The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1923-01-19
The Legacy He
Left
Observation-Disclosures
= = = a
BY ELLA SAUNDERS
%. ls22. ws.tsrn Nswspaper Union.)


is my duty TO entrust you with the
contents of his safety deposit box"
Edna Wilcox, widow those three
weeks past, was quite surprised when
the bank manager handed her the
bundle of letters which he had taken
from her late husbands box at the
local bank.
Fancy Tom having had safety de-
post box What had he wanted ii for
the fool?
Yes, the fool! Her three weeks Of
mourning had not mitigated a certain
acerbity toward the late Tom Wilcox.
Tom had been such fool
One of those men whom no wife can
help despising A little mani A weak
man! A man who took all his troubles
TO his wife! A man who never de-
ceived her. never gave her the thrill of
fancying that she might have rival =
Even though Tom Wilcox had only
been In his grave three weeks it was
impossible to stop despising Tom.
Loved him7 Oh, yes, in way But
Edna Wilcox had never ceased to re-
greet that she had married the little
man. There had been no excitement
in their placid union. Besides, she
had taken the upper hand almost from
the beginning. Poor Tom Poor, weak
Toni
What; were those letters that the
bank manager had given her? She
took the bundle apart as soon as she
oh cd
first angered, then frightened her.
They were love letters-impassione
love letters. Love letters from May
Merriam, the srdnster, the old maid Of
forty, Toms agel Impassioned? Well
yes. And they had been going on
for years-five years. Tom and she
had only been married seven.
Edna let her mind stray back. It
must have been about two years after
their marriage when Tom and she had
that very bitter quarrel What was it
about? About the gas range? No,
about what color they should uphol-
ster the furniture. Tom had wanted
red. and she had wanted yellow, Just
to oppose Tom. 1t had been yellow.
what had Tom said on that occasion?
very well, have your own way"
How she had laughed inwardly at his
complaisancei
But May Merriam. the cold, unlm- !
FASHIONED spinsterl Why, these let
tiers burned with an emotion that she |
had not thought May capable of May
Merriaml She broke into bitter laugh
ter. May Merriam and that poor fool
Toni
She read the last letter, put the
bundle away, and went around to the
house where May lived alone. May
Merriam, faded spinster, looking pc
culiarly unattractive, met her with
that faint hostility that had precedence
Of trouble.
i've got all the letters you wrote
my husband" said Edna Wilcox.
A pale color mantled under May
Merrlam's skin. well, what are you
going to do about it?" asked May Mer-
Ram.
I'm wondering what he saw In you
or what you saw In him?"
TIL tell you,' said May Merriam
7ehemently. "Tom Wilcox was my
friend for year before we found we I
owed each other. Then we knew that 6
We could never help loving, as long as G
We lived. tried to be everything to 5
lin that you ought to have been, and :
lever were"
What ought to have been?" a
His wife-his friend, his sweet C
cart. Didn't you-no, of course you
ouldn't. but less coarse-fibered wom- =
n would have seen what there was in 7
'om-the longing for something al +.
lost maternal" II
Bah" said Edna Wilcox. 'Tom
WILCOX was poor fool. There was I;
dining In him that called for love-" ;,
There Is something in every man !,
nat calls for woman's love--if lie y
leets the right woman" answered d
lay Merriam N
And you mean TO say / couldn't ! iC
We 1t to him?" demanded the widow. Fl
you couldn't give Tom love. You 3,
aspised him. You drove him to me. -
n, II you knew how hard we fought d
yainst our Lowell If you could under OF
andi" o,
Edna Wilcox looked at the little il
oman. "a pretty pair" she thought.
pretty pair J..
But then suddenly she seemed to see =
pm as she had known him when she q
arried him. There had been some o.
Ing In the little man. after all. hs
She seized May Merriam by the Ell
nds impulsively. my DEAR" she said, m
~ dear, L" She choked. Pm so
i'd that poor Tom was happy with
Ut love. I'm glad for-hfs sake.
or Tom %