The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1862-11-27
THE WTFE'S DOVER.
BY A RETIRED ATTORNEY.

amily, John was pretty we'll off, so
ar MS this worlds gools are concerned.
lis property was all invested in build q
ngs, which had cost thirty thousand
lollars. He did not marry till he was
orty, probably from the fear of incur
ing unnecessary expense and when
inally he did take wife, it was as he
would have taken q housekeeper-a
servant.
Mrs. Gordon was poor young wo-
man, and had been obliged to work for
a living Probably she married on
purely prudential considerations, for
she could not possibly have loved such
an abortion of a man as John Gordon.
She took good care of him, better than
he deserved, and was in every respect
an obedient and faithful wife. All she
received in return was the meager
support her husbands home afford
ed.
When they had been married about
three months, John was taken sick, and |
fingered along for year, during which
time his wife was an excellent, devoted
wife. Her whole aim seemed to be to
discharge her duty to him with fidelity.
She had made bargain with him, and
she performed her part of the contract
with scrupulous exaetness.
One day heard that John Gordon
was dead. 1t was small loss to the
community and 1 did not think of pit
ying his wife, for her lot would GER
tainly be ameliorated by his departure.
She would be entitled to one third of
the income Of the real estate, which for
poor woman as she had been, and hav-
ing no luxurious tastes to crafty, would
be princes stipend.
"Mine is very hard case, Mr.. Dock
et," said she, seating herself by my
side.
"Indecd, Madam. I thought you
were very well provided for. You have
one third of the income of your hus.
bands estate, or about thousand dol.
lars year"
"It seems that am not to have this, "
she replied, gloomgly.
"Not to have it2n
Peter Gordon has taken possession
of the estate, declaring it belongs to
him. He says that my husband sold
it to him two weeks before he died"
GLOW could that be p
"Peter showed me the deed he says
it has been recorded"
"Does he? So much the better for
D you, madam. The law gives you one.
\ half of his personal estate
"But he sold it for one dollar" inter
rupted Mrs. Gordon.
"IIe could not sell it without your
concurrence. Did you release your
. right of dover in the premises? ?"
"No, sir Peter said I did, though
and showed me my name, duly witness
ed on the deed"
"Did you sign it?"
"No, SIR"
, "Then it's forgery"
: "I suppose it is"
? "You are confident you did not sigr
your name to the deed p
81 am sure that I did not, for a very
good reason" ..r
"IIow's that ?"
I IL cannot write. I never wrote m,
name. | was brought up in the cOun
try, where girls did not get as mucI
. schooling as now. My folks were poo
, and l never had a chance to go Il
school" replied Mrs. Gordon with som
confusion. ...,
"Did your husband know that 20,
could not write p
"No never told him"
!. | dismissed her, with the request tha
O she should call next day. | went a
# once to tho Registry of Deeds, and foun,
~ that Mrs. Gordon had told straigh
story. Her miserable contemtible hus
husband had given his property to hi
brother, in his last days, so as to chea
his wife, who cared for his healh an
nursed him, in sickness, out Of her jus
claims upon his estate.
i" He was a villain, but need not say
20 " felt deep interest in the case of m
" client, and resolved to bring matters t
an issue, at once. The next day, whe
- she called, she directed me to her sister
>, by whom it could be proved that Mrs
~ Gordon could not write her name; VIII
had seen her make her mark, Otter
re within a short time.
The person who professed to haV
Il, witnessed the signature Of Mrs. Gordon
o. was clerk in the Office of Peter. NJ
d. frst move was to arrest him on charg
Offraud, and sue his employer for m