Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-11-22
By KATHLEEN NORRIS

COME years ago an elderly
-, woman died, leaving two
~ married daughters. When
her will was read it was discov-
cred that she had left most of
her estate, which approximated
about $4,000, to her elder
daughter, who was unmarried
at the time the will was written.
The younger daughter, Do
lores, whose husband was a
prosperous man, got her fair
share of rugs, laces, china. She
got store and the fiat above it,
valued at about $4,000. Every
thing else went to Yvonne.
But Yvonne had married well,
too. She complacently took her
large share of the inheritance, even
though good many persons felt
that under the circumstances Do
lores should have had half. Things
went on for year or two, and then,
lost in book, another later will was
found making fair even division
of the estate. This was awkward
for Yvonne and her husband; they
had spent, invested, shifted things
about, they had to put up far more
security than was normal for this
was in the heart of the depression,
and values were low. 1t seriously
cramped and embarrassed them;
in the end Dolores got the old home
stead, too.
That was more than 20 years ago.
The sisters have never been friends
since. Dolores would be amiable
enough, for she has no grievance,
but Yvonne is adamant. She has
nursed what she calls the "cruel
injustice of mama's will" Her hus-
band tells you gravely that she
never will get over it." Her daugh-
ter repeats resentfully that once
Aunt Dolores did something hor-
rible to mama" If you ask Yvonne
straight out what Was unjust, what
was horrible about it, she purses up
her lips, signs and says that no
one will ever know what it did to
her nerves, and she never can for
give Dolores.
Smouldering Bitterness.
Yvonne and Alan have done well.
They have a handsome home, two
cars, country club membership, a
large circle of friends. Their only
son had a good war record; their
only daughter is married well. But
Yvonne grieves on. That Dolores
should have gotten the amythyst set
and the store, and then, when Alan's
fortunes were at their lowest,
should have come in with this claim
for so much more-it's just not
bearable. Yvonne has ruined her
own life, smouldering for all these
years over Dolores luck.
Had her mother been without
, means and dependent upon Alan
and Yvonne, no such situation could
have arisen. Thousands of old per-
sons are entirely without finan-
cial resources; that might have
been her case. Her son might have
been lost in the war, as so many
thousands of boys were. Her daugh-
ter's painful cold and fever last win
ter might have been infantile paral-
ysis. Alan might fall in love with
some younger and more fascinat-
ing woman. She herself might be
told, by the family doctor, that the
annoying little lump in her side
meant long and agonizing ILL.,
ness. There are real troubles in this
life and these are few of them.
But to 60 on brooding over prop
erty division that was decided I'M
fairly in her favor in the first place,
exaggerate it and dwell on it, to en-
bitter family relations and con-
vince her own family that mother
received staggering and unforget-
table blow-this is sheer stupidity.
This life for most of US is a trip
over perilous rapids; we have to
steer through dangerous waters