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WHAT IT 18 TO BE FORTY. , To discover a sprinkle of gray in your beard, And a thinness of crop where - the upland is cleared; ' To note how you take to yoar slippers and gown, ' AnH hug to the fire when you get home from town; . . Ah, that's what it is to be forty. To find that your shadow has portlier grown, Thatyourivoicehaaa practical, business-like tone; - That your vision is tricky which once was so bright, And a hint of a wrinkle ia coming to light; Ah, that's what it is to be forty. A sleigh ride, a party, a dance or a dine, Why, of course you'll be present, you never . decline; But, alas! there's no invite, your not young folks, you see; You're no longer a peach, but a crab-apple tree; Ab, thaVs what it is to be forty. A daughter that grows like a lily, a queen, And that blooms bike a rose- in a garden of green. A dapper young clerk In an ice cream saloon, Both a dude and a dunce is to carry off soon. And a boy that is ten, and the pride of your eye, Is caught smoking vile cigarettes on the sly Ah, that's what it is to be forty. At twenty a man dreams of power and fame; At thirty his fire has a soberer flame; At forty his dreams and visions are o'er, And he knows and he f eel3 as he ne'er did be fore That a man i s a fool till he's forty. ' Mrs. Ockdyne's Fright. HEX JOHN OCK dyne lay insensible from the apoplectic seizure wiucn ier minated in his death, his wife act ed as though she was a singularly heartless and de- ceitf ul woman. Taking absence advantage of the temporary who had of the doctor, solemnly pronounced that a fatal issue of the sick man's malady, was hu manely speaking, inevitable, Mrs. Ock dyne possessed herself of her husband's keys, and crept steathily down to his study, where she unlocked a drawer in bis escritoire, and took from it a bundle of documents, which she carefully con cealed about her person. She then re turned to the sick-room, replaced the keys with a trembling hand beneath the pillow on which the dying man's head rested, and resumed the anxious and watchful position by the bedside which she had occupied for many hours previ ously. But she looked so" pale and agi tated that the doctor, who made his ap pearance a minute afterward, accom panied by his assistant, glanced keenly at her, and said, in a peremptory tone: "You must really obey my directions. Please go to your room and rest, and take some refreshment. Your husband may remain in his present state for hours, , and you are already over-wrought and fatigued. If the slightest symp tom of a change occurs you shall be sent for instantly." "I would rather remain," said Mrs. Ockdyne, with decision. The doctor, shrugged his shoulders irritably, and turned his attention to the patient, whose labored and stento rian breathing rendered inaudible the whispered consultation which ensued between the medical men. This was in terrupted by the entrance of "William Ockdyne; the younger brother and part ner of the invalid, a tall, stern, elderly unsympathetic-looking individual, with cold, steel-blue eyes, which, after a quick glance at the unconscious form upon the bed, he directed with suspi cious scrutiny upon the pale face of his sister-in-law, as she ' advanced to greet him. ' v , "How long has he been like this?" he inquried, abruptly. "Since midnight," answered Mrs. Ockdyne. , "Why did not you send for me be fore?" he demaudedin a harsh, unpleas ant voice, i "I sent for you as soon as Dr. Thorn e pronounced the case to be hopeless," said Mrs. Ockdyne, tremulously. Mrs. Ockdyne evidently resented this cross-examination for some weighty rea: sons, and her handsome features hard ened while her -brother-in-law spoke. "William Ockdyne, whether consciously or otherwise, evaded her glance, and his cold, blue eyes ranged round the apart . ment with a look of cunning suspicion. "Come, Mrs. Ockdyne," said the doc ' tor, removing his fingers from the sick man'Sipulse, "now that your brother-in-law has arrived, you need have no hesi . tation about going to ypur room. We will remain here, and I will remember 4uy ii uuixac. Either yielding to the doctor s per- : suasion or in consequence of the uneasi ness and aversion which the presence of her " brother-in-law evidently caused her, Mrs. Ockdyne no longer persisted in her objection, but rose from her chair without a word, aud left the room - with an air of suppressed agitation. Walking quickly along the passage and down the staircase, she entered a small sitting-room on the half-landing'and having closed and locked the door be hind her, she fell in an almost fainting condition upon uie nearest soia. Very different was now the aspect of Mrs. Ockdyne from that of the proud, cold, . self -constrained woman of a mo- ment ago. All her energy 'and spirit seemed to have decerted her, and she .looked the picture of helpless misery md apprehension. The hard lines about her face had disappeared, reveal inga character of weakness, irresolu tion, and even feebleness.. Her features were no longer handsome,' but "rather showed the remains of a