Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1904-06-24
DR.. Grey pulled his beard. A week

their attitudes told him something that
Mary would not have confessed for
worlds. He remember 1t now. and
that Dick was poor; and he frowned
again.
A few minutes later some one came
from the slekroom 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 oc-
Cured. Mr. Kaye was sinking fast
His hands Travelled restlessly over the
eounterpane Mary bent over him.
The WILL" he cried feebly, II want
to sign"
He pointed to table ON which were
and pen and Ink. and putting them
before him held him up while he
scratched his name feebly on the
parchment
Dying men have strange fancies
sometimes. and 1t had been Mr.. Hayes
fancy during the last few hours to
make a fresh will and to do IL without
a lawyer. No one could understand
why. but he had been unaccountably
restless until It was done. Now his
dying eyes stared dimly at his feeble
signature, and his fingers dropped the
pen.
Read IT," he said slowly, and Or.
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 dying man.
DIR. Grey read II carefully.
"The last will of me, Godfrey
Kaye" the sick man repeated slowly.
yes verifying my daughter.
Mary everything to my daughter,
Mary"
He fell back and stretched out his
hand.
Take 1t away now" he said. "Put
1t In my desk yonder. l shan't be long
now"
DR.. Grey obeyed. and Mary took her
fathers hand.
"Oh, father father" she cried under
her breath
He looked into her face.
My good little girl" he said slow
ly. MY good little girl. You'll al
ways remember, Mary want you to
be happy? You'll remember that?'
Mary's eyes filled. and she put her
head down on the pillow beside him to
hide her tears.
A few days later Geoffery Kaye was
dead and a few days later still Mary
sat facing a small group of people in
the library In Treherne Court. She
looked whittier than ever in her black
mourning frock. and her eyes were
heavy and red trimmed.
Il suppose 1t is all right" she said
YEARLY. IF Mr.. Guest is satisfied l
shall not dispute It, Oh. couldn't DIS
pute 1t"
The woman who faced her lifted her
head boldly. She was n dark, thickset
woman, as unlike the late Godfrey
Kaye as 1t was possible to be. Yet,
nevertheless. there seemed to be not
the slightest doubt that she was his
daughter. Mr.. Guest the solicitor, and
old DR. Grey had tried to find some
flaw In her story. but 1t seemed right
enough.
Twenty five years ago Mr.. Hayes
wife had deserted him. taking with her
her 2-year-old baby. They had been
very poor, and Mrs. Kaye hated pow
erty as fiercely as foolish. empty head
ed women do sometimes hate It, 1t
was Mrs. Hayes one strong emotion
hatred of the poverty which kept her
from the luxuries of life, and she left
1t for what she stupidity believed was
far better.
When Mr.. Kaye got his divorce she
married again. only TO plunge some
years later when her second husband
had run through his fortune. into pow
erty deeper still. Apparently it broke
her heart. for she died leaving her
child to the care of her husband-an
adventurer. swindler and thief.
How they had lived since her moth
ers death Claudia Kaye did not care
to say, but she had come upon IRE
herne Court by accident $50 she In
formed them, had probably tried to
blaekmall Mr.. Kaye, and would no
doubt have tried again had he not met
with the accident. She had seen him
and spoke to him, she said, and he had
owned her as his daughter.
Now she claimed the estate, and
both Mr.. Guest and Or. Grey were dis
heartened aud troubled. for the last
will MIR. Kaye had made had upset
everything and played straight into
the hands of the woman before them.
for he had distinctly written his
daughter" instead of his adopted
daughter" as he had meant TO do. His
other Wills each had adopted" prefix
ed, but this last-that strange fancy to
rewrite his will-had undone every
thing
And 1t was so absolutely unneces-
sary-unless. indeed, the memory of