Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-06-03
g Gbrilli>1g Confession
THE CLIENTS STORY.

1t was late one Saturday evening in Decem-
Der, when received letter, which, on open
ing, found to be from Walter Moreton; and
the purport Of the letter was, to request my
immediate presence at Cambridge, IN the ca
pacty both of friend and of a lawyer. The
letter concluded thus: "Do not delay your
journey many hours after receiving this. My
urgency will be explained by the change you
will perceive in yours, Walter Moreton."
had known Walter Moreton in youth and
in manhood: we had been intimate, without
having been altogether friends; and the attrac-
tion which his company possessed for me, arose
rather from the shrewdness Of his remarks than
from any sympathy of feeling betwixt US. Of
late years I had seen comparatively little OF
Moreton. 1 knew that he had married; that
he had been in Strengthened circumstances, that
his iather-in-law and wife had died, and left
him rich widower, that he had married Sec
ond time, and that he was the father of three
children. From the tenor of the letter had
received, could scarcely doubt that Walter
Moreton had been seized with some dangerous
illness, and was desirous of settling his worldly
affairs. My old intimacy with Moreton would
Of itself have prompted me to obey his sum-
mons; but the requirement of my professional
aid Of course increased the celerity of my obe-
dience. Early the next morning, therefore, |
put myself into the Cambridge coach; and af-
ter dispatching hasty dinner ut the Hoop, |
walked up to Walter Moreton's house in Trum-
pington street.
was prepared for change, but not certain
ly such 4 change as that which presented itself.
Walter Moreton could not have been forty, but
he seemed broken down man; gray-haired-
thin visaged and cadaverouS.
lie received me with apparent kindness;
thanked Me for the ready compliance with bis
wish and informed me at once that he had
need Of my professional services in the disposa!
of his property. But had no difficulty in per
ceiving, from certain reserve and distracted
ness Of manner, that something beyond the
mere making of will had brought me to Cam
bridge. did not Of course make any obServa-
ton upon the change which observed in his
appearance but expressed hope that his de-
sire for my professional assistance had not ars-
en- from any apprehensions as to the state OF
his health, to which he only replied, that his
health was not worse than usual, but that it
was always well to be prepared; and he added,
Come, Thornton, let us to buSincSs;" and to
business we went.
need scarcely say, that was prepared for
instructions to divide the fathers fortune accor-
ding to some rule of division-Or, perhaps, OF
some capricious preference, among his children
two SONS and one daughter, children yet OF
tender age-and to secure lc interest to lis
wife. Great, therefore, was my surprise when
Mr.. Moreton, after mentioning few trifns
lepacieS, named as the sole SUCCESSORS of his lnl-
mense fortune, two individuals unknown to me-
and of whose connection with the teStator
was entirely ignorant.
I laid down my pen, and looked up: "Mr
Moreton," said I, hesitatingly, "you have a
wife and children"
81 haze children" said he, "but Col preserve
Them from the curse of wealth that does not
belong to them"