soft, tender, girlish kind of beauty, half obliterated by a life of hardship and nnhappiness She presented, in fact, a glimpse of her true self; the Mary Bannerman who had married John Ockdyne ten years ago; a woman designed by nature to be a gentle, tender, loving wife and mo ther, but transformed by harshness and tyranny into the semblance of a strange ly dissimilar character. Ten years ago! It seemed a century! And yet it was, in fact, less than ten years since that fatal day when her husband's rough kindness for it would be profane to dignify his selfish affec tion for her by the name of love was turned into relentless distrust and tyr rany. The visible cause of this trans formation she now held in her agitated Hand a bundle of letters written in ink which was . now faded. . Alas! if they had been written with her heart's blood she would have suffered less. There is no occasion to rakeup the details of her unfortunate flirtation with Allan Graham. It was not generally supposed to be of a serious nature by those who knew of it at the time. A weak, giddy, thoughtless girl, married, against her will, to a man of twenty years her senior; a young soldier-love of former days, culpably reckless oi a woman's reputation, but meaning, per haps, no harm; a fiercely jealous hus band, of. a disposition cruel and vindic tive common ingredients tnese, in blighted lives and domestic misery; and as Mrs. Ockdvne's story contains nothing novel or entertaining, we will pass it over lightly as the world did for a wonder without imputing blame to anyone. - John Ochdyne, however, neither for got nor forgave. His brother Wil liam, whether from basely selfish motives, or from , Teal suspicion bred of the proneness of some cocn- temptiblc minds to disbelieve in in nocence, helped to keep alive this re sentment. He did not separate from his wife; indeed, he had no evidence to justify an extreme course. But he gave rein to his harsh, overbearing, suspi cious nature; he crnsheJand tumbled to the earth the unhappy woman whom he had sworn to love and cherish. He thought himself ; justified, perhaps, in making her repent bitterly of her indis cretion, and, perhaps, it may in charity be doubted whether his vnlgar, coarse grained temperament enabled him to realize the full extent of the suffering he inflicted. He kept Allan Graham's letters, and in savage moments pro duced them and taunted her with them. He held them in terrorism over her threatening to show them, even; though his wife, cowed as she was, could never believe him capable of this baseness. Still, the very fact of these compromis ing documents continuing in existence had always haunted Mrs. Ockdyne with an uneasy feeling of insecurity, and she had appealed over and over again in vain to her husband to destroy them. She thrust (he packet of papers into the fire Without more ado she stirred the fire into a blaze and thrust the packet of letters into it.. Words would fall to describe 'the blessed sensation of un speakable relief with which she beheld the fatal papers ignite and slowly burn and smoulder away into a shapeless mass of tinder. But she wasot allowed time to completely recover her com posure, for barely had the flame died down when she was startled by a knock at the door. Instantly apprehending a message relating to her husband, she rose at once and turned the key back in the Iock; but before she could grasp the handle the door was opened from with out, and her brother-in-law stopped nimbly into the room. , "What is the matter? inquired Mrs. Ockdyne, in alarm and confusion. ... "Your husband is worse," said Wil liam Ockdyne with a ' comprehensive glance round the room as he spoke: "Worse! exclaimed Mrs. Ockdyne, "Yes; another seizure." Mrs. Ockdyne rushed past without giving another thought to her room as to her ownaffairs. Had she done so, she would have waited to allow him to pre cede her, for in the single instant that he lingered on the threshold of her room, he unhappily caught sight of tne cnarrea emoers in the nreplacei Wot a Nworddid he utter, lwwever, but followed silently, to bis brothers's bedside. The seizure which William Ockdvne came-to report turned- out to' be the last flicker of John Ockdyne's life. A few minutes later he had'expired. ,-. Mrs. Ockdyne left .the chamber of death with that awestricken and.' chast ened feeling which the last earthly scene never fails to impart, ,aud;when,aer iri the day, she went down-stairs' to give some orders to her. servants, she learned that William Ockdyne .had ! just, left, after taking posession of the dead man's keys, and thoroughly overhauled all the dead man's papers. Seals had bepn placed upon her husband's desk and es critoire, upon the plate-chest, and even; as she was informed, upon the doorof the wine-cellar. Mrs. Ockdyne experi enced some natural indignation at these proceedings, considering that her hus band had ceased to breathe but a few ... -OfK hours previously. The news, however. anectea ner cnieny as pruT -wise precaution she had taken in secur ing those fatal letters now happily no more; a fact