The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-02-26
THE wlFE's DOVER.
nY A RkrlRRp .ArroRnsY.

temptible men that ever was permitted to
walk the earth. His brother Peter was not
'rhit better-so that II would appear that
meanness ran in the blood of the family.
John was pretty we'll ofI, 80 far as this
worlds goods were concerned. His property
was all invested in building which had cost
him about thirty thousand dollars. He did
not marry until he was forty, probably from
the fear Of incurring unnecessary expense;
and when, finally, he did take wife, 1t was
only as he would have taken him house,
keeper, n servant.
| Mrs. Gordon was poor woff1sn, and had
been obliged to work very hard for living.
Probably she married on purely prudential
considerations, for she could not possibly
have loved. such an abolition of man as
John Gordon. She made mistake but she
meant right. She took good care Of her hus-
band, treated him better than he deserved,
and was in every respect an obedient and
faithful wife. All she received in return was
the meagre support which her husbands
house afforded her.
When they had been married some three
years, John was taken sick, and fingered
along for year, during which time his wife
was an excellent and devoted nurse. Her
whole MIN seemed to be to discharge her
duties to her lord with fidelity. She had
made bargain with him, and she performed
her part Of the contract with scrupulous ex-
actness.
One day heard that John Gordon was
dead. 1t was small loss to the community
and could not think of plying his wife, for
her lot would certainly be ameiorated by his
departure. She would be entitled to one
third of the income Of his real estute, which,
for poor woman, as she had been, and hav-
ing no luxurious tastes to crafty, would be
aprincely stipend.
: - neither thought nor heard any more of
John Gordon or his wife for two months,
when woman appeared nt ny office and in
troduced herself as the latter.
"Mne is a very bad case, Mr.. Docket" said
she, seating herself by my side.
: "lndeed, madam, thought you were very
comfortably provided for. You have one
third of the income of your husbands estate,
or about thousand dollars year."
+; sit seems am not to have this" she re-
piled, gloomily.
"Not to have it?"
. "Peter Gordon has taken possession of the
estate, declaring it belongs to him. He says
my husband sold it to him II few weeks before
y he died"
"How could that beg"
0 "Peter showed me the deed, and saws Il In.
c been recorded"
T "Does he! So much the better for you
D madam. The law gives one.half of his per
u sOnal estate@"
"But he sold it for one dollar" interrupted
y Mrs. Gordon.
: ale could not sell it without your concur
y renee. Did you release your right to dove
J in the premises?"
Il "No, sir; Peter says l did, though, ant
" shows me my name, duly witnessed, on th'
y deed"
Q "Didnt you sign it?"
n "No, SIR"
"Then 1t is forgery"
y "Isuppose it is."
It "You are confident you did not sign you
: name to the deed!"
> 81 am very sure did not, and for a yer,
}. good reason"
s allows that 2"
: 81 cannot write; never even wrote m,
name. was brought up in the country
y where girls did not get SO much schooling a
9 now. My folks were very poor, and neve
had chance to 60 to school," replied Mrs
g Gordon, with some confusion.
/. "Did not your husband know that vol
# could not write?"
Q "No; never told him."
!, l dismissed her with the request that sh
y would call the next day. went at once t
o the Registry Of Deeds, and found that Mrs
d Gordon had told straight story. Her mser
5, able, contemplate husband had given hi
8, property 10 his brother in his last days, so a
# to cheat his wife, who had cared for him il
health. md nursed him in sickness, of he
= just clai.n'upon his estate!
He was villain! need not say felt
4 deep interest in the case of my client, and re
solved to bring matters to an issue at once
The next day, when she called, she drecte
q me to her sister, by whom it could be prove
=. that Mrs. Gordon could not write her nam,
n who hac seen her make her mark Otter
/. within very short time.
"a The person who professed to have vii
in messed the signature of Mrs. Gordon was
clerk in the office of Peter. My FIRST NOV
was to take steps to arrest him on charg
~ Of fraud, and to sue his employer for m
II clients share of the rents, which he had ju,
u collected, and which he had refused to pa
n over to her.
:, When had proceeded thus far, receive
VI a visit from Peter Gordon.
% "What do you mean, sir 7" he asked rath
y sourly.
III u mean to get justice for the widow"
10 "Her husband was worth nothing when
y died."
aBut his wife has one-thrd interest in h
Of real estate"
,h ut was sold to me; and she signed aw,