The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-10-08
Ezra Dalton ; 81 !
Will
For Reasons Of Modesty the
Widow Did Not Have
1t Filed.
By ELLIOTT FLOWER
Copyright by S. s. Mcclure COM
pany.

!. Copyrigh, by S S. Mcclure COM J.
& pany. 2
a-.s+S+.s+...s*4 .s..s.s.:
When kittie Wingram married Ezra
Dalton it was generally understood to
be a financial transaction of the kind
customary in the polite world Kittie
was young and pretty, while Ezra was
old and rich But kittie was not one
Of these nnbusinesslike girls who leave
everything to chance. No, indeed; she
was Il thoughtful and worldly maiden,
who knew how to look out for herself
and her future. She insisted that his
will must be made out in her favor in
the way that she should decree and
left in her charge.
Everything must be left to me,"
she said. ''and the will must be abso-
lutely in my keeping. Too many girls
in our set have been fooled by codicils
and other changes"
To this he agreed, and the day after
the wedding she demanded the fulfill
ment Of his promise.
II will have the new will drawn up
and executed today" he said, land to-
night will give it to you. regret to
have to cut off one or two relatives
who have been kind to me, but you
shall have everything
1t is because know you will regret
that" she replied, that l shall not be
satisfied with any will that | cannot
have always with me. No safe de
posit box would give Inc the sense OF
security that | need in order to rest
easy
Surely you cannOt be Ill earnest,"
he protested "You cannot carry it
about with you 1t would be lost OR
stolen"
''The way that intend to curry it"
she answered. will preclude the pos
sibility of loss or theft, and, further
more. will make it impossible for you
to get hold of it and change it. | shall
| have it tattooed on my arm"
She laughed in triumphant way as
she said this. while Ezra gasped She
was not unnindful Of the fact that he
still might make Il new viii, but she
thought the circumstances would deter
him. especially as the destruction of
the other would be impossible.
ION your arlnr' he repeated, us soon
us his establishment would let him
speak.
ION my arm.'' she said. with deter
| mination.
"You are prepared, then, to give up
| the wearing Of short sleeve gowns!
he suggested, whereat she grew sud.
denly pale.
Good heavensw she cried Il never
thought of THAR
you have beautiful arm'' he
went on insinuatingly.
! True" she admitted, land it's beau
ty must be preserved. l have no right
to deprive society of SO fair an arm.
/ will have the will tattooed on my
| shoulder"
"Would your ball gowns conceal it?'
he asked solicitously.
Again she was startled by the sug
| gestion, for in truth there was very
little Of the shoulder that a ball .owr
would conceal This. of course, wa:
due to the fact that she belonged tt
the world Of fashion. and in conse
quence it would be manifestly absurd
and provocative of comment to with
draw the shoulders from exhibition.
"Well." she said, after a thoughtfu
| pause, perhaps it would be better t.
have the will tattooed where am vac
cinated"
/ Now she thought the matter settled
but this was because she IVES ullac
auainted with the legal requirement
in such affairs He looked at her an'
smiled In way she did not like.
"As you please he returned disin
terestedly, and then he added. as II
we're matter of slight importance,
presume you do not forget that til
will must be signed by two witnessc
and ;ttiested bs notary.
Her perturbation was great. Dat
/, minnie or two she recovered he
cOmposure
..In that case" she asserted, i saa
have the will tattooed just beneath tn
shoulder blade. and the notary an
witnesses shall be women Than
heaven that women have invaded som
departments OF the business world.
From this decision it was imposslbl
TO move her. She wanted all and 81
lacked confidence in him She kne'
that il was human nature to dislike
nav for goods that have heen ION
time il, ones possession, aud she fe;l
ed that with the passing years
might try to scale down tie price.
she secured the tattooed villa WI
that could not be destroyed, changes
lost or taken from her and the on
thing that seriously disturbed her Gu
Ing the operation was the question
the notarial seal Ezra suggested th'
a large seal that could make prop
! IMPRESSION upon her should be sp
| cially made, but she repaid him r
I that later. 1t was finally tattooed
| her from an imprint that seemed shl
cringly cold when it was made. 81
| the was not entirely happy She III
hoped to have the will where she cou
! always see it. just to reconcile her
her bargain. but she found it necessa
4 20 inspect ii as she did her back ha
nv usinr two mirrors, and 1t was
difficult to read it that it took her thr