which rendered her com pletely indifferent to William Ockdyne'o proceedings. There was a curious deference in the tone of the servants when they mention ed the name and stated the Orders given by her brother-in-law, and a marked mys fervin their manner toward herself, which puzzled Mrs. Ockdyne. though she f or Dore to make any remark on the subject. But she concluded -trom tnese signs tnai it had gone forth that William Ockdyne was his brother's heir, and that she her self was, so to speak, deposed. Her brother-in-law's bearing toward her, how ever, during the interval before the fun eral did not entirely bear out this idea. It was true that he took possession of his brother's valuables, and .assumed a control over the household which Mrs. Ockdyne did not care to dispute. But while treating the poor lady with the Mean test courtesy, he seemed to regard her with a sort of jealous suspicion,which which appeared quite accountable. The result was, that although Mrs. Ockdyno strove to take comfort from the reflec tion that he was powerless to harm her in any way, she was seized with a vague and uncomfortable presentiment of evil wluch she could not shake off. William Ockdyne did not let fall a single word about the contents of his brother's will to his sister-in-law before the funeral, and as he seemed desirous to avoid the subject Mrs. Ockdyne fore bore to question him. But on the after noon of the day when the funeral took place, he grimly requested her to, when the other members had .left the house, to step into the studv to hear the will read. This sh'e, accordingly did, more because she thought it was expected of her than from any pressing desire for information, when she found her brother-in-law in company with a sharp-featured, -red-whiskered little man, whom he briefly introduced to her as Mr. Bo gle, the solicitor who had prepared the Will.' As soon as Mrs. Ockdyne had seated herself Mr. Bogle produced from his pocket a somewhat torn and dilapidated looking document, from which he pro ceeded to. read in a brisk, high-toned voice. The will of the deceased, which was dated some years back, may be briefly summarized as follows: The wid ow took only a legacy of jE2,000 and certain furniture, and the bulk of the testator's property went to his brother William, who was appointed sole execu tor. "It is what I expected," said Mrs. Ockdyne, quietly, when the lawyer had finished, imagining, from the way that he and her brother-in-law stared at her, that she was expected to say some thing. "No doubt, madam, .it is what you expected," said Mr. Bogle, briskly, as he folded up the document, "And now, if you please, will you kindly hand me tho original?" "The original will, do you mean?" in quired Mrs. Ockdyne, innocently. " Is not that it?" "No, madam. This is the draft of tho will which I prepared for the testator, and which I saw him execute," said. Mr. Bogle, shaking the document at her im pressively. "The testator took away the original, and kept it himself." "Why do you suppose that I have the will?" exclaimed Mrs. Ockdyne, in sur prise. The lawyer looked slightly embar rassed at the question and glanced up at William Ockdyne, who' had remained standing in front of the fireplace during the scene, watching his sister-in-law in tently. He now came forward and said, slowly and distinctly: "Because you took it out of the escri toire yonder when my brother was dy ing." , Mrs. Ockdvne half rose from her seat at this startling accusation, but dropped back into it again, as she realized that the occasion referred to was when she abstracted Allan Graham's letters. "I never saw. the will, and know noth ing about it," was all she could say in her agitation and alarm." "Did you burn it, madam, in your room that day when I interrupted you with the news that your husband's last moments had arrived?" "said William Ockdyne, leaning forward and address her in a harsh and menacing tone. "I I'-f- No, certainly not!" gasped the poor lady, fairly overwhelm ed with this fresh accusation. "One of the servants can prove that you left your husband's bedside when ! you thought you were unperceived, and came in here with your husband's keys in your hand. Another can corroborate my evidence that immediately afterward you burnt'a document in the fire in your room. Some of ,the. ashes have been collected and will be put in- -evidence," continued her brother-in-law, evidently ness of denial. "The case is quite complete," added the lawyer, -in a self-satisfied tone. "Probate will be granted on this draft, upon . the strength of the evidence the strong evidence which we can produce to prove the destruction of the original.' . "What do. you suggest ; could haxe Teen 'my object in destroying the will, supposing l were capable o'f doing" such a: thing?" inquired, Mrs. Ockdyne, re covering her presence of. mipd-sjifficiv ently to be conscious of the necessity, ot. realizing her position'. 