Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-07-28
THE PHANTOM WILL

.ne hi''heh "'no .,,,.ea
!aha laini iiouse sna' Aau 'ne'', ~
oer ior 'ne pas' 'i'e ,,.. ., ea ~
NV. an -. ...,, .,h. ,.,s laft an ~.
a . ,, ~ roars =, ono and tbay had
Pnan wv $500 :, g. sha nod heen
"'o So -. ~ ,hau in their
". "" s;,a tha;. on,v child son
"o.ne' Mn.. - ~ .,.h;na In, sor.
"au 0'o'sA' " '
WV o,. II. ITO
MI "in,niop nau a.. II. ,,,as
Periee''ns "'s an, " ..ann,. tha,
very Piouu' a"u Ae n.,.aen ,,onId
al'ei .,'s u.a," ~. ~; - so VOW short tina
'',.', Nm ~, oftar his wife,s
So. ~, A.. n,aaa = viii oiv;no every.
th;nr w. had ~ vi. adonted daughter.
MIS- Ms s.asnt;no 4, mn heoueathed to
b;s Gov,
r,ha ,,,o,a na;onhorbood knew that
.,ah , iii nod hoon made nut now
xso. .ho old mon wos d.ad and hurled
II was not to he found. and Duncan's
name was mentioned in whispers Of
fonl NAV.
M r;. stood ,ooL;ro sadly unon the
salas ~ ,yoy;ro or.;r and watching
no h;rds auttar hera and there How
hannv tbev were together. Watching
tha rn' rads how rsaiize ber own lone.
,;nass so sho irrrod No. r.za unon
.ho hirhwov and cav Duncan Win
Abron annroachino +be house Pres.
a,,tl,t ha pr stood hsfore bar vonn,
man that can he described bv the one
word nroaigat.
r., .u A.. .. .x.
'a so,ns " - an 20" So vou
"e.A' a". .haSa na,,;s.s said hs
e% n, 'ae". .., ia..se ~ - a. ,,onds
W. v ' ""' W. - S.sa.o S;,n
Aau up0N VIZ ia'e oei Wv A. -.
lou are soihs u SCH ,ne iaim'
repeated Marie, IN oa~eo way .iy'
ang 10 reai'Ae an pha' ilieah' ~ he''
Yes. l need the money and muss
have It, 81,
But where can go!
Nhat you must declde lot your
eelf. You nave had good nome ne'e
Tor fifteen years. and 1t is about time
you began to get your own llVlng.
But Father winthrop never IN.
tended to leave me destitute. lie told
me that he had made a VIII providing
for me, and 1t Will surely be found
Duncan winthrop smiled and pulled
from his pocket a paper which he
opened and held up for Marie to see
1t was not such an elaborate affall
as wills are nowadays, but a small
sheet OF letter paper, on which was
written, in as few words as possible,
John Winthrop's wishes in regard to
the disposal of his estate after his
death and signed by three witnesses
is that the wlll?' questioned Marie
in establishment
That is the will,T was the curt re-
ply
"Wher did you get it?"
Il stole it. DO you think | would
let anyone else get possession OF it!
1t makes all the difference in the
world to me who has it. and to make
myself wholly safe think III destroy
1t now SO saying, he walked to the
Kitchen stove, where small fire was
burning. and, placing the open paper
upon the Goals, stood and watched
the flames deyour it. Marie, spell
bound, watched it also.
Il Shall inform Lawyer Ferris i'm
mediately what you have done" she
exclaimed, as the last Lit OF flame
fiickered out
"Will your" returned Duncan, with
laugh, replacing the cover upon the
stove. And how will you prove it,
for shall say ! dldn't?"
They will believe me-"
Perhaps, but as long as you can
prove nothing ! can snap my finger
at what they believe. SO now you
must see it will be necessary for you
to tlnd new lodgings very soon" Then
he left the house, and Marie stood
lrresolutely watching him pass down
the road out of sight.
Mechanically she approached the
stove and lifted the cover. There, as
though mocking her, lay the will in
ashes, but every word visible still, and
she read 1T through, great tears roll
ing down her cheeks at the words: u
give and bequeath to my beloved
daughter, Marie Richards, the farm
and everything upon it,
Suddenly it occurred to her that il
she could preserve the ashes in as
perfect a state as thpV then were II