The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-02-25
A Got-Up Thing
ANNIE o. TIBEITS

RVE very white, and she clenched her
hands to prevent them trembling as she
met the old doctors eyes.
Eyes, / shall marry Capt. TeEbE now,
she said, unsteadily. ..He-he spoke last
night, and II
She got up suddenly and turned from
DR.. Grey's searching look.
II said yes she added, abruptly, II
remembered-it breaks my heart to re
member how father has wished it and
how obstinate | have been, and now
his last wish-oh, / must. It will make
him SO happy, and III 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
.sBut this young man, Mary" he said.
you think you will be happy with
him?"
Mary hesitated. Then for her fathers
sake she acted lie.
do you think l shall not?" she
cried Surely he's all | could wishs
Oh, yes; Ii shall be happy
DR.. Grey looked dissatisfied as he
turned away. 1t was prejudice, no doubt,
but he did not like Hon. Arthur Tenby,
and in his eyes he was not fair match
for the girl who would soon be the mis-
tress OF Tfeherne 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 sum
mer flowers, and now change in the
weather had brought all the desolatioa
of winter upon the garden; it reminded
him of the change that had come over
the house in as short 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 or
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 little in spite of her
| resolve Her marriage with Arthur
Tenby had always been her father 5
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.
Godfrey Kaye had adopted her wholly
| when she was three years old, and for
nearly 20 years she had been a daugh-
| ter indeed to him. Now he had been
suddenly thrown from his horse and
was dying slowly in the great house,
and Mary, remembering his wish to see
| her married to a title, had accepted
| Arthur Tenby because in a week or so
perhaps in less-sha would never have
another chance of giving happiness to
| the old man who had been in every way
| father to her. She had told, him the
same night what she had done, and the
smile that had flashed into his face had
/ seemed to her reward enough, until
next day, and then with the daylight
came the memory of another man, and
| that morning life seemed an ugly out
look to her.
DR.. Grey turned from the flower beds
and looked at her.
'tGeoffrey would only want it If he
| thought you would be happy" he said
"You know he loves you as much as il
you were his own daughter
Mary faced around quickly.
'tOh. I know know" she cried
brokenly. But AMI shall be happy
DR.. Grey pulled his beard. A week age
he had seen Mary and another man
Dick Marlone-together, and their atti-
| tudes told him something that Mary
would not have confessed for worlds
He remembered it now, and that Dicl
| was posr; and he frowned again.
A few minutes later some one came
from the sickroon to tell him that MIR
Kaye was rousing, and he and Mary
went in together.
/ His keen eyes told him at once thai
the change he had expected had oc-
| cured Mr.. Kaye was sinking fast
His hands travelled restlessly over tn.
counterpane Mary bent over him.
1.-THE will,' he cried, feebly, II Want
to sign
He pointed to table on which were
some papers. DIR. Grey brought them
and pen and ink. and putting then
before him held him up while b
scratched his name feebly on the parch
ment
Dying men have strange fancie.
sometimes, and it had been Mr.. Kaye.
fancy during the last few hours Il
make fresh will and to do it withou
d lawyer. No one could understand
why. but he had been unaceountabI,
restless until 1t was done. Now hi
i dying eyes stared dim1y at his feeb1
signature and his fingers dropped tn,
pen.
Read it," he said, slowly. and DR.
Grey obeyed. 1t was apparently tn
same as his other will, which was a
the moment in his lawyers Office, ant
this had only been done in order Z
humor a dying man.
] DR.. Grey read it carefully.
ssThe last viii Of me. Godfrey Kaye
the sick man repeated, slowly. Yes
everything-to my daughter, Mary
everything to my daughter, Mary
He fell back and stretched out hi
hand.
"Take it away, now he said. t*Pu
it in my desk yonder. shan't be Ions
now
Dr.. Grey obeyed, and Mary took he
fathers hand.
aoh, father, father.' she cried. IN