1 v--' 'The motive is obvious," refrHeoT Mr BogleUwith a' smile. "If yourJiusband had died' intestate, you would have been J only. The significance of this, reply bada crushing effect upon the poor,Jaj3y, wnose perceptions, naturally, far from, dull, were rendered doubly acute by the danger of her position. She realized' that the very act of proving her Xxrad cenco of the monstrous accusation: brought1 her would reveal the secret cuuutu, tk iiis niuuw, rouguiy speaK ing to .half his property instead ;oi" "2000 only.' . v - r which she - had fondly hoped .was now forever buried the story of her sup posed shame. If brought to trial, 11 mattered not whether she might be found innocent or guilty of the princi pal charge; in either case the miserable story which had wrecked her life would be dragged forth and published to the world. "Zou doubtless perceive madam; that your attempted fraud will not avail you. The destruction of the will is a crime in itself, which renders you liable, I be lieve, to penal servitude," resumed Wil liam Ockdyne, glancing at the lawyer. "I am unwilling,t however," he added, "for the sake or my brother's memory, and for the sake of our family name, which you have the right to bear, that scandal should be caused. If, under Mr. Bogle's directions, you will sign the necessary documents to enable me to administer to my brother's estate and retain possession of his property which I am entitled to under the terms of his will, I will be content to let the matter rest." ' 'r-'- v Having said 'this, William Ockdyne resumed .his former position upon the hearthrug, -while the lawyer proceeded to explain the details of the proposed arrangement. " The poor lady's first im pulse was to accept the conditions offered, but the sense of justice to her self fortunately restrained her. . . "I will consider ypur proposal," she said tremulously, "because, so far as the money is concerned, I am absolutely indifferent. But I must have time for reflection." "How long do you require?" said her brother-in-law, reluctantly., "A week," said Mrs. Ockdyne, rising with dignity from her place at the table. William Ockdyne exchanged glances with the lawyer, and seemed on the point of remonstrating with her; but apparently he changed his mind, for' he permitted his sister-in-law to retire from the room without another wOrd. As a matter " of fact, however, Mrs. Ockdyne had already . resolved to com ply with his demand sooner than incur the odium and scandal involved in a public trial. It was absolutely true, as she had stated that she was indifferent to the pecuniary aspect of the question; for she was not an avaricious women, and she possessed a few thousand pounds of her own. It was only her proper pride and self-respect which had suggested to her to take time for consideration. It was impossible to doubt, from her brother-in-laws' de meanor, that he seriously believed that she was guilty of the charge he brought against her; and this led poor Mrs. Ockdyne to wonder uneasily wheth er she could really have destroyed the will. Allan Graham's letters formed a bulky packet, and it had certainly not occurred to her to go through them in order to ascertain that there was no oth er paper tied up with them. Her hus band's will was a short document, and it would have been characteristic of his brutally vindictive disposition if he had placed the letters with his will, as a sort of grim explanation to her of the cause of the meagre provision he had made for her. This idea, far-fetched as it might have appeared to her in calmer mo ments, nevertheless tended to strengthen her decision. Having arrived at this conclusion, Mrs. Ockdyne was almost relieved at receiving a second visit from her brother-in-law, who called later in the even ing, to urge her to sign the necessary documents, waiving her legal claims, ! without- delay. He had brought, the papers with him, and 'Mrs. Ockdyne could not withstand the temptation of disposing of the whole miserable busi ness without the worry of further har assing reflections. William Ockdyne's manner, moreover, though peremptory and overbearing was nevertheless more conciliatory than it had been in the day, and he evinced a desire, which poor Mrs. Ockdyne in her trouble apprecia ted, to spare her feelings by avoiding any unpleasant allusions. She had ac tually taken her pen for the purpose of signing away her interest in her hus band's property, when a maid-servant entered the room, and rather mysteri ously requested her to come outside at once. William Ockdyne impatiently asked her to sign the papers before she left, but his sister-in-law, resenting his inter- "A maid tenant enl rrtl the room and rather ntyiterioust asked Iter to come outside." ference, laid the pen" aside and rose in response to the servant's- summons. Outside the door the girl whispered that n if j -m . Keuueuiwi; was in tne ui rung-room, ,who would not give his "name when he heard that she was encracred with "Mr William Ockdyne, but desired to speak ' 'Considerably., mystified and vaguely """iucui iiia. vcKuyno proceeded to the dming-room, where she found await ing ner a queer -looking, rosy-cheeked, .g?ay:jiairea, oia gentleman, who, ad vancing toward Her with a paternal