M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-08-19
sntrrstmg stOrp
A WiFE's DOVER.
BY A RETIRED ATTORNEY.


Everybody who knew John Cor
don, knew HIM to be one of the mean
est and most eontemptible men thar
ever was permitted 10 walk the earth
His brother Peter was not a whit bet
ter-so that it goad appear tina
meanness ran in the blood OF the fam
lily.
John was pretty well of, so far as
this worlds goods were concerned.-
His property was all invested in q
building which had cost him about
thirty Thousand dollars. lie did not
marry until he was about forty-prob-
ably from the fear Of incurring unnec.
essary expense, and when, finally he
did take wife, was only as he would
have taken housekeoper, or a SER
want. Mrs. Gordon was G poor wo.
man, and had been obliged to work
very hard for living. Probably she
married on purely prudential consid-
ations for she could not possibly have
loved such an abortion Of a man as
John Gordon. She took good care OF
her husband, treated him better than
he deserved, and was in every respect
an obedient and faithful wife. All she
received in turn was the meager sup
port which her husbands house afford
ed her.
When they lad been married some
three years John was taken sick, and
fingered along fora year, during Which
time his wife was an excellent and de,
voted nurse. Her whole aim seemed
to be to discharge her duties to her
lord with fidelity. She had made a
bargain with him, and she performed
her part Of the contract with scrupu-
lous cXactness.
One day | heard that John Gordon
was dead. could not think of pity.
ing his wife, for her lot would certain.
ly be amelioratod by his departure.
She would be entitled to one-third Of
the income of his real estate, which
for a poor woman, as she had been
and having no luxurious taste 10 graf
ify would be princcly stipend.
! neither thought or heard any more
Of John Gordon or his wife, for two
months, when a woman appeared at
my Office and introduced herself as the
latter.
"NIine is a very bad case, Mr.. Dock.
ct" said she, seating herself by my
side.
"Indeed, madam, thought you
were very comfortably provided for
You have one-thirl of the income of
your husbands estate, or about a thou
sand dollars a year."
"It seems I am not to have this, "
she replied gloomily.
"Not to have it,"
"oeto Gordon has taken possession
Of the estate declaring it belongs to
him. lie says my husband sold it to
him a few weeks before he died"
"How could that be?"
"Petc showed me the deed, and
says it has been recorded"
"Does he? SO much the better for
YOU, madam. The law gives one,half
of his personal estate"
"But he sod it for one dollar" in
terrupted Mrs. Gordon.
"He couldn't sell it without your
concurrence. Did you release your
right or dover in the premiSes9"
"No, sir,-Pete says did though,
and showed me my name duly wit.
messed, on the deed.n
"Didn't you sign it2"
"No, sir"
"Then it is a forgery!"
81 suppose it is"
"You are confident you did not
sign your name to the deed!"
"Iam very sure | did not, and for q
very good reason"
SLOWS that 2"
81 cannot write; | never even wrote
my name. | was brought up in tbt
country, where girls did not get 81
much schooling as now. Ny folk;
were very poor, and | never had {
chance to go to school, replied Mrs
Gordon, with some confusion.
"Did your husband know that yoi
could not write"
"No, l never told him."
| dismissed her with the reques
that she would call next day. l wen
at once to the Registry of Deeds, anC
found that Mrs. Gordon had told
straight story. Her miserable, con
temptible husband had given her prop
erty to his brother in his last days, 81
as to cheat his wife, who had careC
for him 10 health and nursed him il
sickness, Of her just claim upon his es
tate.
He was a villain! / need not say
felt u deep interest in the case Of ny
client, and resolved to bring matters
to an issue at once. The next day
she called, she directed me to her sis
| ter bY whom il could be nroyed tha