The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-06-10
Ais Well
By SMITH JONES
CReleased by Associated Newspapers
WNU Service.)
Fl ERBERT poke left the eleva-

Vic OlIICe OF MS friend, AQOlph GetZ.
Rita, Adolph's widowed sister, would
be there; Rita, in neat dark dress
with tasty collar and cuffs, reminis-
cent OF days when such accessories
were worn by charming girls. If
Adolph were in he would be at his
desk nodding in his chair, and both
ne and Rita would be serene in
their confidence that they were i'm
portant cogs in the business ma
chine.
Rita looked up as the door opened.
Good morning, Herbert; Adolph is
not in" Then, as she caught sight of
his face, "Why, Herbert, what's the
matter?"
Rita" he said brokenly, 81 do
not get the money Henry Arndt left
me-"
"You do not get it, Herbert? What
do you mean? Why not?"
Il will not get any money. Philip
just told me so. He says Judge
Dedham says the tax will be more
than a thousand dollars"
But Herbert" she protested,
"how can the tax on thousand dol
lars be more than a thousand dol
lars?"
"Oh, Rita" he burst out in de-
spair, eff Henry had only left me
just thousand dollars; but he left
me the amount of all my notes he
held, and then a thousand dollars
more, and Philip added in interest
on them all, and the tax on that is
more than a thousand dollars" His
voice rose. 81 will never get into
the home now-never!"
Rita stared at him stupeied. $50
that is the way it is" she muttered
to herself, $50 that is it,
Her mind went back to the day
two months before when Henry
Arndt in his last illness had called
her and Adolph to him.
Herbert wants to get into the
home," he had said, land with a
thousand dollars more he can do it..
The Polkes live long-perhaps it is
best"
And then the three had discussed
ways and means; and, too method
ical to consider destroying the notes
which represented gifts to the low
able and beloved spendthrift, they
finally decided to leave him the
necessary thousand dollars over all
that he owed the sick man. And so
the will was drawn, and now the
tax on what was intended to be
legacy of $1,000 was, through
faulty wording of the will, more than
the legacy itself.
Rita raised her eyes, swimming in
tears. "Oh, Herbert; if I had only
known. 1t is all my fault"
"Your fault?" he protested indig-
nantly. "Your fault? Why, you are
the only real friend l have had since
mother died; and you were right to
refuse me-40 years ago, Rita, 40
years! You could not have made me
over; l would have dragged you
down, too; but l will never cease to
regret"
Herbert" she began briskly, "if
you mean that, it can all come out
right yet" Then, in answer to his
bewildered look: "You want me to
marry you now, is that it?"
mo, Rita" protested the man,
bewildered. "How could ask you,
noW?"
with just FIVE words, Herbert, 3"
she persisted, laughing, but with
crimson face, and hurried on. "You
know l have good home alone and
more than enough to live on.
He looked at her gravely for a
moment. Then: Rita, will you mar
ry me?" he asked.
So two days later, when the mat
ter came up before the probate
court, Rita and Adolph stood with
him in the bare courtroom and heard
young Philip Arndt testify to the
amount of the notes due the estate,
to the interest and the costs; then
the tax was computed. 1t was ST ,054.
''Is that satisfactory to you, Her
hertz" asked the judge kindly.
''It is just" said the old man,
simply. "And it is satisfactory.
The judge gave him an approving
smile. "All right, then; let the rec
ord show that the legacy to Her
bert Poke is fixed by agreement in
open court at $10,540. Now, Mr..
Poke, how do you wish the balance
coming to you to be paid?"
Again he smiled, and Rita looked
at him in entreaty. Surely so kindly
man would not make such heart
less joke!
yes" he said in answer to her
look, there will be quite a balance.
You see," he continued as they still
stared at him open-mouthed, "all
but two of those notes are barred
by the statute and cannot be set
off against the legacy, though they
may be used to fix the amount of
the legacy. Mr.. Arndt assumed that,
but he is wrong. There will be
something over $4,000 coming to
you"
Philip Arndt was the first to re-
cover his voice. 81 object" he
shouted.
The judges smile died. 1.-THE leg
acy has been fixed by the court at