Washington telegraph., 1847-08-18
From SlarPs's Magasiae,
EEsE WILL:
A TALE OF THE LAST CENTURY,

knew the name 0i the old northern lamlly
concerned in IT, bu, that, with the ekae.
dates, she has now !orgollen, II she ever
knew the latter; and having never written
the story. she has nu means Of recovering
them. However, from her express men.
lion OF tight wig, worn by tho beneyo.
lcnt old hero oi the tale, we have fixed the
strange occurrence not earlier than the lasl
century.
Towards the end OF a gusly October day,
about the year 1880, barrisler Of The tenn.
pie was sitting reading when the opening
Of the door. aud servants announcement
OF "a gentleman" interrupted hun. lie
rosr to receive his visitor, who proved to
be perfect stranger, person Of very gen.
ilcmanly, but extremely old,la.hianed ap.
praAnec. lie was dressed in grave.
eolnred suit. Of antique cut a neat tight
gtcy wiz surrounded his serious. and even
sUleann. ply siognomyi silk stockings, ruled
at the kuec enormous shoe buckles Of
/ gold cane, headed with the same metal,
aud bruad.brimmed aud uneoeked hat,
colapleied his equipment, which WIS in
tho fashion af the last years Of William
| the lhill. ar the first Of his snccessor.-
Having .liilly bowed, in the eiael way
prescribed by the eli1ncl Of the era TO
which he - med to belong, he lpok pos.
,cssun ul tie chair offered him by his host;
aud, alter preparatory ahta, thus be.
I gan in slow aud serious manner.
81 think sif You are tue lawyer employ.
ed b, the s. family, whose property IN
Yorkshire you are, therefore, awafe Is
about io be sold.
II have, SIR answered the haffislef.
"fuIl instructions and powers 10 complete
tic disposal Of il, which, though painful
dIiy 10 me must be Performed. )
1T i duty YOU may dispense viii,
said the ssiior. waving hi, hand, "lhe prop
ery need not be soli."
"May presume 10 ask, sir, whether Yon
are any relation to the lamily Ii so, you
must bn acquainted with the absolute ne.
cessiiy Of selling it, in consequence Of the
claim OF another branch OF the family, Just
returned from beyond sea, who, as hcf.al.
Jaw, is naturally possessof ci tho estate, ia
default of u will To the CONTRARY; and who
desires is value in money, instead Of the
land. The present posscs,or is unable 10
buy il. and must therefore depart"
You are mistaken" replied the old gen
lleman. rather testify, you seem moi to
know Of the will of Mr.. SIS grcai
grandfather by which he not only left that,
bis estate, In his ilyorilc grandson ihi.
grnleman's father, but even entailrd it OF
bis great grand son.
"Sach a will, SIR said The barrisier.
was. indeed. supposed, for many years, 10
exist; ind IN virtue of il, Mr.. s. has,
until now. pcaccably enjoyed the property;
but, on the claimants application, rc.
ncwcd search having been made ior it,
either the belief proves wholly urinunded,
ur il has been lost or destroyed. Cabinets,
chests. every room, inhabited aud unnhab
lied. have been ransacked IN vain. Mr.
s. has now given up all hope of find.
ing i, the sale is 10 bo completed in the
course ol next week; and the lire old place
must pass into the hands Of strangers"
"iou are mistaken once again. young
man." said the stranger, striking his cane
IN the floor II say sic, the will exists
Go immediately" continued he, it an au
thorat'e tone, "traycl night aud day
You may save an old family from disgrace
and ruin. In the end room of tho lett
wing, now uninhabcd, is a closet in the
wall"
ave have looked there, interrupted the
barris'er
"Silcncc, sir; there is closet, say.
In that closet is large chest; that chest
has false bottom, and underneath that is
the deed. | am certain of what say.
saw the paper deposited there no matter
when, or by whom. Go, YOU will lind it
worth your trouble. My name, sif is
Hugh s.. am not now personally
known TO the proprietor Of S. Hall ;
bu am his relation and have bis welfare
at heart. Neglect not to follow my I'D.
vice
So saying, the old gentleman arose, again
bowed, and at the door, put On his bat, in
a fashion which would have enchanted an
elegant of Queen Anno's day; and sliding
the siken string Of his cane on the little fin
gor Of bis right hand on which the lawyer
remarked very fine brilliant ring, he dc.
scended the stairs, and departed, leaving
the barrstef in the utmost astonishmenl.
At frs, he felt half inclined to consider
the whole as a hoax; then again, when he
thought of the old geniIcman's grave man.
ner and the intimate knowledge he must
have possessed Of the house, to be able to
describe the room so exactly in which the
chest was, he could not but believe him 10
be sincere.
At length, after much dcliberation, he
decided upon immediate departure and
arrived on the evening Of the 4lh day,
at S. Hall. The sale had been the
only theme of conversation at every place
| l. al ,,,ss,,d throroh ,yitht, t,Vantv rnilas