Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-09-17
COUSIN JosnUA's WILL.

rlsin Joshua is dead" said moth
er, unbuttoning her jacket.
cousin Joshua dead3' repeated
Chloe, incredulously.
.He lived to good old age" re-
marked Celia, cheerfully.
.'At last breathed Persis.
"He left $l50.OOO," went on mother,
taking Off her bonnet.
Dear Cousin Joshua" said Chloe,
still more cheerfully.
And he was bachelor and fathers
first COUSIN said Chloe, oracularly.
ssItaly" sighed Persis. blissfully.
Ie left $100, 600 yto. various churches.
libra1ies and charitable organizations
said haother, sinking into her c,sdt, Z.
"WelA tla..eaHae-s s&st,0,s said Celia,
a little less cheerfully. 44sSE
1.-THE rest goes to the son of dear
friend Of his youth, Charles Frederick
Greyson," went on mother.
But what about his first Cousins
children?" gasped Chloe.
ITO the children Of his first cousin,
your father" went on mother, as If
she We're reading from the will of the
late Joshua, 'hc left the half-acre lot
with the six-room cottage thereon, sit
uated at Tylers Crossing
1.-THE wretchw cried Chloe.
at is all because you married papa,
and he wanted you himself" snapped
Celia.
ha @ fn 90 on 1,a
half-acre lot contains one of those
desks with secret drawer concealing
n fortune" said Persis, in whose breast
"hope springs eternal.
I'm sorry for you, girls said moth
er, "but you know Aunt Hannah always
said that all we should ever get from
Cousin Joshua we could put In our eye
and see clear"
"We'll so to that six-room cottage in
summer" said Persls.
A few months later mother and the
three girls took the barge at Tylers
for the cottage.
After riding mile or two without
passing any house, the driver stopped at
the first of two weather-beaten cot.
tages.
"This 'ere's the old Josh Slocum
place and t'other's the Widder Bas-
sets. She and her sons stayln' there
now, so you'll have neighbors. There
ain't any others for two miles away"
LET us hope Wilder Bassett's son
is young and charming" said Persis,
as they went into the cottage.
The next morning rs Persls was weed
ing what she termed their Garden of
Eden more let 1t be confessed in the
hopes Of seeing the .widder's son" than
from love of gardening), snake glided
across her path. The shrill, unearthly
cry which came from her throat
brought young man over the dividing
fence with as much celebrity as even
Persis could wish.
"What is 1t? Can be of service?"
cried the young man, hastily lifting his
cap.
"'Twas n snake! An enormous
snakev' gasped Persis. "There it is
now!" and a second cry rent the air.
A well-directed blow soon killed the
invader Of this second garden of Eden
"a small, harmless, green reptile.
Are you sure that is the one? GER
tainly thought 1t must be boa con-
strictor at least, said the young man,
eying Persis and the snake rather du-
biously.
You wouldn't stop to think whether
1t was one foot or one hundred If II
was running under your skirts" said
Persis, sthen stopped rather suddenly.
NO" said the young man, soberly,
that would certainly alter the case"
The two families became good
friends, finding each other most con-
genial.
You would hardly suppose this small
/ cottage represented $4,000 and trip
to Europe, would youY asked Persis
one afternoon, as she lay swinging In
q hammock.
"The best thing you can do" said
Mrs. Bassett, after hearing the expla-
nation, sis to find Charles Frederick
Greys0n and marry him.
u wouldn't marry him IL he had a
million" retorted Persis. 1.-THE idea Of
robblng defenseless widow with three
charming daughters
REALLY, though" said FredeNck Bas-