Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-11
CHAPTER Ill

CHAPTER LII
r N the cloak and suit department Of
| great department store Althea Crosby,
wholesome and rather attractive looking
girl, worked every day from until 5. she
liked her work, satisfied and happy.
Here the old lawyer finally found her,
told her Of her aunt's bequest and showed
her copy of the will, the original of which
he had carefully locked in his safe.
"The house is yours absolutely" he told
Althea. mo matter what you do about her
instructions as to the money she left. It's
a fine little place with tidy bit of land"
Its a wonder she didn't tie some strings
on that too" Althea said the lawyer
thought disrespectfully But she never had
known this aunt whose eccentric will she
just had read, the will that meant nothing
to her unless she married.
mo- that is yours to do with as you
please" the old lawyer told her. Not quite
did he approve of this frivolous young per-
son who joked over so serious matter as a
will. "Shall I dismiss the two old servants
or will you retain them-live in the house?'
Retain servants Live in the house!
Althea burst into hearty laughter.
what would I live on?" she asked the
lawyer.
"Why-I-young women usually" he
stammered.
"You thought I had a husband picked,
! ready to wear, like the suits and coats in
my department."
II may say I thought it--likely. You are
twenty years old, Miss Crosby informed me,
and in our town girls marry younger not
at all"
"You say the house is absolutely mine
Well, as it is the first thing I ever owned I
am coming up to look at it, Let the servants
go and rent it for me if you can. How much
would the rent be?" The practical side of
a working girls mind had at once grasped
the idea of an increased income through
renting this house of hers.
mot many rent in our town." the old law
yer answered, but the place is in good or
der well furnished. If I can find a tenant
it may bring twenty-five month"
Twenty-Five dollars month for a whole
house! Althea paid more than that for her
room in a cheap lodging house.
Il guess [ won't throw up my job because
of my legacy she said, laughing. But I'll
come up soon and see my twenty -fve-dollar-
a-month mansion" she said as she babe the
| lawyer gOod-by.
At her request he had left copy of the
| will with her. That night after her simple
! dinner she read 1t over 1t said
| ITO my niece, Althea Crosby, I leave my
! home free and clear, with all it's contents,
my clothes and what few jewels I possess.
also leave her my entire residuary estate
Of fifty thousand dollars ($50,O0O.0O) in
| bonds If she complies with the following: IF
! the said Althea Crosby marries before she
| is th1rty-fve years DID, said bonds are to be
! given her the day of her marriage. If she
| is not married when she reaches her thirty
! fifth birthday, the money is to be used to
build drinking fountains for dogs and horses
| in my home town. :"
| Althea read no further The appointment
Of two men to see that her wishes were car
| ried out, the location of the drinking foun-
| ta1ns held no interest for her.
'Wha{ever possessed her to write such a
| VIII? Althea unused aloud. cleft me all
] that money, but insists 1 marry to get it.
She was never married. Oh, well, I've got
the house and other things, and I should
worry; Then I've fifteen years to go be-
fore I'm thirty-fve Funny-Ill have to
marry for money! Not any mans money.
but my 'own!"
The little book carefully sealed she had
thrust into her bureau drawer She would
read it when she had time. She was more
interested I'M thinking of the house she had
inherited than in reading some book-prob-
ably favorite edition of Miss Crosbv's or
something like that. The lawyer had said It
was a book.
=, Il wish I could transplant that house to
New York." she said to herself "Then it
might do me some good. But way off there
IN that little Massachusetts town I might as
well not have it-unless it can be rented"
linen she thought of the clothes and Jew
els Perhaps there would be more than she
thought. 1t was her vacation time soonAar
obligatory vaacton She would snend r. in
her own house - ~
She wrote the lawyer that even should he
nnd tenant not to give possession until
Augusts 10. She would arrive August l
ana remain In the house two weeks
LII take that book she left me and read
IL up there!' she declared, her conscience
prfcking her a bit for the neglect.
VI course A!thea had roommate and tn
ner she told OF the will, the house, and the
$4,000. But she did not tell her Of The
clause by which she lost the 900 unless
she married. i0'"
scrlption now so not to miss a chapter Of
this splendid story.