“ Mirundy,” «aid her aunt. Miss Quackenbos. "1 don't see any reason why you und Dan L’erklns shouldn’t be married at once instead o' waitin’ for me to git out o' the way and—and leuve you what 1 got. 1 tell you what I ’ll do. I ’ m an old woman and not likely to live the year out. Dr. Bald­ win says there isn’t u sound organ in my shriveled old body. If you und Dan ure certain you're golu’ to get my property you’ll feel more like gettin' married than if you're not. A bird In the bund is worth two in the bush. “ I ’ll leave you property worth $10,- 000 on condition that you take care o’ me for the few mouths 1 have to live. You bind yourselves to give me $7)00 a yeur. The money is Invested at that, so you’ ll not be out a cent, and when I ’m buried you'll have the whole thing.’’ Di n had u salary o f $1,200 a year, but with nothing laid tip he had de­ clined to marry Miranda, who lmd nothing, until he should make some uc cumulation. This offer of the uunt gave him courage, and the pair, hav­ ing taken over the property and signed a bond to pay Mrs. Quackcubos $.'.00 a year so long us she lived, were mar- ried. A part of the estate was the dwelling in which the old woman lived. Being too large for her, she moved out to spend the rest o f her days with a sister, and the bridal couple moved in Now. this was an excellent arrange incut. II gave the young couple a con fldence they would not otherwise have felt. But they were prevented from making any use of the property until it was unencumbered by the annuity Dan was disposed to refrain from en­ croaching upon the estate, but Miran­ da needed this and needed that, and when her husband objected she would say that her aunt was getting worse every day and surely couldn't live the month out. Then Dan would yield, and the desired articles would bo bought. But the old Indy didn't die. After lying supposedly at the point of death for a long while' she suddenly got out of bed and seemed more chipper than ever. Indeed, she announced that she was disinclined to mope and was go­ ing to start u chicken farm. This she did in n small way, and the interest she took in it improved her health amazingly. Meanwhile Mr. and Mrs. I ’erkins were having a hard time to get on. The Quackenbos property gave them no lneomo anti had t>eeu an induce inent to spend money that «lid not come In, ns had been expected. Chil­ dren came to them, nnd it seemed the more children am) the older and more experlen« ed they grew the more vigor­ ous the old lady Itccnme. O f course they could not object to her remaining alive, but she spoke to them on the subject thus: •’Iteckon you two think I ’ m goin' to live forever. It ain’t my fault. 1 don’t want to hang on any longer. I'm ready to go any time. A fte r nil, it won't do you any harm. You're econ­ omizin' at a time when you ought to economise, and you'll reap the benefit «if It all after I'm gone.” Then the couple would look at each other ami sigh, knowing that their debts had already nearly eaten up the whole expet-ted property. The old lady huug «in till the Per­ kins’ debt exactly balanced the $10.- 000 they had taken In exchange for the j annuity. Then she died. They paid the funeral expenses—$300—which left j them iu debt by that amount. Considering bow unfortunate they had been in the old lady’s living so j long, they behaved very well. Indeed, tfiey did not blame her. They blamed j themselves for having drawn upon the property before they possessed i t | They not only refrained from accus- | ing Miss Quackenbos from designedly drawing them into a trap, but spoke kindly o f her l>oth in the domestic cir­ cle and to others. Having buried the old lady, they put the property they had taken from her in the market to sell to pay their debts. Then one day they went to her quar­ ters to remove to their house the few belongings she had left. Among these articles they brought away a tin box. It was locked, and they did not find the key. but since there seemed to be something in It Dan pried it open. Within they found a bundle oi papers and pass liooks. Miranda open­ ed one o f the books and found that it showed a credit at a savings bank of $937.fill. Then she opened another, and It showed a credit o f $2,742.18. A third more than doubled these two together. Dan unfolded a document, which proved to be a deed to a dwelling and Coyotes, Muskrat, Foxes, White Weasel and other Fur bearers collected in your section another to a business block. All this S H I P Y O U R F U R S D I R E C T