Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-09
THE CHIEF LEGATEE.
BY ANNA KATHARINE GREEN.
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heard her call softly out. II can't eat.
I'm too upset for much food. Tea she
whispered. land some nice toast. Tell
Mrs. Dec that | want nothing else She
will understand"
The maid nodded and disappeared down
the hall lust as bare arm was thrust out
from Antra's door and the tray drawn in.
few minutes later the other tray came up
and was carried into Mrs. Ransoms room.
The contrast in the way the two trays
had been received struck him as showing
the difference between the two women,
pecially after he had been given an op-
portunity, as he was later. of seeing the
ferocious way in which the food brought
to Anitra had been disposed of.
But 1 anticipate. The latter tray had
| not yet been pushed again into the hall, and
cigar when he heard the lawyers voice in
the office below asking to have pen and
ink placed in the small reception room.
This recalled him to the real purpose OF
his wifes presence in the house, and also
| assured him that the opportunity would
soon be given him for another glimpse OF
her before the evening was over. 1t was
also likely to be a full-face one. as she
would have to advance several steps di-
rectly toward him before taking the turn
leading to the front staircase
He awaited the moment eagerly. The
hour for signing the will had been set at
time now. No. the clock in the Office is
striking; it is Just 8. Would she recognize
the summons? Assuredly; for with the
last stroke she lifts the latch of her door
and comes out.
She has exchanged her dark dress for a
light one and has arranged her hair in
the manner he likes best. But he scarcely
notes these changes in the interest he feels
In her intentions and the manner in which
she proceeds to carry out her purpose.
She does not advance at once to the
staircase. but creeps first to her sisters
door, where she stands listening for a
minute or so in an attitude of marked
anxiety. Then, with a gesture expressive
OF repugnance and alarm she steps quickly
forward and disappears down the stair
case without vouchsafing one glance in his
direction
His vision of her as she looked in that
momentary only. but it left him shudder-
Ing. Never before had he seen resolve
burning to a white heat in the human
countenance. There was something alb
normal In 1t. taken with his knowledge of
her face in its happier and more whole
some aspects The innocent. affectionate
young girl. whose soul he had looked upon
as weeded garden. had become in
moment to his eyes suffering, deter
mined, deeply concentrated woman of I'M
suspected power and purpose. A sugges-
ton of wildness in her air added to the
mysterious impression she made; an i'm
preston which rendered this instant men,
orable to him and set his pulses beating
to a tune quite new to them. What was
she going to do? Sign away all her prop
erty? Beggar her heirs for-he could
not say what. No: even such a resolution
could not account for her remarkable ex-
preston of concentrated will. There was
in her distracted mind something of more
tragic import than this: and he dared not
question what: dared not even approach
this woman who. less than a week before,
had linked herself to him for life. The
uneasy light in those fixed and cleaning
eyes betrayed reason too lightly poised.
He feared any additional shock for her.
Better that she should go down undisturbed
to her adviser, who bore a reputation which
insured judicious use of his power. What
If she We're about to will away her fortune
to the man she called brother? He himself
had no use for her wealth. Her health
and happiness were all that concerned him.
and these possibly depended on her being
allowed to go her own way without inter.
ference. But oh. for eyes to see into the
room into which she had withdrawn with
the lawyer! For eyes to see into her heart!
For eyes to see into the futurei
His suspense presently became so great
that he could no longer control himself
Throwing up the window, he thrust his
mead out into the rain and felt refreshed
by the icy drops falling on his face and
neck. But the roar of the waterfall rang
TOO persistently in his ca IS and he hastily
closed the window ain. There was
something in the incessant boom of that
tumbling water which strangely disturbed
him. He could better stand suspense than
that. If only the wind would buster again
That. at least. was intermittent in it's fury.
and gave momentary relief to thoughts
strained to an unbearable tension
Afterward only a short time -afterward
he wondered that he had given himself over
to such extreme feeling at this especial
moment. Her appearance when she came
quietly back, with Mrs. Dec chatting and
smiling behind her. was natural enough
and, though she did not speak herself. the
tenor of the landlady's remarks was such
as to show that they had been conversing
about old days when the two little girls
used to ransack her cupboards for their
favorite cookies and when their united
FRANKS were the talk of the town.
AS they passed down the hall, Mrs. Dec
garrulously remarked:
You were never separated except on
that dreadful day of the school house burn
Ing. That day you were sick and
PLEASED! The word leaped from Georg-
ian in terror. and she almost threw her
hand against the others mouth. II can't
bear it."
The good lady paused, gurgled an apology
and stopped for the tray which disfgured
the sightliness of the neatly kept hall
Then, nodding toward a maid whom she
had placed on watch at the extreme end
of the hall. she muttered some assurances