The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-11-06
Her Legacy


~ guess you got a legacy. Miss
Abbie," he said, genially. You
amt never had no letters from way
out West before"
1t vas the first letter from a
stranger Miss Abbie had ever re-
ceived in her life, and she could
scarcely wait till she reached home
to open it,.
BY nightfall the news was all
over the village, and the Clarion
made allusion to a fortunate towns
woman who would presently become
a Croesus and probably would present
the town with the library Mr.. Car
nesie had neglected to give.
Miss Abbie disclaimed the fortune,
explaining to Henry that ii was just
something about the Rosedale fam
lily that the lawyer wished to know.
but the letters grew more frequent.
There were long blue envelopes of
a color that prevented even %specula-
ton as to their contents, and the
belief gained ground that Abbie
Blair was a sharp one and that her
disclaimers were merely for the pur-
pose of throwing the tax collector off
the scent.
And o a second wonder came
into her hitherto uneventful life, for
Dave Grayling stepped up to her af-
ter church one Sunday night and
drew her arm through his.
We're going the same way, Miss
Abbie," he said awkwardly, lets be
going together"
Grayling's courtship was brief and
masterful. He would listen to no
denial and Il afternoon Miss Abbie
stood up before their few friends
and the gray-haired minister spoke
Crawling.
That night they left on their hon.
eymoon trip to town, and a week
later Crawling was back in his fields
and Miss Abbie was moving about
the Grayling home with a flushed and
happy face, making it over from its
bachelor disorder to the spick-span-
mes of her own ideals.
She went to the door as the wag-
on drove into the yard, and Dave
climbed up to the porch to hand her
a letter.
When Dave came in presently he
found his wife sitting in the rocking
chair and clutching a slip of blue pa
per in her nervous hands.
Got a check from your lesacy?''
he demanded with rough good hum.
o.. II wish I had a legacy like
yours"
Its not a legacy, Dave she said
wistfully. Its a wedding present.
Did you really believe that | had
come into some money? Was ulat
why-why-?"
Il don't suppose that you want
me to believe that you've beer cor
responding with a lawyer chap all
these months about anything else?"
still in good humor. Lets hear ali
about it. Abbie. ! haven't bothered
you before. but-well. I can get
Cobb's twenty acres very cheap if
buy right away"
II told everybody the TRUTH she
said simply. Mr.. Benson is The
historian of the Rossdale family.
Somehow he found out that | had
Grandmother R~ossdale's family tree
and wrote me about it. He used %
send me reports of the othe" branch
es and I'd look them up for. him.
When i was married / wrote him. so
that he could ge: that down in tie
book and he sen me a check for
$25 for a wedding present. That's
ALL"
And those big punches of papers
were only about the dead Ross
dales?" asked Dave with an uneasy
laugh. Il guess dead Rossdales
won't buy 2O-acre lots"
Abbie was oddly quiet at supper
time. She eyed him wistfully as
she set out her best preserves and
watched the plate of biscuit to see
that there were always warm ones
at hand.
Dave" Abbie's voice was low and
panied. and she fingered the table,
cloth n%ervously. I've been think
ing about this afternoon"
I've been trying to forget it, he
said with a laugh that was not mirth-
full.
Sometimes they put people in Jail
who get money under false pre-
tences," she went on bravely. II
was thinking that If we we're to see
a lawyer perhaps we could get a di-
vorce. It's worse getting a husband
under false %pretences."
Her face famed scarlet as sha
made the suggestion. She did not
look up. but Dave knew that the
kindly brown eyes must be moist and
troubled.
The hair was still softly brown
and the thin cheeks unwrinkled. Miss
Abbie had been deemed an old maid
at thirty-five.
His glance travelled from the bow
ed head to the well-set table and the
tidy room, and then roughly he push
ed back his chair and went around
the table.
"Abbie," he said, as he kneIt be-
side her and drew her within the cir