The record-union., 1896-05-17
Rather dingy."


There was little pause. and then the
hopeful Jack broke out again:
L was passing Streeter's the other
| day and-what do you think l saw,
Poll?"
| "A silver service?" half-smiling in
| spite of her grief.
mo, guess again.
| Some bauble for me to wear, l sup
pose, you crazy old Jack
| "A lovely diamond PIN
Il said you We're demented.'
But it is only $10o. and would suit
you admirably"
Il dare say, Jack, but one must spend
lot of money in order to dress up to
| such a trinket as that"
We'll, pretty silk gown, and there
you are, Polly"
You might also add, bang goes an
other hundred for silk dress"
Which isn't a terrible amount And
how much prettier pretty woman
would look SO trigged out, eh?" coax
| ingly.
You make me laugh, Jack, and you
know l ought not to-
And you ought not to grieve either.
Death waits us all-and it should not
1
you fret about your mother, dear. And
take care that all the funeral arrange
ments are done decently and in order.
1 would never have it rest on my head
that the dear old creature wasn't COM
| fortably carried to the grave. And
Iolly's the only child"
The last sentence wasn't intended for
the ears of his wife, but Polly heard it,,
and again she smiled.
When the funeral was over, Jack
Eadley found himself one of very
small company gathered in little
room, the most conspicuous object in
which was a fussy lawyer seated at a
table with two open documents spread
cut before him.
This said the man of law, coming
at once to business, and holding up one
of the papers, lis the last will and tes-
lament of Sarah Haslop, deceased. 1t
bears date April 3, ISL"
"A week before she left u.s. mur-
INJURED Jack, under his breath.
And runs as follows" continued the
lawyer:
Il hereby give and bequeath to my
son-in- law, John Hadley, and my
daughter, Marianne, his wife, the sum
OF $4,000, with power to use and em-
! Eloy the same for their mutual bene-
Gt'"
THE dear old SOUL" ecstatical1y ex-
claimed Jack.
Only by an innate sense of prOpriety
was he restrained from shying his hat
at the ceiling in boyish glee.
And this" said the representative of
red tape, taking up document No. ,, 'is
a codicil executed exactly fourteen days
afterward-"
"A week after she left our house,
gasped Jack.
1T is not of very great length and
runs as follows:
"I hereby cancel and revoke all for
mer wills, whensoever and wheresoever
made, and substitute therefor this, the
final expression of my intentions. To
my daughter, Marianne Hadley 1 be-
Queath the sum of 500 to enable her
| to buy suitable mourning to wear at my
decease; to my sonin-law, John Had
| ley, her husband, in consideration of
his kindness in turning me out of his
house at a time when / had thoughts
Of leaving on my own account, 1 make
a present of one shilling. The whole
residue of my property l bequeath to
the trustees of the hospital of this, my
native town. ito form a fund TO be ap-
piled to the special care of afflicted
| mothers-in-law
THE spiteful old cat,'' growled Jack,
under his breath. May she"
He checked himself and, taking his
hat sorroWfully walked homeward, a
Sadder and a wiser man.
Years have passed since then and Jack
Hadley, among other things, has devel-
oped an inveterate and irremediable
taciturnity, but if any one wishes TO
draw him out for the nonce, it is only
necessary to mention the subject Of
mothers-in-la in general and his own
in particular.-Waverly Magazine.