Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-11
The Argus Daily Story
A Man Hater-By Martha A. Harding.
Copyrighted. 1913 by Associated Literary Bureau

up over it and in time not to speak OF
It at all
Then the old lady was taken with an
illness from which she was not des0
tined to recover. She had been very
good to me and loved me very dearly.
felt il my duty as well As my choice
10 devote myself to her comfort. While
doing this it was impossible for me>to
meet my husband except at long inter
walls and then for brief interviews. Ny
aunt was very eXacting and kept me
with her nearly all the while. More
over, | would not for the world have
her discover that | had repaid her kind
ness TO me by rejecting her wishes for
me and deceiving her in doing it. So
anxious was | to save her this diSap-
pointment that l pretended TO agree
with the repugnance to marriage she
had expressed and declared that
would never marry. In this Calsehood
my conscience was soothed by a men
tai reservation. What | meant WAS
that would not marry a second time.
| supposed that this satisfied my dear
aunt. for she never again referred to
the subject either generally or pertain
ing especially to me. But from this
time forward judged that she was
chiefly concerned for herself. for she
was failing every day. and the affairs
of this world seemed to be receding
further and further from her. For
week before her death she knew that
her end was approaching and for the
first time seemed concerned about leav-
ing me 10 live alone.
One day shortly before her death she
said to me: You are looking pale and
, thin. l am wearing the life out of you.
/ wish you TO go out this afternoon and
not return till it is dark"
| protested that was perfectly ahle
to bear the strain and did not need an
outing. but she insisted on 1t, and since
she was in no condition to be opposed
l assented. | was not sorry to be sent
out and went at once TO, a telephone,
where ! called up Charlie, and we
spent the afternoon together. l did
not get back to the sick chamber till
an hour after dark.
| was met in the hall by the trained
nurse. who told me that my aunt was
dead
Notwithstanding that the event was
expected 4 was shocked. especially
/ that | was away when it occurred. I
| was doubly panied when the nurse told
| me that my aunt had called for me and
/ seemed much disturbed that had not
/ left word where | WAS going. The poor
woman seemed to have something Of
importance 10 say TO NE before she
died that she would not contide to any
one else
The day after the funeral l took my
aunt's will-she had turned 1t over to
me soon after being stricken by her
( last illness-and in company with my
husband went to her attorney to turn
it over to him and confess that 1 was
a married woman and could not in
hcrit under its provisions. He looked
at Il. noticing its date. signature and
other points with that method COM
mon to those of his profession, then,
going TO his safe. opened Il drawer,
and. taking out a document, brought 1t
to us.
u have a later will here" he said.
- later r.inr' exclaimed. Surely
that can't he. My aunt gave me this
one when she was taken i'll and cannot
have made another"
Nevertheless she did. and that on
the afternoon she died. ! was tele-
phonsd for and went to her immedi-
ateIy. This is the result"
He handed me a bit of paper. on
which was scarcely a hundred words
leaving to me my aunts estate without
any condition whatever. I read 1t and
handed it to Charlie. Then we both
looked at each other-T through wet
eyes-and Charlie took me I'm his arms.
What do you suppose my aunt
wished to say to me before she died|'
asked the lawyer presently.
; This will you have brought here"
he replied, "disinherited you in case
you We're married. Your aunt wished
me TO draw new will compelling you
! to marry in order to inherit under 1t.
I suggested that 1t might complicate
matters for you and result in turning
2 her estate over to her husband.
therefore suggested the simpler form.
r think that what she wished to say to
r you was that she dreaded leaving you
4 unprotected: recalled what she had
2 said to YOU about marriage. and hoped
you would find a good husband"
' II have already found one" re-
: Ned and my assertion turned out TO
J. be true. My aunt's husband endeav-
' ored to break the will on the ground
I that the teStator was not Of sound
1 mind when the will was made and
had Influenced her TO leave al to me
1t was fortunate that ] had a hus-
band TO look ont for my interests,
9 or / am sure my property would have
gone either to the man my aunt most
u wished should not have II or TO the
/ lawyers aud the chancery courts Char
( lie made an admirable manager FOR the
z business. very sensibly compromising
d with the husband for small sum in
e cash
q The moral Of my story IS do not
g deciGe from a single experience and
. the moral Of my experience Is do not
s act clandeshnely in case Of especial
l. moment, II at all"