then with
desperate energy the old woman told
her story, despite the efforts of death ( 0
check her speech.
Father and mother We're cruel. good
people, and Twas a blithe young ON
that hated church and psalms and dull
Sunday books, so when he came, Frank
Hartford, the handsome sailor, he had
my heart for the asking. They would
zone of his addresses, for he wasn't a
God fearing man, they said. so off we
went with no blessing from parson, but
IA curse from father. 1t lasted for ten
years well enough. l had a little house
not in cold Norfolk, but here i'll this
village, and he passed as my brother
when on land, for he was most while at
sea. However, the time anne. | was
older than he by some years and fretted
for his absence-yes, and drank IL bit
so he grew tired, but didn't break with
me, was afraid to, / think-God knows
why. Then her face caught him
Mary's, the coast guardsman' S daughter.
He kept it from me, but the village Cos
siped. He meant TO marry her and cast
me off. How | hated her, poor thing! l
knew him well enough, handsome devil
He'd have married her because he
thought M other way would do, and
vowed he should not marry her nor any
but me, ard me he wouldn't. / asked
her to the house, and he courted Ter be
fore my face and thought ne a blind
fool.
"One night, his birthday, I Lad her
to supper and got down frem London
some champagne. She was { ossty tIsa
night, home was SO far OF AID She
weather ra1Irb The 15ttIa fa5J finn Gf-