The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-30

! Sweetwater waited, too, frozen almost
! into immobility by the fear that it
would be something injudicious, for
never had he seen any man SO changed
as Mr. Sutherland in these last twelve
hours; nor did it need a highly pene-
trating eye to detect that the relations
/ between him and Frederick were
/ strained to point that made it almost
/ impossible for them to more than as
! sumo their old confidential attitude.
] Knapp, knowing them but superficial
/ ~, did not perceive this, but DIR. Tai
i bot was not blind to it. as was shown
/ by the inquiring look he directed
towards them both while waiting.
Mr.. Sutherland spoke at last.
Pardon me for interrupting you so
early" said he. with a certain tremble
in his voice. which Sweetwater quaked
to hear. For certain reasons l should
/ be very glad to know we should be
/ very glad to know, if during your in
vestigations into the cause and manner
| of Agatha Webbs death you have
come upon a copy of her will?''
No;
Talbot was at once interested; so was
Knapp, while Sweetwater withdrew
further into his corner in anxious en-
deavor to hide his blanching cheek.
I'VE have found nothing. We do not
even know that she has made a will. ="
II ask, pursued Mr.. Sutherland, with
slight glance toward Frederick, who
seemed-at least, in Sweetwater's judg-
ment-to have braced himself up to
! bear this interview unmoyed, because
l have not only received intimation
( that she made such a will, but have
even been entrusted with a copy of it
as chief executor of the same. 1t came
to me in a letter from Boston yester-
day. Its contents were a surprise to
/ LNr-al -fnIr To-, II
accumulated misfortunes-for we all
suffer under the Affections which have
beset this town-have made me feel my
years"
Sweetwater drew his breath more
freely. He thought he might under
stand by this last sentence that Mr..
Sutherland had come here for a. differ
ent cause than he had at first feared.
Frederick, on the contrary, betrayed
failing inability to hide his emotion. He
brought his father a chair. placed it.
and was drawing back out of sight
when Mr.. Sutherland prevented him by
mild command to hand the paper he
had brought to the coroner.
There was something in his manner
that made Sweetwater lean forward,
and Frederick look up, so that the
father and sons eyes met under that
young mans scrutiny. But while he
saw meaning in both their regards,
there was nothing like collision. and,
baft1ed by these appearances, which,
While interesting, told him little or
nothing, he transferred his attention to
DR.. Talbot and Knapp, who had drawn
together to see what this paper con-
tanned.
AS 1 have said. the contents of this
will are surprise to me- faltered Mr..
sutherland. They are equally so to
my son. He can hardly be said to have
been friend, even of the extraordi-
nary woman, who thus leaves him her
whole fortune"
Il never spoke with her but twice."
exclaimed Frederick with a studied
GOODNESS. which was so evidently the
cloak of inner agitation that Sweet
water trembled for it's effect, notWith-
standing the state of his own thoughts,
which were in a ferment. Frederick,
the inheritOr of Agatha Webb's for
tune! Frederick. concerning whom his
father had SAID on the previous night
that he possessed no motive for wish
ing the good Womans DEATH Was it
the discovery that such a motive ex-
listed which had so aged this man in
the last twelve hours? Sweetwater
dared not turn again to see. His own
face might convey too much of his own
fears, doubts and struggle.
But the coroner for whose next words
pectancy, seemed to be moved simply
by the uneXpectedness of the occur
renee. CHANGING at Frederick with
more interest than he had ever before
shown him, he cried with a certain
show of enthusiasm:
"A pretty fortune! A very pretty
fortune! Then with a deprecatory air
natural to him in addressing Mr..
Sutherland, Would it be indiscreet for
me to ask to what our dear friend
Agatha alludes in her reference to your
late lamented wife. His finger was on
a clause of the will and his lips next
minute mechanically repeated what he
was pointing at:
In remembrance Of services rem
dered me in early life by Marietta
Sutherland, wife of Charles Sutherland
of Sutherlandtown, 1 bequeath to Fred
erick, sole child of her affection. all
the property, real and personal of
which l die possessed Services rem
dered. They must have been very i'm
portant ones, suggested DR.. Talbot.
Mr.. Sutherlands expression was one
of entire perpleXity and doubt.
Il do not remember my wife ever
speaking of any special act of kind
ness she was enabled to show Agatha
Webb. They were always friends, but
never intimate ones. However, Agatha
could be trusted to make no mistake
She doubtless knew to what she re-
ferred. Mrs. Sutherland was fully cap
able of doing an extremely kind act in
secret
For all his respect for the speaker,
DR.. Talbot did not seem quite satisfied.
He glanced at Frederick and fumbled
the paper uneasily.
Perhaps you were acquainted with
the reason for this legacy; this large
legacy" he emphasized.
Frederick. thus called upon: nay,
forced to speak, raised his head, and
without chances at his father, or per-
haps bestOwing so much as a thought
on the young man behind him. who
was inwardly quivering in anxious ex-
pectancy of some betrayal on his part |
which would precipitate disgrace and |
lifelong sorrow on all who bore the !
name of Sutherland, met DR.. Ta!bot's !
glance with a simple ear
nestness surprising to them all, and !
said:
My record is so much against me |
that | am not surprised that you Won !
der at my being left with Mrs Webb's |
fortune. Perhaps she did not fully real |
lie the lack of estimation in which l |
am deservedly held in this place. or. |
and this would be much more |
like her. she hoped that the RESPONSE |
bility of owing my independence to so |
good and so unfortunate a woman |
might make a man of me-
There was a manliness in F'rederick's |
words and bearing that took them all |
by surprise. Mr. Sutherland's detection |
visibly lightened, While Sweetwater. !
of the more than vital inter |
ests hanging upon the impression |
which might be made upon the minds |
of the two officials before him by this |
and all the other events of the last !
few pregnant moments, turned slightly |