The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1913-01-03

script on a single sheet of paper bear
ing a legal head. II was dated n
Sharlesport. Maine. and stated tina
the writer. in conformity with the las
wish OF his friend and client, Hercu
les Thayer. was ready TO transfer Ger
tain deeds and papers to the late Mr.
! Ihayer's designated heir, ASath'
Redmond; also that the writer re
QGested an interview at Miss Red
inond'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
tratic OF the street passed far below
the sharp click-click OF a pedestrian
now and then sounded above. but no
one passed her way. The hum OF the
city made a 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 10 fash out In the city,
as II a million fireiles. by twos and
'hrees and dozens. were waking 10
their nocturnal revelry
On the hill the light was still good
and the lady turned again 10 her read.
ing The other letter was written on
single sheets OF thin paper In an cid
fashioned. beautiful hand Wherever
4 doubles occurred, the FIRST was writ.
ten long. in 4 style Of sixty years ago:
and the whole letter was as easily
legi5lc as print. Across the top was
written: ITO Agatha Redmond. daaSh-
ter Of my ward and dear friend Aga
tina Shaw Redmond and below that,
in the lawyers choppv handC riting,
MAS 4 date OF nearly a year previous.
As Agatha Redmond read the second
letter, a smile, half OF sadness half
OF pleasure. oversprcad her counte-
nance II ran as follows:
"Ilon. Maine.
My Dear Agatha: ! take my pen in
hand 20 address you. the daughter Of
the dearest friend OF my life, for tie
first time In the twenty.odd years OF
your existence Once as a 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 % my pri.
vate life has come 10 you. II will be-
easy. then. for yCu TO pardon an old
man for giving You. in this fashion.
the confidence he has never been able
70 bcstow in the flesh.
When you read this epis,le. nv
dear Agatha. | shall have stepped into
that next mystery, which IL Death.
Indeed the duty which | am now dis.
charging serves as partial preparation
for that very event. This daty is TO
make you heir to my house and ca.
tate and 10 certain accessory funds
which well enable you to Keep up the
place
You may regard this act. possibly.
as tho idiusyncrasy or an unbalanced
mind: II is certain that Some OF my
liinsfolk will do so. Put while I have
been able to bear up under their
greater or less displcasure for many
years find myself shrinking before
the possibility Of dying absolutely un.
known and forgotten by you. Your
mother. Agatha shaw. OF blessed mem.
DRY now for many years. was my ward
and pupil after the donth OF your
grandfather. think may say with
out undue elf-congratuation that few
women OF their time have enjoyed as
sound a scheme Of education as your
mother. She had a knowledge O,
mathematics. could ccnstrue both in
Latin and Greek. and had acquired Il
fair mastery OF the historic civilian.
ton Of the Greeks. Egyptians and an.
cipnt Babylonians While these NJ;
tainments would naturally be insuT.
cicnt for mans work In life. We, for
a woman they were Of on exceptional.
order.
sufficient 10 say that IN your moth.
er's character these noteworthy abili.
ties were supplemented bv gracious
womanly arts; and whom .hc arrived
At maturity. offered her the honor
OF marriage
1T is painful for me to recall tho
scene and the consequence OF your
mothers refusal of my hand. cven
after these years Of philosophical r..
f!cction. IL were idle fer a man %
parts to alloy mere preference in
regard TO his domestic situation 20
Influence his. course OF action In any
essential manner. and ! have never
permitted my career TO be shaped by
such details. But from that time,
however. the course of my lie was
From the impassioned ora
tor and preacher | was transformed
into the man Of books and the study.
and since then have lived far from
the larger conccurses OF men. My
weekly sermon, for twenty years, has
been the essence Of my weekly toll In