Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-11-24
||arnssKittredge|
! Case
, A Story of a Queer
!, Old Man.
BY CLARISSA MACKIE

WVVWV$SyVvSS
That Colonel Kittredge was a queer
old man was evident from the many
queer things he did. In the first place.
being rich and consequently constantly
called on to give money for various
purposes, he never gave II cent to any
public institution. And when he gave
to an individual he would conceal 1t In
some worthless article and leave the
beneficiary to find 1t. 1t was known
that three different persons to whom
he gave money in this way did not hit
upon the donation for a long time after
1t had been made How many gifts
were never discovered at all nobody
knows.
But the queerest thing the colonel
ever did was to disown his daughter
Anna when she married her cousin,
Daniel Kittredge. She had been en-.
gagged to Kittredge for long while be.
fore her marriage, and neither she nor
any one else ever heard her father say
anything against the young man or
make the slightest objection to his
daughter marrying him. At the we'd
ding he gave the couple $1,000, telling
bic, for It might be "a long time before
they got any more.
Anna thought her father was Joking.
She had always been his pet, and she
had no doubt Notwithstanding these
words that she could always get from
him all the money she wanted, What
was her surprise on her return from
her wedding trip to find his house va
cant and locked. lie had gone away
and did not return for months. When
he did he would have nothing to do
with her.
Those most charitably disposed to-
ward Colonel Kittredge said that he
was crackbrained, some even declaring
that he was crazy, and 1t was reported
that former Kittredge had been sent
to bedlam.
When MRS. Daniel Kittredge became
assured that there was no hope of her
regainlng her former influence over her
father she accepted the situation and
made the best of It. Her husband
proved unsuccessful, and It Is possible
that the colonel with his keen vision
for practical things, had dlscerned some
deficiency In his makeup, and this had
been the cause of his strange action
toward the couple.
Daniel Kittredge died not long after
his marriage, leaving Anna n widow
with one child, daughter, Anita, a
pretty child and great consolation to
her mother. Mrs. Kittredge was obllg.
ed to get on as best she could and with.
out any assistance from her father.
The only thing the colonel ever did
that was not queer was to die.
The day after the funeral the heirs
gathered In the lawyers office and lis
tened to the reading of the will.
When Mr.. Drayton had concluded his
reading he looked around at Ave puz-
Zled faces.
Then they burst into chorus of Wig
orous protest, all save little Anita Kit.
tredge, who was very white and trem-
bling.
The other Kittredges had money, but
Anita's widowed mother, the colonel's
disinherited daughter, was poor and in
Ill health.
On his death bed the colonel had sent
for his daughter.
Forgive me, child" he had whisper
ed with his last breath. Don't mis-
understand me. have not forgotten
you and little Anita, and you will be
provided for. Those other Kittredges
who ara xUaIffnn, IIlyo tyYIt,,na eou,G-.
-me-Anna," and with the words, he
had died.
Now, Anita, sole representative Of
her mother and nearest of kin to the
colonel, listened to the words of the
will which resolved itself into several
requests.
ITO my cousin, Amos Kittredge, I
bequeath all tho books he has borrowed
from my library and failed to return"
ITO my Cousin Pauline Clark, what
ever article Of furniture, picture or
bric-a-brac she may choose from my
home"
And the following requests were the
same, each one was to choose some
keepsake Of the dead man, and each
one was to receive the sum Of 800 in
cash
The residue OF the estate was to DO
sold and the proceeds diverted to vari-
GUS charitable organizations.
After every effort had been made TO
break the will. the indignant heirs
agreed to meet at the colone's late
home and choose some keepsake.
II shall select the Khorassan rug in
the drawing room" thought Pauline
Clark. TITS worth $5!0O0-and that
will be something"
"And l." thought Amos Kittredge,
will borrow a few more books and
keep those, too" he thought greedily,
although he was rich man.
"And l." thought another, will
choose a piece Of the Kittredge gold
plate-it is valuable"
Anita Klttredge went up the path TO
the front door Of her grandfather's
house; she was a slender girl in her
early twenties. She was bookkeeper In
a stationery store In town and sup
ported herself and mother in humble
comfort.
Mr.. Drayton, the lawyer, met her
with cordial smile.
"The vultures are gathered, Miss
Anita" he said whimslcally "They
are appraising the household goods"
Anita shIyered