The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1913-01-04
Disinherited
By EIEL OIsE BRAYToN


ried it didn't seem to him that iie
would ever care to spend an evening
anywhere except with his dear wife IN
their cozy little home. and for the frs
fortnight he went nowhere in the even
ing unless be took her With him.
During the second month some of his
prema trilnoniai cronies were having n
little poker party and telephoned him
to join them. He did 50.
That was Pickerings first relapse. ouI
not Ills last Indeed. he had great
many of them-so many that he found
ii difficult 10 find excuses for them
Mrs Pickering was a dear little wo-
man and a very sensible one. She ar
gued that if she found fault with her
husband for leaving her alone nights
while he enjoyed the pleasures OF
bachelorhood there would arise series
of alterations which would render his
home unpleasant TO him and he woulo
stay away altogether.
Nor was this the worst of ii. A man
hobuohbiHg with men must spend
money He can't avoid it It's game
of billiards. cigar an evening at the
theater. This all makes considera
bile total. The consequence was that
when his wire felt like enjoying al
evening where she might listen TO mu
sic. of which she was very fond. the
husbands expenditures had so rednc
ed the eXchequer that there We're n"
funds for the purpose.
This wasn't right. Pickering knew
il wasn't right. but found himself M
able to break away from his asSocla
tons He said the only way To do
that was to leave the place where they
lived and go 10 some other But when
his wife asked him how he was going
To get position in some other place
be had no answer. He looked sober
and that ended the conversation.
So Mrs. Pickering fell into the habit
of enduring without complaint.
One night when Pickering had gone
out there came a ring at the tele
phone. Mrs. Pickering answered the
call and learned that her husbands
aunt was very Ill and Tom was TO
come around Immediately. The aunt
a maiden lady of sixty and in chronic
bad health. was very fond of her
nephew. and it was expected that she
would make him her heir. Mrs. Pick
ering held lengthy conversation with
her informant. the old ladys house
keeper. with a view to taking steps to
find the missing man. But IL led to
nothing, and Mrs. Pickering concluded
to go to the sick woman herself.
She found the Invalid suffering great
pain. A physician was present. and
the house was in hubbub. The old
lady was sure she was going to die
and had sent for her lawyer to add a
eodicil to her will covering some small
requests she wished to make. Seeing
her niece, she called her to her bed
and told her to go to the telephone
and not cease her calls till she had 10.
Gated Tom. He was the only relative
she had in the world and she must
have him with her when dying.
Since Tom Pickering was attending
a show frequented only by men-no
one knew wbere-his wife was unable
to reach him. She gave IT up and an
nounced the fact to his aunt.
The old lady meanwhile had got d
temporary relief and was in fine con
dition to be angry with the man she
wanted and couldn't get She began
a fire OF questions at his wife as to
his habits which the poor woman tried
in vain to parry The old lady was
very sharp and drew out the fact. III
spite Of Mrs chickering's efforts TO con
ceal it. that Tom was away most OF
the time nights. spending it with his
men cronies
And what do you dor" asked the
sick woman
"Oh, am great home body don I
mind staying alone.
HIM The old lady thought few
moments. then asked that the attorney
be sent to her When he came she Iii
rected him to draw a will for her to
sign leaving all her property to Mary
Ellen Pickering. The young wife was
present and heard the order She was
much relieved. thinking that the old
lady was about to disinherit her bus
band and leave her property elsew here
Ellen made no comment, sitting silent
until the will was drawn, signed and
witnessed. Then she put her arms
about the testator and assured her that
she would live to make a dozen wills.
At midnight Mrs. Pickering went
home, intending to return early in the
morning. Tom came In about . O'Clock
and was about to go to his aunt when
a telephone message came stating that
the invalid had passed away. Mrs
Pickering gave her husband an ae.
count Of what mad passed excepting
that he had been disinherited in her
favor
The day after the funeral the will
was opened in presence of those in.
terested and Tom Pickering who was
not named in the instrument Whar
he heard his wife's name read ont a.
inheriting what be had expected ~
was astonished- Then. recovering hi.
aquanimity, he said.
Wen, it's all in the family. 10,
can transfer it to me, you know"