The state herald., 1913-03-28

c1obuTeb. Iner0 were TWO letterB, On0
CT which was brief and written In bad
script on single sheet Of paper bear
Ing a legal head. 1t was dated at
Charlesport, Maine, and stated that
the writer. In conformity with the last
wish Of his friend and client, Hercu-
les Thayer. was ready to transfer GER
tain doeds and papers to the late Mr..
Thayer's designated heir, Agatha
Redmond: also that the writer re-
quested an interview at Miss Red
mond's earliest convenience.
Holding the half.opened sheets in
her hand. the lady closed her eyes
and sat motionless, as II in the grasp
OF an absorbing thought. With the
disappearing child. the signs Of life
on the hillside had diminished. The
trafnc of the street passed far Delow.
the sharp click-click Of a pedestrian
now and then sounded above, but no
one passed her way. The hum Of the
city made 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 to flash out in the city,
as II q million firefies. by twos and
threes and dozens. wen waking to
their nocturnal revelry.
On the hill the light was still good.
and the lady turned again to her read
Ing. The other letter was written on
single sheets of thin paper in an old
fashioned. beautiful hand. Wherever
a doubles occurred. the first was writ
ten long. in a style Of sixty years ago:
and the whole letter was as easily
legible as print Across the top was
written: ITO Agatha Redmond. daugh-
ter Of my ward and dear friend. Aga
tina Shaw Redmond" and below that.
In the lawyers choppy handwriting
was date Of nearly q year previous.
As Agatha Redmond read the second
letter. q smile. half Of sadness. half
of pleasure. overspread her counte-
nance. II ran as follows:
''llion. Maine.
MY Dear Agatha. l take my pen In
hand to address you. the daughter Of
the dearest friend OF my life, for the
nrst time In the twenty-odd years Of
your existence. Once as child you
saw me. and you have doubtless heard
my name from your mothers people
from time to time; but can scarcely
hope that any knowledge OF my pri.
vate life has come to you. II will be
easy, then. for you to 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 ia Death.
Indeed. the duty which ! am now dis.
charging serves as partial preparation
for that very event This duty ia to
make you heir TO my house and cs.
tate and to certain accessory funds
which well enable you to keep up the
place.
"you may regard this act. possibly.
m the idiosyncrnsy of an unbalanced
mind: II is certain that some OF my
kinsfolk will do so. But while I have
been able to bear up under their
greater or less displeasure for many
years, I md myself shrinking before
the possibility OF dying absolutely un.
known and forgotten by you. Your
mother, Agatha Shaw. OF blessed mem.
ory now for many years. was my ward
and pupil after the death OF your
grandfather. think may say with.
out undue rcifcongrntulation that few
women OF their time have enjoyed as
sound scheme OF education as your
mother. She had knowledge OF
mathematics. could construe both In
Latin and Greek. and had acquired a
fair mastery Of the historic civiiira.
,ion Of the Greeks. Egyptians and nm.
cient pabyionians. while these nj.
tafnments would naturally be insufi.
cicpt for mans work In life, yet for
a woman they were OF an exceptional
order.
"suficicnt TO say that In your moth.
er's character these noteworthy nbiii.
ties were supplemented by gracious,
womnniy arts: and when sho arrived
nt maturity. offered her tho honor
OF marriage.
1T Ia painful for me 70 recall tho
scene and tho CONSCIOUSNESS OF your
mothers refusal OF my hand. even
after these years OF philosophical re-.
Election. II were idle for man Of
parts to allow mere preference In
regard TO his domestic situation TO
influence his course OF action In any
essential manner. md have never
permitted my career TO be shaped by
such details, Hut from that time.
however. the course OF my life was
changed From the impansioncd ora.
tor and preacher ! was transformed
into the man OF books and tho study.
and since then have lived far from
the larger ooncourHea OF men My
weekly sermon. for twenty years. has
been the essence Of my weekly toll In