air. neid out bis hand and, said his name wns Parchment. x am ueepry grieved, my dear raauam tnat, owing to absence from town I; did not hear of your husband's death-till my return to-da rr- injnnctions were that should h suddenly taken ill, which he seeS apprehend, I was immediately municate with you. Hearing f servant that you were engaged iS?1 William Ockdyne, I thought it ble to ask you to step out and he added, confidentially. ' "May I inquire the ahW visit" said Mrs. Ockdyne, starU him. "Your husband called upon gj. dear madam, a few months barV J subject of his will. He showed will which his former solicitor Bogle, had prepared for him, and T, him that it was a wicked, cruel kta just wiu, saiu me old gentW "Did my husband explain" to f mured Mrs. Ockdyne, with rising c? "He explained everything, n$ explanations did not alter my opiu , said Mr. Parchment, looking at her l short, I prevailed upon him to stroy hist former will aud to mate t other, which does justice to voa, x wife, madam." - " "And you have this will?M exekj gether. '.'Here, madam, in my bagsaijjj. - "Thefactis,"headded,"thatyourbi. brother, and, I think, secretly afrul, him. At all events, he asked me toti, charge of the will and to look after tj "I am accused of having dostroye-l will prepared by Mr. Bogle !" erulV, Ockdyne, almost beside herself rt mingled tnanKiumess and emotion "He destroyed it nimseiL - my madam, mrny oince, said 31r. ment, soothingly.. ."William Ockdyne has coiiie to-nur ior tne purpose oi getting tne to papers renouncing aix claims to my ha band's property. He is in there in & study," exclaimed the jxjor lady, hvs icauy. "Let me have fiv minutes with his,1 said Mr. Parchment, briskly, as he mor toward the door. "The scoundrel added, under his breath. "Bogle ex have received my message this &f noon. I expected something of this kiai1 London Truth. A FEMALE BANDIT. Unaided She Robbed a Stajr, 5j has Killed Many Men. The -death is just announced of oasf the most remarkable women tliat llr& co has ever produced. Xotwithstanii her strange and perilous career, she t tamed a ripe old age, and lecane ct of the wealthiest women in the republic. I This woman was Senora AmastiaE& l she devoted her time to robbery, till half the reports regarding her caMm true, it is no wonder that she leftik fortune at her death. One of hr:& ble exploits was a stage robberyi'ei State of Zacatecas. One night cs dressed herself in men's clothing d. mounting a horse, rode from San As nio to the Zacatecas and Acmes Ca5 tes stage road, where -she waited iai grove for the south-bound stage to pa As the postillions came up she eoa manded them with revolver in hand S halt, put out their torches and fall the rear of the coach, which was a f yards behind them. She then advanaJ upon the driver and keeper, who va made to dismount, expecting every e ment to be shot from ambush, &s & kept saying, "Don't shoot unless tie? resist." . The passengers, eight in number, were inside the stage, were led to llie from the lemale road agent's talk, tW an armed party was in the brush, when she came ud and demanded the: money, watches, and jewelry, they W no time in obeying her. She then bw the passengers good night, and, aft admonishing them not to move withia half an hour, disappeared in the gro During her career she killed a many men, and, for many years vas terror to the people of Smaloa, Jali and Sonora. Government troops tsl State troops chased her, but could ne entrap her. It was said that the reasoj she gave for adopting such a mode life was the murder by Federal troop of her intended husband years a? when she was in her teens. She th made a vow that she wculd kill or rajj u s auisu i ui t jf jr ou Dili' . - was one of the most noted bandits jk ico ever produced, although she J j woman. Before her death she rela her strange history and bequeath - immense fortune to charities. Atl request she was buried beside her lover in her native town, San Antontf- A Monument to Americans. ' A graceful act on the part of aa J cer 'of the ; United States steasg Marion is worthy of mention io- columns. It seems the officer tion had been wandering throne cemetery inihantungroad, came across the graves of some r, who had served in the United N O XTX7 in ' T-nn -va nnna lV Tll boards - have j . , j - much rotted 7 r V TIIIII'M I Ilk fc.- T will in the course of a few years disapjear, the names on them no . ing in most cases very difficult.10 pher. By . dOligently follows lines the names were -made out, perpetuate the memory of the tJeeJj the officer had erected in the ceo a Chinese white marble tabkk - it are cut the names of those wb05? mains are lying in the cemetery. of these deaths date back to at tho top bf the stone are tbes? 'Erected J5v an officer of the States sttfamship Marion in rcea. the followinir men-of-wars.ffie !, ti headbdards oricinallv J l TM graveft having, become eSL stonff was out up recently.
The Wilson Mirror (Wilson, N.C.)
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Jan. 18, 1888, edition 1
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