St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-03-15
From Sharpe's Magazine.
r H f. WILL,
A TALE OF THE LAST CENTURY.

The lady who related the outline of the
following singular story, heard it told in
her youth, by no means as fiction, but as
a real occurrence. She even knew the
name Of the old northern family concerned
in it, but that, with the exact date, she has
now forgotten, if she ever knew the latter;
and having never written down the story,
she has no means of recovering them
However, from her express mention Of a
tight wig, worn by the benevolent old hero
of the tale, we have fixed the occurrence
not earlier than the last century. 80
Towards the end Of a gusty October day,
about the year 1870, a barrister of the
temple was sitting reading, when the open
ing Of the door, and his servants announce
ment of "a gentleman" interrupted him.
He rose to receive his visitor, who proved
to be perfect stranger, person of very
gcntlcmanly, but extremely old. fashioned
appearance. He was dressed in grave
colorcd suit, of antique cut; a neat, tight,
gray wig surrounded his serious, and even
solemn, physiognomy; silk stockings,
rolled at the knee enormous shoe buckles
Of gold; a cane, headed with the same
metal, and bread -krimmed and unlocked
hat, completed his equipment; which was
in the fashion of the last year OF William
the Third, or the first Of his successor
Having stify bowed in the exact way pre-
scribed by the etiquette of the era to whicl,
he seemed to belong, he took possession of
the chair offered him by his host; and af.
ter preparatory ahem, thus began, in a
low and serious manner.
81 think, sir, you are the lawyer en-
ployed by the s. family, whose proper
ty in Yorkshire, you are, therefore, aware
is about to be sold"
al have, sir" answered the barrister,
:sfu]l instructions and powers to complete
the disposal of it, which, though painful
duty to me, must be performed"
'It is duty you may dispense WITH"
said the visitor, waiving his hand t'the
property need not be sold"
"May I presume to ask, sir, whether
you are an relation to the family? If so,
you must be acquainted with the absolute
necessity for selling it in consequence of
the family, just returned from beyond the
sea, who, as heir-at- law, is naturally pos
SCISSOR Of the state, in default Of will to
the contrary and who desire its value in
money, instead Of the lard. The present
possessor is unable to buy it, and must
therefore, DEPART
"Iou arc mistaken" replied the old
gentleman rather testify; 'tyou seem rot
to know the will left by Mr.. S-'s
great grandfather, by which he not only
left that, his estate to his favorite grand
son, this gentleman's father, but even en-
tailed it on his great. grandson"
'"Sueh will, sir" said the barrister,
twas indeed, supposed, for many years to
exist, and, in virtue Of it, Mr.. s. has,
until now, peaceably enjoyed the property;
but on the claimants application, renew
ed search having been made for it, either
the belief proves wholly unfoundcd, or it
has been lostor destroyed. Cabinets, chests,
every room inhabited and uninhabited
have been ransacked, but in vain. Mr.. S.
has now given up all hope of finding it ;
the sale is to be completed in the course of
next week; and the fine old place must
pass into the hands of strangers
"Yeu are mistaken once AGAIN, young
man." said the stranger, striking his cane
on the floor, "l say, sir, the will exists
Go Immediately" continued be in an author
itative tone; "travel night and day. You
may save an old family from disgrace and
ruin. In the end room of the left wing,
now uninhabited, is a closet in the WALL"
owe have looked there" interrupted
the barrister.
"Silence, sir; there is closet, I say.
In that close: is large chest; that chest
has false bottom, and underneath that is
the deed. am certain of what say. I
saw the paper deposited there no matter
when, or by whom. Go; you will find it
worth your trouble. My name, sir, is
Hugh S.. I am not now personally
known to the proprietor of s. Hall
but I am his relation and have his welfare
at heart. Neglect not to follow my ad.
vice."
So saying, the old gentleman arose,
again bowed, and at the door put on his
hat in a fashion which would have enchan.
ted an elegant Of Queen Anne's day; and
sliding the silken strings of his cane on the
little finger of his rig ght hand, on which the
lawyer had remarked very fine brilliant
ring, he descended the stairs, and departed
leaving the barrister in the utmost aston.
ishment. At first he felt half inclined to
consider the whole as a hoax; then again,
when he thought Of the old gentleman's
grave manner, and the intimate knowledge
l he must have possessed Of the house, to
be able to describe the room so exactly in
(which the chest was, he could not bu.
believe him to be sincere.
| At length, after much deliberation, he
decided upon immediate departure; and
J arrived on the evening of the fourth day