The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1900-07-27

these men. Her frame was chill as
with the shadow of death, but the one
oyerpowering thought that smote her
was that her husbands approaching de-
cease was the direct answer of an angry
Judge to her wicked cutlery against her
fate and longings to escape it. In this
grisly shape was the freedom to appear
for which she had painted. But she
knew that when the cage was torn
down she would feel like murderess.
She never forgot the short-lived horror
Of that moment.
Mr.. Withers dismissed his visitors
when the witnesses had affixed their
names to the will, and they bowed
themselves out, each noting, more or
less furtively, as he passed, the dilatcd
eyes and colorless face of the wife, and
drawing his own conclusions there
from.
She got up and walked totteringly
forward at her husbands gesture. He
was no paler than when she left him.
and smiled more easily than was his
habit, when he noticed the signs of her
extreme alarm. Il was afraid you
would be frightened if talked in your
bearing of making my WILL" he said,
encouragingly. To avoid this. I ar
ranged that Mr.. Hall should wait upon
ME while you were driving He was be-
hind his time, and your are back earlier
than l anticipated. I regret the meet
ing only for your sake. Perhaps it is
as well, however, that should acquaint
you with some of the provisions of the
instrument you saw in Mr., Halls
HAND"
please do not! I cannot bear to
hear or speak of it," protested Con-
stance, the tears starting to her eyes.
''It all seems so dreadful"
1T will not hasten my death one
hour" Mr.. Withers was not quite ready
to pass over without rebuke an absurd
superstition he considered unworthy a
rational being, even though the Of
fender was his wife. "You shall know
this. made another will two years
since, but circumstances have led me
to regard it as injudicious, if not ua-
fair. We bushes men are superior to
the dread of looking forward to the
one certain event of mortality. We
calculate the probable effect of our
demise, as we do other changes in the
mercantile and social world. BY the
terms of this will, as I was about to
remark, my property, with the excep-
ton OF legacy to Harriet Field, is di-
yided equally between yourself and Ed
ward. And he is appointed sole ex-
ecutor. In the event of my death he
will be your nearest connection and SAT-
est adviser. I wish you to remember
this. It is hardly to be expected that
you, although a fair Judge of character,
should be as conversant with the quail
tiles that fit him to assume these re-
sponsibilities as am, who have been
his business partner ever since he was
twenty-one."
He was astonished that his wife. in
stead Of rendering submissive verbal
acquiescence to his spoken and writ
ten decree, began to weep so violently
as to hinder herself from listening or
replying to his speech. She had never
conducted herself in this irrational
fashion before In his sight, and he was
naturally exceedingly perplexed. Aware
that any attempt to soothe her would
be awkward work to him, he lay quiet
for = minute, hoping the emotion would
eexpend itself without his interference.
Finally. he adjudged 1t to be but reas-
enable that she should ret the bounds
% her grief ct . point somewhat short