Charlevoix county herald., 1921-09-16

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, 1t made little diff
ference. DIR. 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.
"Peter?" he said thickly.
Peters In China, dear. You remem-
Der that Peter was to go around the
world? You remember that, Dad?"
NO" 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 MarkY' Alix
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,
to desire, for as she read he seemed
to be drinking In the words. Once
they heard him whisper, wonderful !"
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 simple, childish tone. Later,
with bursts Of tears, in all the utter
desolation 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 ii 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 ii was pleasant family
friend, kindly old surgeon Of DR..
Stricklands 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
Anne, and Anne was mentioned In the
only will as equally inheriting with
Alexandra and Charity. For some
legal reason that the lawyer and DR..
Younger made clear, Anne could not
fully inherit, but her share would be
only a 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
Their to his brother, loan Of three
thousand dollars to float Lee Strick-
lands invention, with the understand
ing that Vincent Strickland be subse-
quently entitled to one-third of the re-
turns. As the patent had been sold
for nearly one hundred and fifty thou
sand 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
entire estate, and the development OF
this claim, In Justin Titles assured,
woodeny voice, caused every one to
look grave.
The estate was not worth one hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars now,
by any means; 1t had been reduced to
little more than two-thirds of that
sum, and Annes 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 comfortable little
fortune, but II Anne was right, Cherry
and Alix would have only 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 IL looked as II Anne was
right, and when the family was alone
again, and had had the time to digest
the matter, they felt as II thunder
bolt had fallen across their lives.