The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28

means to pay bills than in devising ways
 icine.
 Rosamond, without being bit inclined
 to be wicked, loved to have admirers.
 and she entertained Will so agreeably
 that he was accounted a captive by her
 self and her circle, although nobody was
 more Ignorant of the interesting fact than Will himself
 , When Mrs. Casaubon heard the gossip the image of Will which had been SC clear to her until then seemed mysteri-
 ously spoiled.
 So a year went by. Then one day Mir Casaubon found out from Dr. Lydgate what was the matter with him. He did not take the news with the calmness of
 the spiritual person looking forth to a light beyond. His passionate longings
 poor man. chung low and mistlike to very
 shadowy and earthly places. One night he awoke Dorothea and said Let me know whether, in case of my death, you will carry out my wishes, whether you will avoid doing that which I should deprecate and apply yourself to doing what should desire"
 Dorothea was not taken by surprise,
 Many incidents had led her to conjecture that her husband was planning to lay a yoke on her. She asked him what he
 wished. He declined to tell her. but de-
 manded her promise. She begged for time to think, and Casaubon at last agreed to
 wait till the morning.
 She did not imagine that the power
 which he wished to establish over her flu ture actions had any relation except to his work. It was clear enough to her sift those sad heaps of useless manu-
 script, and she pictured to herself the
 days and months and years that would pass in the useless, dead work Early the next morning he told her that , he would ask for her answer as soon as he had taken his walk. That walk was his last; for they found the Rev. Mir. Casaubon dead in the garden soon after ward.
 Dorothea fell into wild delirious fever during which she was tormented by fancies that she had cheated and robbed the dead. While she lay ill., Mr. Brooks opened the will with Sir James Chettam, who had become one of the family by marrying Celia. When they had read it, Sir James was red with anger and his nose was wrinkled with loathing. We must keep 1t from her as long as we can.' said he. There was never a meaner, more amouminable action than ths-to compromise Dorothea by willing that she should not have the estate if she
 marries Ladislaw. Why, it is an insult
 Casaub on was not gentleman" Sir James had said the strongest
 thing that he could think of when he
 said that. You must get rid of Laids-
 law some way" said he to Brooks be
 fore this thing gets out"
 His wish to keep the news from Dor othea was foiled by his wife, Celia, who knew best what to do in this case,
 though she believed that in everything else tn ere never was a better judge of
 what was right than her James-es- pecially when he expressed his opinion
 of the late MT. Casaubon. So Celia told Dorothea. The news turned Dorothea cold. Everything
 seemed to change its aspect-her hus- bands conduct, her own duteous feel ing toward himst that had almost con vinced her that she ought to undertak e his work. although she had not prom ised She thought of every struggle between them and then she thought still longer of her who relation to Ladislaw.
 She was terrified as If by a sin when she realized that there was within hel a violent repulsion from her dead 'hus. band, the man who had held hidden thoughts, perverting. perhaps. every. thing that she said or did. Through it all she felt a sudden. strang' yearning of the heart toward VIII Ladis
 law.
 No gossip about the will reached Ladis