The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-03-19
THE &M
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SINGER 81
A GREAT SERIAL STORY By
MARTHA BFLLINGER

/ thoughtfulness. before drawing forth
the enclosures. There were two let
tiers, one of which was brief and writ
ten in bad script on a single sheet
OF paper bearing a legal head. IL
was dated at Charlesport, Maine, and
stated that the writer, In conformity
with the last wish OF his friend and
Pclient, Hercules Thayer, was ready
TO transfer certain deeds and papers
TO the late Mr.. Thayer's designated
heir, Agatha Redmond; also that the
writer requested an Interview at Miss
Redmond's earliest convenience.
Holding the half-opened sheets In
her hand. the lady closed her eyes
and sat motlonless, as II In the grasp
OF an absorbing thought. With the
disappearing child, the signs OF life
on the hillside had diminished. The
traffic OF the street passed far below,
the sharp click-click OF pedestrian
nov and then sounded above, but no
one passed her way, The hum OF the
city made a blurred wash OF sound.
like the varying yet steady wash OF
the sea- AS she opened her eyes
again. she saw that the twilight had
perceptibly deepened. Far away.
lights began 10 fash out in the city.
threes and dozens, were waking TO
their nocturnal revelry.
On the hill the light was still good,
ant the lady turned again TO her
reading. The other letter was writ
ten on single sheets OF thin paper in
an old.fashioned. beautiful hand.
Wherever doubles occurred. the
| first was written long, in the style
OF 60 years ago; and the whole let
ter was as easily legible as print.
Across the top was written: TO
! Agatha Redmond, daughter OF my
ward and dear friend, Agatha Shaw
! Redmond" and below that, in the
lawyers choppy handwriting, was
| date of nearly year previous. AS
I AGATHA Redmond read the second let
ter. a smile, half of sadness, half or
| leasure overspread her countenance.
| Ii ran as follows:
'Ilion, Maine.
MY Dear Agatha:
Il take my pen in hand to address
yop, the daughter of the dearest
: friend OF my life, for the first time
| in the twenty.odd years of your exist
ence Once as a child you saw me.
and you have doubtless heard my
name from your mothers people from
time 10 time; but can scarcely hope
! that any knowledge OF my private
life has come TO you. IL VIII be easy,
! tlen, for you 10 pardon an old man
/ for giving you, in this fashion, the
confidence he has never been able TO
bestow in the flesh.
When you read this epistle, my
| dear Agatha. shall have stepped
into that next mystery, which IL
| death. Indeed, the duty which AM
now discharging serves as partia!
preparation for that very event. This
| duty is TO make you heir TO my house
and estate and TO certain accessory
funds which will enable you to keep
up the place.
you may regard this act possibly.
as the idiosyncrasy OF an unbalanced
mind: IL is certain that some OF ray
kinsfolk will do So But while have
| been able TO bear up under their
greater or less displeasure for many
years, find. myself shrinking before
the possibility of dying absolutely vi.
known and forgotten by you. Your
mother, Agatha Shaw, OF blessed
memory now for many years, was
my ward and pupil after the death OF
your grandfather think may say
without undue selfcongratulation that
few women OF their time have en-
joyed as sound a scheme OF educa-
ton as your mother. She had
knowledge of mathematics, could Goa
strue both in Latin and Greek, amt
had acquired fair mastery OF the
historic civilization OF the Greeks.
! Egyptians and ancient Babyloniane.
While these attachments would natur-
ally be insufficient for a mans work
in life. yet for woman they were OF
an exceptional order
Sufficient to say that in your moth
ers character these noteworthy abii.-
ties were supplemented by gracious.
womanly arts: and when she arrived
at maturity, | offered her the honor
of marriage.
! Continued.