The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-01-24
JANUARY "a, 1862.
waited impaticn.ly for the time for the family


fathers remairs, he said to the kind hearted
neighbors. He has been good and tender
parent to me, and 1t will afford me q melan-
choly qualification to watch by his liieless
body the last night It remains with us.
Its natural, said old Grandmother Reed,
with a sigh. Thomas and his father always
did take to one another amazingly. But you
must be careful and keep the doors shut and
the windows all down, for they say cats
banker dreffully after dead bodies and I've
hearn 'em tell how they'd break through the
windows and come down the chimney to get
ut en-.
Half an hour later, Thomas found himself
sitting in the chamber Of death. His fathers
cold, liielcss remains lay stretched out before
him shrouded for the grave. Tho room was
cold, cherries and dismal; lamp. burned
dimly on the table, adding still more to the
funeral aspect Of the apartment. Without,
the wind was bowling and whistling mourn.
fully, shaking the easements with every blast ;
the rain, too, was pouring down IN torrents,
and came beating against the windows with
tremendous force.
Thomas Elton was man Of tried courage
and daring; but, somehow, to.nigh. every
sound started him the crcakIng of the win
dow frames; the barking Of the house dog |;
even the striking of the clock almost made
him spring from his scat. But tho hours
passed slowly away and twelve o'clock came
tho signal Tor his lamp to be placed in the
window to announce that all was ready
Then followed three quick successive raps at
the outer door, and he arose, slipped quickly
and noiselessly down, and cautiously opened
the door. Three men entered, and with a
tread light and noseless rapidly assembled the
staircase which assembled tho staircase which
led to the dead mans room.
Closing the door carefully after him, Dixon
drew from his pockcta will he had previously
prepared, and approaching the bed, removed
the sheet which had been spread over the
corpse, and, taking one Of the hands which
was lying upon the breast, he placed pen
in it, and guiding its motions, wrote in q
large. bold hand the name of Geryase Elton.
lie then replaced the sheet and hand in il
former position, and with satisfied smile
and significant nod parsed the paper to hi'
clerks to attest the dead mans signature.
there. said he, In a whisper, u defy oil
the experts in London to prove its falsity.-
The old man writes as we'll US il his soul was
in his body.
A triumphant smile lighted up the grim
yisage of Thomas, and his keen, eagle eye
dilated with joy as 1t fell upon the forged
,ignature-so perfect and exact counterfeit
that ho himself, If he had not been witness
Of the operation, would never for u moment
have had doubt of its truth. Dixon re.
placed the will in his pocket, and with his
two clerks withdrew as silently and cautious
ly us they bad entered. Thus far all worked
we'll.
The funeral rites had been solemnizcd.-
All that remained OF old Geryase Elton had
been consigned to the cold narrow grave
and what was to be done with the gold he
had left behind him was the question which
followed his decease. lie had debased his
soul to obtain it, now he had gone where the
vast treasure hc had accumulated here would
avail nothing. Who would now bc tho pos
SCISSOR of his wealth? Had he provided libe.
rally for his widow? Had ho left will
Such were the questions which, during the
week that his remains lay unburied, traversed
from mouth to mouth, and both gossip and
rumor were busy in solving them. At last,
q report was in circulation that in Dixon's
hands the old gentleman had entrusted his
will, and curiosity and expectation were upon
tiptoe to iathom its contents. That worthy
gentleman Of the legal profession thought !,
expedient to present himself at the house on
tho morning of the funeral, and duly inform
the family Of its existence.
Great, indeed, was the astonishment OF
Mrs. Elton and Harry when the fact become
known. The old man had oil through his
life great horror Of will making, and al.
ways entertained the superstitious notion that
death invariably followed the making Of a
will and although be had been repeatedly
urged by his wife to make some final dispo.
sition Of his property, no had never as yet
yielded to her opportunities. Moreover,
Dixon was u man whom he had frequently
been known to declare trickish and knayish ;
one who, with soft words and pretty com.
pliments stole into the hearts Of the ignorant
and uuwary, as wolf steals into fold at
night to plumber and devour. These circum.
stances made 1t all the moro improbable to
the family that with his thorough knowledge
Of the character and cunning Of this man, he
should select him, Of all Others, to repose
confidence in and mako sole executor Of his
will.
1T is false exclaimed Harry, in an excited
tone, the moment the vinso Of the sleek at
torney was fairly outside the door. 1T q
shameful, deep laid plot, died with fraud and
lies, to get into his own empty pockets few
hundreds Of my fathers money. But I'll
defeat his object. I'll riddle to the bottom