The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-06-01
AN UNSIGNED Will


flannel cuffs, hiatus of gray stock
ing between old trousers and clumsy
boots, frayed linen twofold collar,
silver watch chain and greasy, ready
made tie that betrayed the small To-
cal practice.
"Amaryllis, wake up, wake up!
Doctors here. God knows you've
called enough for him."
The woman on the bed, whose
name seemed jest, opened her
heavy, vague eyes, coughed family
and groaned.
'Is it DR.. Watson, Janet?" she
asked.
"Of course! There's none o.her
for miles," was the testy reply.
Dr.. Watson went through the Or
thodox farce of feeling pulse and
taking temperature, but saw at a
glance that she was at the last whirl
IN her dance Of death.
"Has she made her will ?" he
asked softly.
However, Amaryllis caught the
words, and in cracked scream Of
excitement said:
''That's til That's it, doctor! I
want to make a will, I can't die
easy. Janet, get him pen and ink"
cts nonsense, DOCTOR" said ia
net. 'Let3 her die in peace. She
need make no will; she's no kith nor
1>;,, b,,& mo 1,oy, ,;oSo,.
'sPut the pillow under my head,
both pillows" called the patient.
sI'm chokingl Yes, that's it. Now,
doctor, for Gods mercy, do what T
ask-Janet will let me-or I can't
die easy.'
Janet's face grew black with an
ger.
"she's not fit to make will, and
Pm all she has in the world" said
she.
'Listen, listen, doctor! I'm in
my mind; I can't die easy. It's short
enough-s3, 900 and the cottage to
Janet, the rest to Charles Hartford,
now on the training ship, the Mon
arch"
The doctor took out stylographic
pen and picked up from the fender
an old letter, on only one side of
which there was writing.
"Stop, stop!" said Janet. "She's
mad. There's no such person. Ask
her who he isl
"God forgive meP' groaned Am
arylis. '1'll die happier if some
one knows. I've been wicked
woman"
The doctor sprinkled some eau de
cologne on her head from curious
old silver bottle that stood on a
chair by the bedside and gave her
something to drink out of medi-
cine bottle. Then with desperate
energy the old woman told her story,
despite the efforts of death to check
her speech.
! Gather and mother were cruel,
good people, and 1 was blithe
young woman that hated church
and psalms and dull Sunday books,
so when he came, Frank Hartford,
the handsome sailor, he had my
heart for the asking. They would
none of his addresses, for he wasn't
God fearing man, they said, so OFF
we went with, no blessing from par
son, but a curse from father. It
lasted for ten years well enough. I
had little house, not in cold Nor
folk, but here in this village, and he
passed sssss11iiJy sss 11iiJy brother when on land,
for he was most while at sea. How
ever, the time came. ] was older
than he by somesyears and fretted
for his absence-yes, and drank q
bit--so he grew tired, but didn't
break with me, was afraid to, ]
think Ged knows why. Then her
face caught him Mary's, the coast
guardsraan's daughter. He kept it
fror1 me, but the village gossiped.
Pc meant to marry her and cast me
off, How I hated her, poor thingl
I knew him well enough, handsome
devill He'd have married her be-
cause he thought no other way
would do, and I vowed ne should
not marry her nor any but me, and
me he wouldn't. / asked her to the
house, and he courted her before my
face and thought me q blind fool.
Zone night, his birthday,AI had
her to. supper and got down from
London some champagne. She was
to stay the night--home was so
far off and the weather rough. The
little fool-the little, ignorant fool
believed that the champagne, nev-
er before seen in our village, was
only fine cider and drank her share,
and he was hoisterons at the Jest.
Then I went out on o pretext, say
ing I'D be back in an hour The
next day. she ran away with him..
Confound herl I never saw him
again. '2.s st.
- lagr s--Ss- ~ -