St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-03-18
A Got-Up Thing
+ BY
ANNIE o. TIBBITS

M AIRY lifted her head. Her face wa
lNI very white, and she clenched he
hands to prevent them trembling as sh
met the old doctors eyes.
| Eyes, shall marry Capt. TeEby now,
she said, unsteadily. 'He-he spoke las
night, and Il
She got up suddenly and turned fro1
DR.. Grey's searching look.
Il said yes" she added, abruptly.
remembered-it breaks my heart to re
member how father has wished it an
how obstinate have been. and now
his last wish-oh, must It will max
him SO happy, and IL shan't hav
many more chances of making hin
happy"
Her voice broke, and the doctor got u
and, going over to her, put his hands OF
her shoulder.
you think you will be happy will
him?"
Mary hesitated. Then for her father
sake she acted lie.
do you think I shall not?" sh,
cried. Surely he's all could wish
Oh, yes; IL shall be happy"
| DR.. Grey looked dissatisfied as h,
| turned away. 1t was prejudice, no doubt
but he did not like Hon. Arthur Tenby
and in his eyes he was not fair mattel
for the girl who would soon be the mis-
tress of Treherne Court. He frownet
out of the window at the stretch of lawr
and the empty beds upon it. A 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 OF
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 fathers
fondest wish. He was of good family,
the son Of 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 daugh-
ter indeed to him. Now he had been
suddenly thrown from his horse and
was dying slowly in the great house,
and Mary, rem embering 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.
"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 around quickly.
ooh, I know-I know" she cried.
brokenly. But ami shall be happy"
DR.. Grey pulled his beard. Aweek ago
he had seen Mary and another man
Dick Marlone-together,a and their atti-
tudes told him something that Mary
would not have confessed for worlds.
He remembered it now. and that Dick
was poor; and he frowned again.
A few minutes later some one came
from the sickroom to tell him that Mr..
Kaye was rousing, and he and Mary
went in together.
His keen eyes told him at once that
he change he had expected had oc-
Cured. Mr.. Kaye was sinking fast.
His hands travelled restlessly over the
Mary bent over him.
"The will" he cried, feebly, II want
o sign
He pointed to table on which were
'ome papers. DR.. Grey brought them.
md pen and ink, and putting them
,efore him held him up while he |
scratched his name feebly on the parch-
nent
Dying men have strange fancies
ometimes, and it had been Mr.. Hayes
ancy during the last few hours to
make fresh will and to do it without
lawyer. No one could understand
'hy, but he had been unaccountably
estless until it was done. Now his
ying eyes stared dimly at his feeble
ignature and his fingers dropped the
en-.
Read it," he said, slowly, and DIR.
Irey obeyed. It was apparently the
anne as his other will, which was at
he moment in his lawyers office, and
ais had only been done in order to
umor a dying man.
Dr. Grey read it carefully.
"The last will of me, Godfrey Kaye"
lie sick man repeated, slowly. Eyes
my daughter, Mary
to my daughter, Mary"
He fell back and stretched out his
and.
"Take it away, now" he said. Put
in my desk yonder. shan't be long
ow."
DR.. Grey obeyed, and Mary took her
Tiers hand.
"Oh, father, father!" she cried, un- ,