The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1913-06-19


CT which was brief and written In bad
script on a 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 deeds and papers Co the late Mr..
Thayer's designated heir, Agatha
Redmond; also that the writer re-
qnested 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 IL in the grasp
OF an absorbing thought. With the
disappearing child, the signs OF life
traffic 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
p~erceptibly deapened. Far away,
lights began to fash out In the city.
as IL a million fireflies, by twos and
threes and dozens, were waking to
their nocturnal revelry.
On the hill the light was still Iood,
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 vas
written: ITO Agatha Redmond, dasgh-
ter OF my ward and dear friend. Aga
tina Shaw Redmond" aAd below that.
In the lawyers chopp, handwriting.
was a date OF nearly a gear previous.
As Agatha Redmond read the second
letter. a smile, half of sadness, half
OF pleasure. overspreac her coante-
nance. 1t ran as follows:
q ion. Maine.
my Dear Agatha: ! take my pen In
hand to address you, thu daughter OF
the dearest friend OF my life, for the
first time In the twenty odd years of
your existence. Once Az a child you
saw me, and you have doubtless heard
my name from your moxher's people
from time to time: but l can scarcely
hope that any knowledge OF my pri-
vate life has come to you 1t will be
easy, then, for you to pardon an old
man for giving you. in thls 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 is Death.
Indeed, the duty which | am now dis
charging serves as partial preparation
for hat very event This duty is to
make you heir to my house and es-
tate and to certain accessory funds
which well enable you to keep up the
place.
"You may regard this act. yossibly.
as the idiosyncrasy of an unbalanced
mind; 1t Is certain that some OF my
kinsfolk will do so. But while have
been able to bear up undes their
greater or less displeasure fos many
years, I find myself shrinking before
the possibility of dying absolutely un-
known and forgotten by you. Your
mother. Agatha Shaw. of blessee mem
DRY now for many years. was m, ward
and pupil after the death OF your
grandfather. ! think | may With
out undue self-congratulation thaA few
- that ftra hovo orx -
sound a scheme of education as POUR
mother. She had a knowledge OF
mathematics, could construe bosa in
Latin and Greek. and had acquh "a a
fair mastery OF the historic CIV liza
ton of the Greeks. Egyptians and an
| cient Babylonians. While these at.
| tainments would naturally be insuAl-
| cient for a mans work in life, yet for
a woman they we're OF an exceptional
| order.
SUFFICIENT to say that In your moth
er's character these noteworthy abily-
ties were supplemented by graciour.
womanly arts: and when she arrived
at maturity. / offered her the honor
of marriage.
T. IL - pdiuAuh iOf mc " recall the
scene and the consequences OF your
mothers refusal of my hand, essn
after these years of philosophical ~
lection. II were idle for a man Of
parts to allow a mere preference In
regard to his domestic situation to
influence his course of action in any
essential manner. and l have never
permitted my career to be shaped by
such details. But from that time,
however. the course of my life was
" ,sse6. From the impassioned ora
Ia ant preacher I was transformed
Into the mar of books and the study.
and since then Ilhave lived far from
the larger OF men. NY
weekly sermon, for tuepty wears. has
bssn the essence Of my weekly toll In