The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-03-25
Stories of an Inland State.

the burn of the sun will remain for months.
Dutch Jake had been in a comforta bic
house for year, but now when he was
dying his face was still brown and hard,
strikingly so against the white pillow when
held up his head.
The sweet little woman who stood by his
ts;de and held his great hands looked upon
his strong face with love. The fat law
yer present looked upon it as the banner
of shrewd enemy who declares sly as
you are, get the better of me if you can
Another woman, plain and hard, stood back
little-a sister to the dying man. At her
| side stood a small, biear-eyed mana
| brother.
| The dying man motioned the lawyer to
| his side, and that individual, with a solem-
nifty he did not feel, approached.
Dutch Jake spoke: "You are a lawyer.
I have no use for. your calling. But you
and your tribe run the government and
have made the laws, and whether we abide
| by them OF not when We die, you rob those
/ we leave behind US. But / intend to take
| your word and make a will and keep the
| matter out of your courts if it is possible.
am quite in my right mind. Understand
| that clearly. ! do not propose to be fooled
| in anything. / expect clear and full ans
| wers. / expect TO pay you WELL
''Oh, don't worry about that, Mr.. Beffel,"
said the lawyer easily.
But do worry about it. Will fifty dol
lars be enough?"
"Yes"
That is all you are TO get now or here
| after. / am a very wealthy man. That
wealth is principally In the bonds of this
government"
The man paused and turned to his wife
and continued: "Anne, / wish you to let
the money remain in those bonds. There is
future to this country. Other avenues OF
speculation will open up, offering great IN
| crease. The little boy will grow up anc
curse his father for his caution and will
want to use the principal and the girl will
grow discontented with her allowance. But
let 1t so remain while you live. Now Mr..
Lawyer. l want the income from that
money to be divided as follows: $500 a
year to my son annually to be banked un-
Ill he is of age when it is to continue and
he is to have use of it; 81, 800 to my daughter
for her lifetime. the rest of the income to
my wife, and if the children die or either
of them their or his or her share shall go
to their mother and she shall be my exc
cutor and if she die the money shall go to
my sister here to be held in trust for the
children until they are Of age and she shall
receive S1,200 per annum for this"
The man paused and looked at his brother
and sister who were looking stoHdly upon
him.
Let me change that bit Mark It now.
give my sister there now 5000 and my
brother 5000"
There is more yet" continued Dutch
Jake, with glance at his wife
II wish you would all go out" ne said
TREMENDOUSLY grasping his wife's hand.
Not you Anne not you,' he cried as the
others moved out and his wife attempted to
follow them
''You must rest, father" said the woman
tenderly.
Anne" he said softly, kiss me.''
She kissed him and stroked his scant
sun-bleached hair.
He held her cheek to his and whispered:
"Anne, you will always love me?"
"Yes, father
"Oh. Annei I have something here
here" he cried beating his breast
Father" said the little woman. '@You
must rest. Do not excite yourself"
The man dropped back on the pillow.
Strange scenes were passing in his mind.
Bronze faces flashed before his eyes and
colored feathers and heavy blankets, and
a strange language sounded in his ears.
Then he looked up brightly.
Anne" he said. You will weep for me
when 1 am gone, for year. perhaps two
years, and then-the sorrow will grow cold
and you VIII marry again
The woman wept softly.
Now" said he. 81 fordi your second
marriage. 1 will come down out of the
Milky Way and haunt you Anne"
His wife sobbed and cried: "Neverr
"Good"' said her husband. You have
made the vow. And it shall be broken.
And when you sin in that Anne, remember
and be mercful to me a sinner Anne" he
added impetuously, Love me now. 1 am
soon going. Do not breathe a word that
will make me suffer For all that | have
DONE you will forgive me. Let me pass
pleasantly away
The weeping woman kissed her husband
for reply and stood studying him. A strange |
man against whom she had never thought !
an unk!nd thing. True, he had been a |
trader-a man who had disappeared for |
years at a stretch, who had come back in |
callous with exposure. But he had come /
back from his long trips into the woods |
with wealth. His family never had been |
in Med Today he was rich, his family Ev-
in inNlUxury. No unkind word had ever
passed his lips. What penitence now rack
ed his mind?
Anne" he said. What do is for the
best. You will not be surprised-you will,
not be angry-you will love me?"
Surprised? Why should / be surpris-
ed?"
He raised himself on his elbow feebly.
LET them in again. he said shortly.
Mrs Beffel opened the door and the sis
ter and brother and the fat lawyer filed in
Now she shall know" declared Dutch
Jake to himself Now she must know"
Anne he said drawing her to him.
stand close to me. Now"
But the words he would have spoken
died on his lips and he did not then tell the
secret which weighed so heavily on his |
heart.
''Mr. Lawyer" re said instead. "Take
what 1 have given you and draw il up with
all the 'saids' in legal form and bring il
back here tomorrow morning"
The lawyer and relations filed out.
II shall live until tomorrow morning.
Anne" he said. And until then you shall
owe me. Tomorrow ! shall che and then I
shall be beyond your hate
Father" cried the woman. You are
going TO live and 1 love you. I will love
you always"
It'll tomorrow morning a. least" he said
Kiss me, Anne"
In the morning the lawyer arrived. The
'eiatives were again Brought in sn1 the
wife stood by his size. The lawyer read
he ponderous legal viii.