News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-10-12

"
at the sight of the majestic old gray
head and the fine old hands clasped
together on the sheet, her self-control
! forsook her entirely and she fell to
| her knees and began to cry again. -
The nurse looked at her disapprov-
ingly, but after all, it made little diff
ference. DR.. Strickland reused only
once again and that was many hours
later. Cherry and Alix were still
keeping their vigil; Cherry, worn out,
had been DOING the nurse was rest
ing on couch in the next room.
Suddenly both daughters were wide
awake at the sound of the hoarse yet
familiar voice. Alix fell on her knees
and caught the cold and wandering
hand.
"What is 1t, darling?" The old, half
joking maternal manner was all In
earnest now.
"PeterY he said thickly..
"Peter's in China, dear. You remem-
Der that Peter was to go around the
world? You remember that, Dad"
mo" he said musingly. They
thought he slept again, but he present
ly added: Somewhere In Matthew
no, In Mark-Mark is the human one
Mark was as human as his Mas
ter
shall l read you from Mark Allx
asked, as his voice sank again. A
shabby old Bible always stood at her
fathers bedside; she reached for 1t,
and making desperate effort to
steady her voice, began to read. The
place was marked by an old letter,
and opened at the chapter he seemed
to deslrep for as she read he seemed
to be drinking in the words. Once
they heard him whisper, wonderful y
Cherry got up on the bed and took
the splendid dying head in her arms;
the murky winter dawn crept in and
the lamp burned sickly in the daylight.
Hong could be heard stirring. Alix
closed the book and extinguished the
lamp. Cherry did not move.
"Charity!" the old man said pres
emily, in a simple, childish tone. Later,
with bursts of tears, in all the utter
desoation of the days that followed,
Cherry loved to remember that his
last utterance was her name. But
Alix knew, though she never said 1t,
that 1t was to another Charity he
spoke
Subdued, looking younger and thin
ner In their new black, the sisters
came downstairs, ten days later for
a business talk. Peter had been named
as one executor; but Peter was far
away, and it was pleasant family
friend, q kindly old surgeon of DR..
Strickland's own age, or near 1t, and
the lawyer, George Sewall, the other
executor who told them about their
affairs. Anne, as co-heiress, was pres
ent at this talk, with Justin sitting
close beside her Martin, too, who
had come down for the funeral, was
there.
The house went to the daughters;
there were books and portraits for
Anne, box or two in storage for
tdllllt anu fAIlIlC W as lllChliohSu IL SA4S
only will as equally inheriting with
and Charity. For some =
legal reason that the lawyer and DR..
Z ounger made clear, Anne could not
FULLY inherit, but her share would be
,nly trifle less than her cousins.
Things had reached this point when
Justin Little calmly and confidently
claimed that Anne-s share was to be
BASED upon an old loan of Anne's IA
her to his brother, loan of three
dollars to float Lee Strick-
and's invention, with the understand
ng that Vincent Strickland be subse-
luently entitled to one-third Of the re-
urns. AS the patent had been sold
or nearly one hundred and fifty thou
and dollars, one-third of 1t, with &C.
cumulative interest for ten years, Of
which no payment had ever been made
Anne, was large proportion Of the
ntire estate, and the development of
his claim, in Justin Titles assured,
yoodeny voice, caused every one to
,ok grave.
The estate was not worth one hun
red and fifty thousand dollars now,
Y any means; 1t had been reduced to
tile more than two-thirds of that
UNI, and Anne's bright concern that
very one should be satisfied with
hat was right, and her ingenious
leasure In Justin's cleverness In
linking of this possibility, were met
18th noticeable GOODNESS.
II Anne was wrong, and the paper
he held in her hand worthless, each
Irl would inherit a comfortable little
,rtune, but If Anne was right, Cherry
nd Alix would have only a few thou
and dollars apiece, and the old home.
The business talk was over before
ny Of them realized the enormity of
mes contention, and Anne and JUS
n had departed. But both the old
,ctor and the lawyer agreed with
artin that 1t looked as If Anne was
ght, and when the family was alone
Jain, and had had the time " digest
e matter, they felt as If a thunder
bit had fallen across their lives.
''That Anne could do It" Allx said,