The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-04-24

talking about it. invelgbing against
matrlmony and an occasional remark
to me:
IF ever ! catch you listening 10 lhe
poisoned words of any young raseal
III turn you out of the house. BUT
after awhile she ceased to get wrought
up over it and in time not to speak OF
II at all.
Then the old lady was taken with an
Illness from which she was not ues-
tined to recover. She had been very
good to me and loved me very dearly.
| felt it my duty as well as my choiee
to 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. My
aunt was very exacting and kept me
with her nearly all the while. More
over, | would not for the world nave
her discover that had repaid her kind
ness to me by rejecting her wishes for
NE and deceiving her in doing IT. 80
anxious was | to save her this disap-
pointment that | pretended to agree
with the repugnance to marriage she
had expressed and declared that l
would never marry. In this falsehood
my conscience was sOothed by 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 a
week before her death she knew that
her end was approaching and for the
first time seemed concerned about leav-
ing me to live alone
One day shortly before her death she
said to me: You are looking pale and
thin. | am wearing the life out of you.
| wish you to 60 out this afternoon and
not return till it is dark"
| protested that | was perfectly able
to bear the strain and did not need an
outing, but she insisted on it, and since
she was in no condition to be opposed
l assented. was not sorry to be sent
out and went at once to 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 was shocked, especially
that | was away when it occurred.
was doubly panied when the nurse tolt
me that my aunt had called for me ant
seemed much disturbed that had no
left word where was going. The poo
woman seemed to have something o
! Importance to say TO me before sh
died that she wound not confide to an,
one else.
The day after the funeral took m!
aunts will-she had turned 1t over Il
me soon after being stricken by he
last illness-and in company with m,
husband went to her attorney to turl
it over to him and confess that l wa
a married woman and could not In
herit under its provisions. He looke
at it, noticing its date. signature an
other points with that method con
mon to those of his profession, ther
going to his safe, opened a drawer
and, taking out document, brought
to us.
81 have a later will here" he said.
"A later willw | exclaimed. "Surel
that can't be. My aunt gave me thi
one when she was taken III and canno
have made another"
Nevertheless she did, and that o
the afternoon she died. | was telt
phoned for and went to her immed
ately. This is the result"
He handed me a bit of paper, O
which was scarcely a hundred words
leaving to me my aunt's estate withou
any condition whatever. | read 1t an
handed it to Charlie. Then we bot
looked at each other-I through we
eyes-and Charlie took me in his arms
what do you suppose my aun
wished to say to me before she died
| asked the lawyer presently.
This will you have brought here,
he replied, "dislnherited you in cas-
you were married Your aunt wishe
me to draw a new will compelling 20
to marry in order to inherit under !
| suggested that it might compllcat
matters for You and result In turnin
her estate over to her husband.
therefore suggested the simpler form
think that what she wished to say I
you was that she dreaded leaving 70
unprotected; recalled what she ma
said to you about marriage, and hope
You would find a good husband"
81 have already found one r.
piled, and my assertion turned out
be true. My aunt's husband endea'
ored to break the will on the groun
that the testator was not of soun
mind when the will was made and
had influenced her to leave all to me
1t was fortunate that had a hu
band to look out for my interest
or am sure my property would hav
gone either to the man my aunt mos
wished should not have Il or to th
lawyers and the chancery courts Cha
lie made an admirable manager for u
business, very sensibly compromisin
with the husband for small sum
cash.
The moral Of my story is do nj
decide from a single experience an
the moral OF my experience is do ne
act clandeStinely in case Of espeeh
moment, il at ALL"