Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-05-13

in some wny of business and got rich
by his disgrace" she said "Heaven
knows if this were true, or the wander
ings Of 4 demented mind. 1t il beyond
our guessing at, and belongs not to our
present lives"
MARY Holland, it was true" said
1t In his atonement-reparatien
Impossible"
"He has left you all his money"
There was a wild scream-an awful
yell from the room which Mary Hol-
land, or, rather, Mary Peterson. had
quilted, and Mary ran back int the
chamber, followed by Reuben in his
haste to be Of assistance to the ALRIGHT
ID woman.
It was only a cry Of delight Captain
Peterson had heard all the news.
''Is it all truer' he gasped forth, turn
ing to Reuben as if to 4 friend On whom,
In this crisis of his life, he might rely.
"All the money IL left to Mary Hell
land" answered Reuben.
"How is it-how il it that-that-this
can beY' he inquired, catching at Rsu-
bsn's hand and clasping it with his trem-
bling fingers; you see how excited
am, but I can bear good news. Good
news will save me yet, please heaven"
There has been discovered another
will, signed by my father the day before
his death. In 1t my father beaueaths
the whole of his property to his faithful
friend and housekeeper, Mary Holland"
That's my wife," said Peterson,
quickly; don't forget she's my wife.
We were legally married years ago. upon
my soul, swear tits easily proved
isn't it easily proved, Mary? Tell him
so-don't stare at me like that"
"Yes, am his wife," said Mary, thus
appealed to; II am not Mary Holland"
"Oh, that makes no difference" cried
Peterson; you were Mary Holland, you
have always been known by that name
to old Culwick, and it's your money
1 know law enough for that. All yours
and all your automatically, it's as
clear as daylight. This brings me-
back-to-life! Where il the wilf?'
81 have brought it with me-"
"Give ito me-" said Peterson: ''it
isn't safe in other hands. IL will keep
it till Im-stronger."
"Let him have It," said tho wife, care
lessly; at will calm him, and rest is
necessary"
II would prefer your taking it, Mrs.
Peterson" said Reuben, producing the
will; "better still to leave it with 4 trust
worthy solicitor to act upon. There will
be no opposition to it in any way from
Sarah Eastbell."
ut will be safe enough In my hus-
listlessness.
Reuben gave her the will, and she
crossed with it to her husbands side and
placed it in his hands, which with great
difficulty began to unfold the paper On
which Simon Culwick's last testament
was written.
T-I shall be glad-when I'm BETTER"
Edward Peterson whispered at last; you
can put it under my pillow-now."
"And the child?'' asked Reuben, curl
ously.
A gesture, quick and deprecatory, from
Mary Holland came too late to arrest the
question, or to check the excitement Of
the PROSTATE vagabond, who half raised
himself in bed In his vehemence.
"I'll never see the child again-I'd
rather die than see her. She shall never
be more than the beggar's brat she is!''
he shouted.
"What has she done?"
"She turned against her own father
when there was q chance Of making
money, it was she, that cursed child, who
betrayed me-"
The color vanished from his face again,
and once more the leaden hue suffused
1t, and the eyes closed, AZ by the pres
sure of the hand of death itself upon
them. Mary was at his side, when life
seemed coming slowly back again, she
said to Reuben:
Leave me now. You see what he Is
what he has ever been. I would pre-
fer to be alone-to the end"
Reuben passed from the room and
left the dying man to his strange wife's
care. He had done his duty, he had sur
rendered his fathers will into tho hands
of those it was to benefit, and it had
been coldly, almost unth ankfully receiv-
ed. Let him get back to Sarah Eastbell
and to the brighter life wherein she
moved.
(To be continued.l