The Meeker herald., 1914-11-28
ASingular.
Union
1t Was For the Pur.
pose Of Spending
. Fortune
ny SADIE oLcorr

ny SADIE OLcOTT +
+fHss4+++-s+ss-ss-s-i-i-s-s-i-+st !
George Underhill on coming Of age
had everything to live for. He step
psd into . fortune Of half . million.
or $4,000 . year; was in excellent
health. favorits with his friends. e.
pecially attractive to girls. and the
management Of his estate was likely
to give him enough to do to put
an edge on his leisure moments. This
was the outlook before the young man
the day hs was twenty-one years old.
But on that same day he noticed
swelling In his neck about the sine OF
q haselnut. He had never had an ex
crescence OF any kind on his body and
could not understand the sudden ap-
pearance Of this one. He stood before
q mirror looking at It wonderinGly.
He plnched It. and 1t hurt a little.
though not much. He thought he
would show 1t to doctor and get his
opinion upon It. but since he expected
to be busy with his guardian and the
lawyers nearly all day. passing the
papers In receiving his estate. be d.
fsrred the matter till the morrow.
During his birthday hs was 20 taken
mp with affairs pertaining to his prop
erty that be forgot all about the swell
Ing In biz neck till preparing for bed.
when hs noticed It again. He was =
bit truubled about 1t and resolved that
the nrst thing he would do In the morn
Ing would be to show It to his physi-
clan. Dr.. franklin. 30 ~ soon ~
the once hour Of the physician came
round George was admitted to his con-
suitinS room
George did NOT leave Dr.. Franklin's
once for nearly an hour, and when hs
did be was in 4 vsry different mental
condition from when hs entered It
The lump indicated an incurable dis
ease. The doctor tfied in every way
to avoid telling hin this. for the dou-
bic reason that his patient would suf-
fer In mind a. we'll ~ in body and his
knowing that he had not long to live
would hasten the end. George. how
ever. gathered from him that he had
anywhere from Z few months to few
years on earth. A to how much be
would suffer the doctor did not tell
him. Possibly be did not know him.
sslf. He convinced his patient that he
had better remain ignorant Of what
tie disease was. %
0soeys was . phIlosophic fellow. and
when b had recoversd. - Tar - 10
eovery was possih,e fsoa the shock.
~ beean 10 lay plans for Spending ths
be3ss unsxpirsd tsFn Of bis life In =
wiy TO alleviate the condition to TIE
bsst advantaga. Miss Alice Wood
bridge was his favofjts among bis girl
acquaintances. and hs thought he
would Ike to have her companionship
for the brief season Of life left to him.
he called upon her, stated the case
and asked her to be his wife. agreeing
to settle half bis fortune upon her, the
other half to be spent in such COM
forts or pleasures or journeys n would
help him to forget his coming demise.
Miss Woodbridge asked for q few
days, to consider the proposition. but
being 4 GIRL with an eye to improving
her condition. when she gave her an
swer insisted that the whole amount
Of his estate be settled on her except
the income during his life. which she
considered ample for bis purpose.
Whether or no she was right he did
not stop to consider. but broke oif the
negotiations.
George tried several other girls. Ons
who had no especial affection for him
refused him on the ground that she
did not care to tie herself up for q
money consideration to q man who
would be in q dying condition during
their married life. Others balked at
this or at that till at last George had
well nigh gone the rounds Of the girls
he would care to marry. One he had
not tried. She was Lucy Ellis. nm
amiabie. happy-go-lucky girl. from
whose shoulders trouble rolled Oh cas-
lily and whose financial necessities were
such that she was quite familiar With
the pawnshop.
To Miss Ellis George concluded to
make q proposal. but, being somewhat
discouraged In his quest for compan-
ion In his trouble. offered her much
better terms than any he had yet pro
posed. After modestly telling her that
he thought bis income would suiacs
40 we'll as \ larger amount for the pur-
pose Of making him forget what was
coming he promised to settle his whole
estate upon her II she would marry
him.
To his surprise. she threw her arms
about his neck and said, with tears In
her eyes: We'll spend 1t all. And
Whist will lot Of money be compared
with the remembrance that we shall
have at least a short time togetherf'
But" be protested, what will you
live on when am goner'
"Why. won't be any worse Oh for
meney than am now. win lr'
She looked up at him from q pair Of
inReuuous, cbiidlike eyes through her