The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1917-06-15

house, which had more room than they
needed. Esther conceived the idea OF
adding to their income by taking some
boarders. She began to overhaul, and
renovate the bedrooms. In the room
where the old man had died was nm
old-fashioned secretary. desk and
bookcase combined 1t had been thor
oughly ransacked In the search for the
missing will. and Esther with touch
OF tenderness began removing the con-
tents of the drawers and pigeon holes
She found nothing she had not seen
before. Last OF all she took of the
sheet Of soiled blotting paper fastened
with thumb tacks to the writing desk.
At one side, as though showed In
hastily, she saw folded paper. She
opened 1t.
1t was the missing will. In it the
house and lot, and all money in bank
were to be divided equally between the
three heirs. A codicil disposed OF some
small articles Of personal property
which she scarcely noticed, so stunned
was she with the benumbing blow OF
the discovery. The pleasant home she
had learned to think Of as her own,
the plans she had laid for adding to
their income with boarders all sudden
ly melted into nothing. 1t was too
horrible to consider with reason and
calmness. She had only removed two
Of the tacks, and putting the will back,
she replaced them. She felt she must
have time to gather her wits, to be
able to think.
Then came the tempter. Why
should she give up that which was
really hers7 Had she not taken care
of this old man as though he were her
own, never leaving undone anything
she could do for his comfort. Had
she not at the last spent days and
sleepless nights ministering to him /
Yes, clearly it was hers. He had
seemed to grow more and more to re-
gard Richard and her as his children,
and she had come to love the old man
almost as father.
But why had he made this will? She
remembered now that before he had
lapsed into Inconsistencies, when she
had thought him delirious, he had sew
eral times asked her to take up the
tacks, and she had thought he had
meant the carpet as he had intended
to have a new one. Perhaps he want
ed to destroy the will. Then she would
only be carrying out his wish II she
did.
She heard her husband coming in,
and rose hastily, leaving the room.
She did not mean to tell him just then.
If she decided to destroy the will, he
must never know. She was sure he
would never consent to such a thing
But the most unthinkable of all was
the idea that he should know she had
even thought OF doing such an act
His condemnation would be the un-
bearable thing.
That evening she went to a commit
| tee meeting. She could not spend the
| time alone with him till she had decid
ed what to do.
She came In quietly, thinking hi
may have gone to bed, but he was not
there. She saw light upstairs. Some
thing prompted her to go to the ole
mans room. The door was ajar. Shs
| looked in. Richard sat at the desk, he
had lighted a candle, and was JUS
about to hold a paper to the flame
| She rushed into the room, and hi
quickly thrust the paper into his
pocket.
Richard ~ she cried. "Give me tina,
paper! Give 1t to mel"
"What paperT he asked, trying t.
put her off.
'SThe one you were about to burn
You have no right, unless see 1t -
He looked at her, his face dropped
he sat an instant, not speaking, theI
he handed her the will.
"God I" he cried. "You came JUS
in time to save me! Suppose I hat
done it-what an awful thing to carr.
with you through life !"
EYES," she answered. ''What al
awful thingw
There was to her now no waiting t.
decide.
ave will go together tomorrow, ant
hand it to the lawyer" she said.
In the codicil among some little keep
sakes was small box in a safe de
post drawer the contents of which
were willed to Esther.
"Some old jewelry, perhaps" sh'
said to the other heirs at the secont
reading Of the will.
The contents of the little box turned
out to be seven thousand dollars IL
good bonds.