The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-10-25
MOLLY'S
WONDERFUL
INHERITANCE
GO by D. ]. Walsh,

N
~ worked, cleaning her already
4 Immaculate house. 1t was
now only six O'Clock and her
train left for Chicago at ten-thirty-
four long hours before she could &c
to the station. Her bag was packed
the square black bag thar had not
been used since she had made that
trip to Chicago seven years tefore.
Her neat little black hat. purse and
! gloves were on the hall table Gray
Puss" had been taken over to Lettie
Desmond's by Lettie's small freckle-
faced son who was extraordinarily
fond of Molly's pet. Four long hours
and not a thing TO do.
She wandered from room to room.
The Fremont Chronicle was on the
table and she tried to interest herself
in its pages. but ii was futile. She
wished she might lie down and sleep
for she knew there would be no sleep
for her on the train that night. Had
the telegram come last night instead
of this morning she would have taken
the day train over. But 1t had come
at six O'Clock this morning and the
day train went through Fremont at
1907 a. m.
The kitchen was shining in its clean
illness. There was a roaring fire in
the big kitchen range and Molly sud
denly bent and pushed the damper
over the oven. A moment later she
emerged from the pantry with a
bread-board under her arm and a mix
ing bowl and a bottle of sour cream
IN her hand.
For the next two hours she worked
busily making cookies. 1t was strange
making cookies this late fall afternoon
and every time she moved. the yellow
telegram in her pocket cracked. the
telegram advising her of the death
of Weston Lathrop. her husband. IT
was very brief, very nOncommital. A
dozen times that day she had paused
in her work and unfolded it. 1t was
signed Dandron 4 Eaton, attorneys.
and stated that Weston Lathrop and
Mrs. Lathrop had been killed in Eng
land. Papers in his possession and
also in the office of the Chicago at
tOrneys, had requested that she he
notified. That was strange, too. be-
cause she had not seen him in seven
years, since the day she met him in
Chicago and told him he could have
his freedom to marry the woman for
whom he had deserted her after sew
enteen years of married life: since
fere in any plans he might make be-
cause she didn't want to hold him If
he didn't want to be held.
The telegram also requested that
she appear in the Office of Dandron
4 Eaton. Chicago. on certain day
to discuss matter which could only
be settled with her assistance. mas
much as the late Mr. and Mrs. Lath-
rop had no relatives with whom to
communicate.
Making cOokies-soU9 cream, spices.
brown sugar-Weston's favorites-and
he was deadI 1t was hard to believe
that the man she had loved. still
loved, was dead. And there was so
little by which to remember him. ex-
cept memories. They had lived in
her old home. inherited from her par
ents. He had brought little into it.
but had taken much when he took
himself out of it. She lifted her hand
to her lips-the hand that bore the
narrow gold band placed there on a
June day so many years before.
II was nearly eight o'clock when she
placed the last cookie in the big crock
which stood on the lower shelf in
the pantry. II was nine when she fin
ished her light supper and washed
the dishes. Only Mrs. Desmond knew
she was going away-on a business
trip that could not be postponed but
she could return the day after tomor-
row. II was dark when she locked
the door and hung the key behind
the right pillar of the borch. The sta
ton was almost deserted and she
slipped into the Pullman unnoticed by
the few townsfolk whoh loitered on the
platform.
All through the long hours of the
night Molly Lathrop I4y thinking of
the days that stretched behind her !;
of the days TO come The last seven
years had been very lbnely, but the
years ahead seemed interminable.
There had always been 1.-THE sweet IN.
certainty that perhaps Some day IVES
would come back to her, and although
the heart in her was crushed, she
knew she would weIeouhe him back
Now he was dead She raised herself
on her elbow many times and watched
the countryside slip past SickIy streer
lamps threw out a murk1 glow in the
strange little towns that slumbered
in the night stiffness How many of
those little homes contained the hap
piness that had once been hers? How
many knew the heartacfaes that she
knew? And If only she had something
definite. something tangible by which
to remember those happy days before
he went anywhere was plenty to