The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-10-16
SELECTED STORY.
Two Wills.

brown - TOT not only mad his nOtO-
rlously sure diagnosis failed him in this
case, but the patient was one Of fam
lily with which he had been on an init.
mate footing for years, and conse.
quently his personal interest was awak-
ened. The doctor saw no hope what.
ever for the sick woman. Since early
morning he had hourly expected her
death. Weary and dispirited, after a
light and hasty supper, he sat down at
his writing table, and once more passed
in review the whole course of his pa
TENTS illness.
"Unaccountable perfectly unaccount
ablel" he murmured over and over
again, and, with each repetition, he
shook his gray head
"Doctorl " Brown sta tied up in
alarm. He had not dreamed that any
one beside himself was in the room.
As he looked up he saw a lady stand.
ing by the door, dressed in peculiar
night.robe with only light shawl
thrown over it,
"My Godl What is that?"
1t was indeed the subject of his
thoughts. Amazed beyond expression,
Brown sprang from his armchair and
fastened toward the intruder.
MY dear madam! Mrs. Morley, in
heavens name, why are you here9h
Never mind, doctor. Sit down and
write what l tell you"
Brown mechanically obeyed the COM
mand. There was something in the
look and bearing of his visitor
which forbade contradiction. Strangely
thrill ed, Brown took up his pen and
wrote, at her dictatlon, the following
words: I" hereby direct that, in case
of my death, my body be opened, and
be officially and authoritatively stated
by competent physician. am con-
WINGED that | am poisoned, and that by
my own husband, and only through
such statement as the aforesaid will
it be put out of his power to get pos
session of the property coming to my
only child, his step.daughter. My will
relating to this property is in the hands
of my lawyer, Mr.. Bait, in London.
Mr.. Bait is, as | have unfortunately
only lately discovered, man open to
bribery, and my husband counts upon
this characteristic for the attainment of
his object; that is to say, he hopes to
induce this lawyer, by pure Justification,
to make the will read in his favor. |
believe he has already succeeded in do
ing this, for when, yesterday, desired
to see a lawyer of this town, in order to
have him take down my last wishes,
my husband put every obstacle in the
way OF his coming. have put sealed
copy of my will in the double bottom of
the little box which stands always upon
the table at my bedside. The osten-
sible contents of the box are my daugh-
ter's first cap and lock of my fathers
hair"
DR.. Brown had driven his pen as if
under the domination of "a higher power.
He was not conscious of having once
lifted it from the paper to the inkstand,
and yet there stood the written char.
acters, black and clear, upon the white
paper, and reminded him that he was
not alone; furthermore, that the head
and heart whose wish and request these
characters recorded belonged to an ex-
istence which held his own being,
thought and will in its power.
He made an heroic effort to gain the
mastery of himself, and with power.
full shake, as if to free himself from the
grasp of this strange will, he arose.
" Madam, L"
Yes; but, doctor, the master sent
me 10 tell you to come right away.
Mrs. Morley has been lying for two
hours like dead, and the master thinks
it must be nearly over with her."
Brown staggered back in amazement,
and stared so vacantly at the waiting
coachman that the man was struck
dumb.
Jan? Where did you come from7
Mrs. Morley is not yet"
dead? No, doctor, not yet; but
the master says she can't last much
longer"
Every we'll. You see to the horses,
and III come right away"
Drawing his coat tightly about him,
he leaned back in the corner of the
carriage and racked his brain over the
strange occurrence, but to no purpose.
The doctor was hard-headed, prac-
tical man, and if any one had related to
him the events of the past day, he
would have laughed him to scorn; but
earnestly as he tried to do so now, it
was impossible for him to conjure up a
smile. The carriage stopped and Mr..
Morley was at the door to receive him.
am glad you have come, doctor.
L was afraid you would be too late. As
the clock struck twelve, there was alb
solutely no breath nor pulse, and not
until half an hour ago did she seem to
come back little to life. She has lust
asked for you"
These words were spoken outside the
sick-room door. The doctor laid aside
his coat and went in, followed by Mr..
Morley. The physician felt something
like horror at beingin the near presence
of this man, who since half an hour ago
had figured in his mind as the murderer
of his wife; and here in the sick-room,
while looking upon the dying woman,
in whose features he again saw plainly
his recent guest, -even here did he feel
again that compelling force which had
put the pen in his hand at home.
The sick woman seemed to have
been anxiously awaiting his coming,
for her great, earnest eyes fastened
themselves upon him as he entered the
i