Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-14
saint-Mande, in Dr..William Kingsley's
CHAPTER X.

IudunOuScs F..
CHAPTER x
Concerning Mrs. kingsIey's Will.
what are you reading there SO at
tentively?' William asked as he sat
opposite me on the other side of the
fireplace.
"a poem by Tennyson," replied.
He got out of his rocking chair quick
ly. grasped the tongs and pushed them
into the glowing fire, making the
sparks, as they flew from the logs,
light up the dark corners Of the room.
A servant came in and placed the
tea service on the Boulle table. IN
readiness for the visitors we were ex-
pecting.
'Do the poets interest you?" VIII
liam asked after a pause.
"They are the only persons who nave
any excuse for living" replied.
would you like me to read THIS
poem?"
IF you like"
I read several verses in clear-cut
voice. liked to hear my own voice: ;
it gave me great pleasure. When !
had finished the poem looked at the
DOCTOR
''Fine." he said. I knew he had not
heard word of what | had read. The
purity of my diction and the beauty
Of the verse was utterly lost. closed
the book with snap.
got up from my chair and STOOD
with hands folded behind my back op'
posite the portrait Of Williams mother
"a beautiful painting representing a
beautiful woman. Kingsley had not
lied. 1t must have been for her mar
velous beauty that he had married the
exquisite creature!
The doctor turned to me and said in
an affectionate voice:
Wasn't my mother lovely? You and
| are alike; we cannot take our eyes
from her portrait"
/ turned around sharply.
when are you going to show me the
testament you had from your MOTHER
ooh! it is not testament in the
exact sense of the word" y
81 understand. Simply her last
wishes. Is that it,"
"That is it.. But now they are useless
because"
He stopped abruptly, then said:
Il will fetch the paper"
He left me alone and went up to his
room. went to the window and leaned
my SCARED forehead against the win
dow pane. looked over the bare gar.
den, where only the chrysanthemums
like late regrets formed in the desc
late wilderness splash of color.
For eight days had been guest at
the alienists sanatorium. was get.
ting better and beginning to take an
interest in life again. Kingsley came
down to see me every day. He had
moved into hotel on the Champs
Elysee, and seemed absorbed in the
business that had brought him to Eu
rope. The business apparently should
have interested me at the same time
There were times when was startled
by the nerve the millionaire showed In
the difficult game we were playing. For
instance, one day he said to me:
Douglass, our two factories in
Pennsylvania were burned to the
ground last week. It is clear loss oil
So, OOO,O 900. Don't you think it would be
better if we rebuilt them In the West
where labor is cheaper?"
I acquiesced in all he said, with a
well stimulated conviction, and little by
little began to acquire fair knowi
edge Of the business. When he hal
given me Douglass business papers he
had also given me a large ledger
which had studied carefully to enable
me to learn all that was necessary to
support my part successfully. He was
expecting shortly to return to New
York, and one day he remarked cool
ly to me:
every soon we shall be in New
York"
I had already decided that, once
Evelyne and the doctor were married
I would refuse to 60 with him across
the water. The prospect was anything
but pleasant to me. had grown &c
care very much for William, and as
he was going to marry my daughter
would live with them and we should
all be very happy together. knew
that l should never be recognized now
So for eight days had been at peace
I was happy with the doctor in his
asylum, where twenty-five patients OF
both sexes were being treated. was
as happy with him as I had been un
happy with the millionaire in his &C
cursed house in Neuilly. l could
breathe, was living, was now al
rest, but, alas! 1t was not to be fol
long.
The doctor came back and brought
me out of my revery.
Look he said, holding out folded
paper, "here it is"
He undid the paper, then looked ct
me affectionately and said:
"You recognize her handwriting"
/ nodded, then asked:
did you get these documents from
the Security bank?
He smiled.
'.My mother had forseen all that
might happen. She thought the papers
might be meddled with 80 she placed
the real testament with your banker
Harrington, of Boston"
"Ah, you don't say so-with Har
rington," / cried.
read the papers, in which IN an ex
allied fashion, Mrs. Kingsley had con
fesesd the truth to her son. She had
stated what kind Of death she had
chosen 80 as to rejoin Douglass in the
tomb, She accused her husband OF