The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-02
A GOT-UP TRLEG.

very white, and she clinched her hands
to prevent them trembling as she met
the old doctors eyes.
Eyes, ] shall marry Capt. Tenby
now she said unsteadily ''He-he
spoke last night and I"
She got up suddenly and turned
from Dr.. Grey's searching look.
i said yes" she added, abruptly. II
remember it breaks my heart to re-
member how father has wished it and
how obstinate I have been. and now -
his last wish-oh, I must It Will make
him so happy, and II shan't have
many more chances of making him
happy"
Her voice broke. and the doctor got
up and going over to her put his hands
on her shoulder.
But this young man. Mary he
with him?'
Mary hesitated Then for her faith
er's sake she acted a lie.
DO you think 1 shall not she cried
surely he's all could wish Oh. yes;
IL shall be happy"
DR.. Grey looked dissa tisfied as he
turned away. It was prejudice, no
doubt. but he did not like the Hon
Arthur Tenby. and in his eyes he was
not a fair match for the girl who
would soon be the mistress of Treherne
Court. He frowned out of the window
at the stretch of lawn and the emptY
beds upon it. few weeks ago they
had been gay with summer flowers, and
brought all the desolatiOn of winter
upon the garden: it reminded him of
the change that had come over the
house in as short a time. He turned
again to Mary. She was staring out
of the window. too seeing ugly things
on the patch of grass-she saw
Godfrey Kaye, thrown from his horse,
dead and dying on an empty road. and
she saw the face of the man she was
going to marry and behind it the face
of the man she loved.
She shivered a little in spite of her
resolve. Her marriage with Arthur
Tenby had always been her father 8
fondest wish. He was of good family
the son of a lord. and marrying with
him seemed wonderfully good thing
for the adopted daughter of Godfrey
Kaye even though she would be rich
when he died.
DR.. Grey turned from the flower beds
end looked at her.
"Geoffrey would only want it if he
thought YOU would be happy" he said.
You know he loves you as much as if
you were his own daughter"
Mary faced round quickly.
"Oh, 1 know know" she cried,
brokenly. But I AMI shall be
happy"
A few minutes later some one came
from the sick room to tell him that Mr..
Kaye was rousing and he and Mary
went in together.
His keen eyes told him at once that
the change he had expected had &C
Cured. Mr. Kaye was sinking fast
His hands Travelled restIessIy over the
cOunterpane Mary bent over him
to sl-n."
He pointed to a table on which were
some papers. Dr. Grey brought them
and a pen and ink, and putting them
before him, held him up while he
scratched his name feebly on the
parchment
Read it," he said slowly. and DR..
Grey obeyed. 1t was apparently the
same as his other will. which was at
the moment in his lawyers office, and
this had only been done in order to
humor a dying man.
DR.. Grey read it carefully
The last will of me. Godfrey
Kaye" the sick man repeated slowly.
fes-everything-to my daughter
Mary-everything to my daughter.
Marv."
He fell back and stretched out his
hand.
Take it away now" he said .P,,t If
In my desk yonder. 1 shan't be long
Dr.. Grey obeyed and Mary took her
fathers hand
"Oh. father father she cried under
her breath
He looked into her face.
e.. My good little girl" he said, slowly.
MY good little girl You'll always re-
happy You'll remember that?'
Mary's eyes filled, and she put her
mead down on the pillow beside him to
hide her tears.
A few days later Godfrey KAYE was
dead, and a few days later still NTar-v
S sI racing small group of people in
me nprary in Treherne Court. She
looked whittier than ever in her black
mourning frock. and her eyes were
heavy and red-rimmed
suppose It is all right she said
ATF
pute it, Nis-
Twenty-Five years ago Mr.. Hayes
wire mad deserted him. taking with her
ueI tWo-year-oId baby. They had been
very poor, and Mrs. Kaye hated poverty
as hercely as foolish, empty-headed
women do sometimes hate it 1t was
Mrs; Hayes one strong emotion-hatred
OF the poverty which kept her from the
injuries of life, and she left If for vvhat
she supply believed was far better.
nen MI. Kaye got his divorce she
I InaIrieG q again, only to plunge some
years later, when her second husband
had run through his fortune into nov
erty deeper still Apparently it broke
her heart, for she died, leaving her child
to the care of her hl1sban6-an a 49,,
turer, swindler and thief
How they had lived since her .,,,otter,s
ueath Claudia Kaye did not care to sa.,
put she mad come upon Treherne Court
by accident $50 she Informed fhar,N baS
probably tried to blackmail Mr. IIar-a
and would no doubt have tried again
had he not met with the accident. she
had seen him and spoken to him. she
SAID and he had owned her as his
daughter. MS
Now she claimed the estate, and both
Mr. Guest and Dr. Grey were disheart-
ened and troubled. for the last will Mr.
Kaye had made had unset evervtbiI,o
and played straight into the hands If
the woman before them, for he had dis
tinctly written his daughter instead
meant to do. His other wills each bsS
adopted" prefixed, but this Iast-that
strange fancy to rewrite his wiil-had
undone everything.
A week later the news was spread in
the town that Mary was an heiress no
longer-but poor girl with her living