Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-05-15
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Device
A Story Showing How a Fortune
Hung In the Balance
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

John" said Mary MacKnight to her
husband when he came home from
business, what do you suppose2"
what do l suppose2 Why, sup
pose Pm to have a good dinner. Pm
certainly hungry"
Aunt Cynthia is coming to live with
us. You know she was at our house
till father died. Then she went to live
with Ellen Stone"
whats the matter with Ellen
StoneT
Aunt Cynthia thinks she doesn't
care for her except for what she can
get out of her. Miss Stone is very ex.
travagant-runs up bills and has them
sent to Aunt Cynthia. You know Aunt
Cynthia Is very well off"
II didn't Till you told me. How do
you know which is at fault, your aunt
or her niece2"
II don't have never seen Ellen
Stone"
what are you going to do about TAX
ing your aunt inr"
'That depends upon you"
mo, 1t doesn't; decide It for your
self"
Mrs. MacKnight was one of those
women with whom any one could
get on. She was kind hearted and
would like very much to give her aunt
a home. Mrs. Cynthia Wlthers, q
widow, would pay a good round sum
for her board, and that would be a
benefit to Mrs. MacKnight, who, on
her husbands salary, found 1t diff
cult to make ends meet John Mac
Knight would rather have had Old
Nick come to reside In his house, but
he knew that pecuniarily 1t would re-
lieve the strain on his wife, and he
consented for her sake.
Mrs. Wlthers came and seemed
much relieved to get out of Miss
stones clutches. Tho old lady was a
good deal broken down, and Mary Mac.
Knight devoted herself to building her
up, In this she succeeded, so far as
any one could succeed, having a sooth
ing effect upon her and taking great
pains to minister to her comfort. The
aunt had been much attached to Mary
while the latter was child, and II
seemed now that she could not get on
with any one else.
Mrs. Withers had a son who was Of
a rowing disposition. He was not 1T
ted to take care Of his mother nor
would she have been able to live with
him, owing to her nervous condition
A year after she came to the Mac
knights, she received news that her
son had died abroad. After his death
she said to Mary:
"Pm going to make new Will
While was living with Ellen Stone
think she must have hypnotlzed me,
for one day when | was Ill she asked
me to sign a paper, and l did as she
bid me. She had provided two wit
nesses, and this makes me think that
tho paper / signed was will. If SO /
have no doubt that II cut off my own
son, to whom | had left all my proper
ty except legacy to you. When l
got better asked Ellen to let me see
the paper | had signed, and she said
that, since my recovery, 1t was Of no
consequence; fearing that l was go
ing to die, she had simply had me sign
instructions with regard to my funeral
and giving her authority to draw the
necessary funds. When insisted on
seeing what had signed she said she
had burned IT,"
The new will executed by Mrs. With
ers left Mary MacKnlght all her prop
erty. The aunt showed the document
to her heir and told her that In case OF
her death she would find 1t In an an
tique writing desk In her room In
which she kept all her papers.
Not long after the execution OF this
will Mrs. Withers was advised by her
physician TO go to a sanitarlum, where
she would escape the noises OF city
and have such trained attendance as
she required. She did not wish to go
nor did her niece wish her to go
Though she was n great care, Mary
had become accustomed to minister to
her wants, and since she was Mary's
only living near blood relative Mary
had grown every year more attached
to her. Mary went with her TO the
sanitarlum and regretfully left her
there.
It was hoped that the invalid would
after a rest be so restored as to war
rant her return, but she gradually be
came more dependent on doctors and
nurses and remained In the snnltarlnm
as long rs she lived.
One day In February John Mac
Knight put his wife on a steamer and
sent her to the Bermuda islands. The
winter had been long, and Mary had
not stood up under It very well. While
she was away John slept at home, TAX
ing his meals outside.
1t happened that the day Mary re.
turned, her husband was unable 10
meet her at the dock, being detained
at his place Of business by a matter
Of Importance. Mary arrived at home
about 8 o'clock I'm the afternoon, and,
having duplicate key with her. let
herself into the house. Going at once
upstairs she was about to enter her
room when she heard something that
sounded like the rustic Of skirts in an
other chamber formerly occupied by
her aunt and which had been kept
Just as the old lady hnd left 1t In eK
pectation that she would return TO II
Mary enterSA the room and there