Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-03-28

It was long while before my aunt
recovered from the effects Of her hus-
bands attempt sufficiently to cease
talking about 1t, invelghing against
matrimony and an occasional remark
to me:
IF ever l catch you listening to the
poisoned words Of any young Tasc9l
I'll turn you out Of the house, Bot
after awhile she ceased to get wrought
up over II and In time not to speak Of
1t at ALL
Then the old lady was taken with an
illness from which she was not des-
tined to recover She had been very
good to me and loved me very dearly.
] felt 1t my duty as well as my choice
to devote myself to her comfort While
doing this II was impossible for me to
meet my husband except at long inter
walls aud then for brief interviews. My
aunt was very exacting and kept mo
with her nearly all the while. More
over. | would not for the world have
her discover that had repaid her kind
ness to me by rejecting her wishes for
me and deceiving her In doing It. So
anxious was to save her this disap-
polntment that | pretended to agree
with the repugnance to marriage she
had expressed and declared that
would never marry, In this falsehood
my conscience was soothed by men
tai reservation What | meant was
that would not marry n 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 recedlng
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. l am wearing the life out OF you
wish you to go 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 1t, and since
she was In no condition to be opposed
assented. | was not sorry to be sent
out and went at once to telephone,
where | called up Charlie, and we
spent the afternoon together. did
not get back to the sick chamber TIL
an hour after dark.
was met In the hall by the trained
nurse. who told me that my aunt was
dead.
expected was shocked. especially
that was away when 1t occurred. !
was doubly panied when the nurse told
me that my aunt had called for me and
seemed much disturbed that | had not
left word where ! was going The poor
woman seemed to have something Of
Importance 10 say to me before she
died that she would not contide to any
one else
The day after the funeral took my
aunt's will-she had turned II over to
me soon after being stricken by her
last illness-and In company with my
husband went TO her attorney to turn
II over to him and confess that was
a married woman and could not In
herlt under Its provisions He looked
at 1t, noticing its date. signature aud
other points with that method com
mon TO those OF his profession. then
going to bis safe. opened a drawer
and, taking out a document, brought It
to US.
II have a later will here" he said.
"A later willp I exclaimed Surely
that can't be. My aunt gave me this
one when she was taken III and cannot
have made another"
Nevertheless she did. and that on
the afternoon she died WINS tele
phoned for and went to her immed
ately This In the result"
He handed me bit OF paper, on
which was scarcely hundred words,
leaving to me my aunts estate without
any condition whatever read II and
handed II 10 Charlie. Then we both
looked at each other-l through wet
eyes--and Charlie took me IN his arms
what do you suppose my aunt
wished to say to me before she died"
I asked the lawyer presently.
This will you have brought here"
he replied. "disinherlted you In case
you were married Your aunt wished
me to draw a new will compelling you
10 marry in order 10 Inherit under Il
I suggested that II might compllcnte
matters for you and result in turning
her estate over to her husband.
therefore suggested the simpler form
you was that she dreaded leaving you
unprotected; recalled what she had
said TO you about marriage. and hoped
you would find n good husband"
~ have already found one" ! re-
piled. and my assertion turned out to
be true. My aunt's husband endeav.
ored to break the will on the ground
that the testator was not OF sound
mind when the will wns mnde and |
had Influenced her 10 leave all 10 me
II was fortunate that I Ind hus
band to look out for my Interests.
or am sure my property would have
gone either to the man my aunt most
wished should not have II or TO the
lawyers and the chancery courts Char.
lie made an admirable manager for the
business, very sensibly compromising
with the husband for a small sum In
cash
The moral Of my story II do not
decide from n single experience" md
the moral Of my experience is do not
act clnndesiinely In case Of especial
moment. II at all"