Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-10-27
s MISS BIGGS LEGACY.
By EMILY S. WINDSOR.
By EMILY S. WINDSOR.


it was but just.
The next morning Miss Biggs donned
her old black alpaca gown, which she
had carefully brushed. Fortunately,
the day, for the beginning of autumn,
was cold enough to warrant her wear
ing her winter cape, which hid the
worn spots in her waist. She had
freshened her bonnet with new ribbon,
SO that, as she started to the station
next morning, she looked really very
well. The excitement of the occasion
gave color and warmth to her face.
Life was not so hard with $4,000 in
prospect. She stepped along briskly.
One of the uppermost thoughts in
Miss Biggs' mind during the trip to
Piainyille was the stone which she
could now put to her fathers grave.
It should be fine one, and she would
order it that very day in Plainville, as
soon as her interview with Lawyer
Penny was over.
She found the latter awaiting her.
He was an elderly man with kindly
gray eyes.
After he had made various explana-
tions regarding Miss Biggs' legacy, he
said, rather hesitatingly:
'.My late client was about to fore
close the mortgage, but perhaps you
| will be disposed to exercise a little
| clemency, and extend the time 1t is
sad case. If James Mayhem had
| lived"
"Who?" interrupted Miss Biggs,
sharply.
The lawyer looked at her in surprise.
"James Mayhem. If he had lived the
| mortgage would, no doubt, have been
lifted, but dying so suddenly, he left
his family in very Strengthened cir
cumstances. If time is given Mrs.
Mayhem will most likely be able to pay
the money. She is going bravely to
| work, and her eldest boy will soon be
in position to help her. If you will
make easy terms for her. 1t will be a
great blow to her to lose her home"
Lawyer Penny paused and looked in
quiringly at his visitor, but she made
no reply, and he went on:
ST should be sorry to see them lose
it. If you are willing to extend the
time, Mrs. Mayhem will be here to-
| day, and it would be a great relief to
her to know
Miss Biggs stood up abruptly. 81
believe I need remain no longer this
morning. You will foreclose at once,
as you were about to do for my cousin
Hiram. Good morning." and she
walked quickly out of the Office.
Miss Biggs had walked some distance
when she remembered her intention of
ordering the stone for her fathers
grave, but she had passed the stone
cutters shop, which was several
blocks back. She would not retrace
her steps, for she felt strangely tired
and weak. She had eaten scarcely any
breakfast that morning. She would
return home on the noon train instead
| of passing the day in Plainvillle, as she
had intended. So she turned in the
direction of the station. When she
reached it suburban train had just
come in, and the passengers were hur-
rying across the platform. One of
| them, a woman, was pushed heavily
against Miss Biggs. She began to
apologize, but stopped suddenly, as
Miss Biggs looked up at her with a
| quickly suppressed exclamation. The
| two women stared at each other few
moments, and then Miss Biggs brushed
past with brusque movement, and
hurried into her train.
Sallie Mayhem! And so thin. pale,
and aged! The blue eyes dim and the
yellow hair faded. How different from
| the pink and white face which had
| tempted Jim.
| The weather changed suddenly that
| evening. A cold and steady rain set
in. Miss Biggs found it so depressing
| that she lit fire on the broad hearth
of her sittingroom, rejecting as she
did so, that with those $4,000, it was no
longer necessary to deny herself such
little comforts. She settled herself to
enjoy the blaze, but she could not
rest. She felt peculiarly unquiet, and
tried to account for it by telling her
self that she was tired out after her
| trip to Plainville, but as her unrest in
| creased, she gave up the attempt of
| trying to conceal from herself its true
cause. Finally she put into shape a
| resolution which had been trying to
| force itself upon her all afternoon, and
then going to bed, slept peacefully.
! Among Lawyer Penny's letters the
next morning was the following:
| "Mr. J. B. Penny-Dear Sir: You will not
| foreclose that mortgage. 1 wish you to
| make whatever arrangement will best suit
SUSAN BIGGs."
| ''Ideclare," said Mrs. Sprague during
| the winter: "Susan Biggs ought to be
| ashamed of herself to go on wearing
those shabby old clothes when she has
so much money. She got all that
property of Hiram's, and she is just as
| saving as ever. And it is disgrace
| for her to leave her fathers grave
without stone. I've no patience with
such people"
The Matter-Of-Fact Girl.
| In the county of Wicklow lies the
picturesque vale of Avoca, famous in