The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-09-22


had come down for the funeral, wa
there.
The house went to the daughters
there were books and portraits 70
Anne, q. box or two in storage 70,
Anne, and Anne was mentioned in tn,
only will as equally inheriting witt
Alexandra and Charity. For some
legal reason that the lawyer and DR.
Younger made clear, Anne could MOI
fully inherit, but her share would bt
only a trife less than her cousins.
Things had reached this point wher
Justin Little calmly and confidently
claimed that Anne's share was to be
based upon an old loan of Anne's ia
Their to his brother, a loan of three
thousand dollars to float Lee Strick-
land's invention. with the understand
ng that Vincent Strickland be subSe-
luentiy entitled to one-third of the re-
turns. AS the patent had been sold
sor nearly one hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars, one-third of it, with ac-
which mo payment had ever been made
Anne, was a large proportion of the
entire estate, and the development Of
his claim, in Justin Titles assured,
woodeny voice, caused every n to
.ook grave.
The estate was not worth one hun
1red and fifty thousand dollars now,
py any means; it had beer 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.
If Anne was wrong, and the paper
she held in her hand worthless, each
girl would inherit q comfortable little
fortune, but if Anne was right, Cherry
and Alix would have only a few thou
sand dollars apiece, and the old home.
The business talk was over before
any of them realized the enormity of
Anne's contention, and Anne and JUS
tin had departed. But both the old
doctor and the lawyer agreed with
Martin that it looked as If Anne was
right, and when the family was alone
again, and had had the time to digest
the matter, they felt as if a thunder
bolt had fallen across their lives.
"That Anne could do it !" Alix said,
over and over. Cherry seemed dazed,
spoke not at all, and Martin had said
little.
People will do anything for mon
ey! ~ he observed once drily. He had
met Justin %sternly. I'm not thinking
of my wife's share-I didn't marry her
for her money never knew she had
any But I'm thinking of Alix."
"Yes-we must think of darling
Alix I" Anne had said, nervously eager
that there should be no quarrel. IF
Uncle Lee intended me to nave all this
money, then 1. suppose l must take it,
but l shan't be happy unless things are
arranged so that Alix shall be com
fortablei !"
"B-but the worst of it is, Alixr'
Cherry stammered, suddenly. on the
day before she and Martin were to
to Red Greek, Il counted on
enough-enough to live my own
Alix, | can't can't go back|
"Why, my darling" Alix exclaimed,
Cherry began to cry in her arms,
darling, it is as bad as all thatY
"Oh. Alix," whispered the little sis
ter, trembling, Il can't bear it. You
don't know how / feel. You and Dad
were always here now that's all gone
you're going to rent the house and
try to teach singing-and I've nothing
to look forward to-I've nobody! ]"
Listen, dear" Alix soothed her. IF
they advise it, and especially if Peter
advises it when he gets back. Wen fight
Anne. And then if We win our fight,
III always keep the valley house open.
And if we don't, why I'm going to visit
you and Martin every year, and per-
haps I'll have a little apartment some
day don't intend to board always
But she was crying, too. Everything
changed, cold and strange; she
had suspected that Cherry's was not a
successful marriage; she knew it now,
anu ~ lCSlSn IN d0OlCQ i1ttiC o'S'SA
to the unsympathetic atmosphere of
Red Creek, and to miss all the old
life and the old associations, made her
ache.
"There's-there's nothing, special,
Cherry?" she asked after q while.
with Martin? Oh, no" Cherry an
swered, her eyes dried, and her pack
.ng going on ~composedly, although her
voice trembled now and then. mo,
It's just that l get bad moods" she
said, bravely. II was pretty young to
marry at all, / guess"
Martin loves you," Alix suggested
"He takes me for granted" Cherry
said. after a pause. There doesn't
seem to be anything alive in the feel
ne between u.s. she added, slowly. If
ne says something to me, ! make an
Effort to get his point of view before
answer. If / tell him some plan of
nine, / can see that he thinks it sounds
l don't seem very domestic
hats all. II try. Really, / dol
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