The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-10-08

I the dark wetness of the valley. and was met by a rush of cold and fra grant air. Cherry got a driver, rattled | and jerked up to the house in | surrey, and jumped out her heart almost suffocating her.
 Alix came flying to the door; the old lamplight and the odor of wood smoke poured through. There was no need for words; they burst into tears and clung together. An hour later Cherry, feeling-as if she was not the same woman who walked in Red Creek this same morn ing and got Martins eggs and coffee ready, crept into her fathers room Alix had warned her to be quiet, but 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. pr. Strickland reused only once again and that was many hours keeping their vigil; Cherry. worn out, had been dozing3-the nurse was rest ing on a couch ir 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 it, darling?" The old, half joking maternal manner was all in earnest now.
 "Peter?" he said thick1y
 Peters in China, dear. You remem- Der that ePter was to go around the world? You remember that, Dad? ?"
 "No-" he said amusing1y. They thought he slept again, but he pres ently added: somewhere in Mat man one-Mark was as human as his Master-'
 Shall read you from Mark ?'' Alix asked, as his voice sank again. A shabby old Bible always stood at her fathers bedside; she reached for it, and making a desperate effort to steady her voice, began to read. The and opened at the chapter he seemed to desire, for as she read he seemed to be drinking in the words Once they heard him whisper, ,t'Wonderful!" the splendid dying head in her arms; the murky winter dawn crept in and the lamp burned sickly in the day light. Hong could be heard stirring. the lamp. Cherry did not move.
 Charity" the old man said pres ently, in g. simple, childish tone. Later, with bursts of tears, in all the utter deso1ation of the days that fol- lowed, Cherry loved to remember that his last utterance was her name. But Aix knew, though she never said it, that it 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 3s one executor; but Peter was far away, and it was a pleasant family friend, kindly old surgeon of Dr. strichiand's avn age; or near it. and 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, wno there.
 The house went to the daughters; there were books and portraits for Anne, a box or two in storage for Anne, and Anne was mentioned in the only will as equally inheriting with Alexandra and Charity. For some legal reason that the lawyer and pr. Younger made clear Anne could nor fully inherit. but her share would be only a trif1e less than her cousins
 Things had reached this point when Justin Little calmly ana confidently claimed that Anne's share was to be based upon an old loan Of Anne's fla ther to his brother, a loan of three thousand dollars to float Lee Strick- lands invention. with the understand ing that Vincent Strickland be subse- quertIy entitled to one-third of the re- turns. As the patent had been sold for nearly one hundred and fifty thou sand 0ollarS, One-tn1rd or IL, With ac- cumulative interest for ten years, of which no payment had ever been made Anne, was large proportion of the entire estate, and the development of this claim, in Justin Litt1es assur- ed, woodeny voice, caused every one to look grave.
 The estate was not worth one hun dred and fifty thousand dollars now by any means; it had been reduced to little more than two-thirds of that sum, and Anne's bright concern that every one should be satisfied with what was right. and her ingenious pleasure in Justin's cleverness in thinking of this possibility, were met with noticeable coldness.
 (Continued Monday)