The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-12-29

gained the street at the close OF the per
| formance.
! eyes" said George, ''it was the 23d of
! December His daughter received tele-
| gram from her cousin announcing the fact
| the same day But why do you ask p
81 have a reason which may or may
not prove good one" l returned, and sta
ting that had business engagements for
the whole of the next day, parted with
my friend, promising to meet him on the
following evening.
Next afternoon found me at the Office
of DIR. Parsons
"Dr. Parsons, I presume p were the
words with which 1 aeeosted the gentle
man had seen at the theatre.
Eyes, sir"
"You may not remember me, Doctor,
but l believe we have met before"
Il beg pardon sir, for not recollecting
| the occasion.
you were in New Orleans last winter,
were you not p
"I was" he answered, with some en-
barrassment.
81 am the gentleman on whom you call
ed to draft a will
He turned pale, but made no reply
"I saw record of that will in the Sur
rogate's Office this morning" resumed,
and"
"You speak of my ,,fczeS will, he has
| tily interrupted.
"And vet" continued you said it was
yours when you applied to have it writ
! ten. You represented yourself as desirous
of executing such document preparatory
| to embarking on a perilOus voyage. The
paper was drawn in accordance with your
Instructions, leaving the date to be filled
in at the time of signing. Your locks
were gray then, and you certainly looked
old enough to have manageable daugh-
| ter, but your disguise was not perfect, and
| pointed to the mutilated finger.
What do you mean ?" he shouted IN
4 defiant tone, springing to his feet.
Simply that your uncle's signature to
that paper is a forgery r. l answered, n
sing and confronting him. HE died on
the 23d of December. Your own telegram
TO that effect is in existence. 1t was on
the oath, the day before Christmas, that
you called on me to prepare the paper
now on record as his will The inference
Is plain, You undertook to manufacture
this spurious testament after your uncle s
death, and wishing to clothe your vllialny
IN legal form, you procured from me the
required draft. You, or some one at your
! instigation, simulated the signature of the
/
perjured themselves in their depositions,
were procured in some manner best known
to Yourself"
Enough, sir you have shown yourself
possessed of a secret the custody Of which
may prove dangerous p
al am not unprepared for your threat, -
1 replied. ain the first place, l did not
come here unarmed, In the next, I have
prepared full written statement of the
facts to which have alluded, with infor-
nation, besides, of my present visit to
yourself. This paper viii be delivered tc
the friend to whom it is directed, unless
within an hour reclaim it from the mes
| senger, who has been instructed for that
length of time to retain i"
His face grew hvid. His frame quiver-
ed with mingled fear and rage. -.-..
What is your purposeP' he exclaimed
'To keep your secret while you live"
answered "on one condition.
Name it.''
THAT you write instantly to Julia Par.
sons. renouncing all pretensions to hei
hand, and absolutely withdrawing YOU
proposal of marriage"
After a moments pause he seated HIM
self at his desk, and hastily penned a brie
note, which he submitted to my inspec-
ton, 1t was quite satisfactory.
"Be so good as to seal and address it, -
said. He did so. r
Il viii see it is delivered" said, ta-
king it up and bowing myself out.
When met George Dickson that even
ing, his old college look had come back
He had great news to tell me. The mex
thing was to take me to see Julia, and il
is needless to tell what happy evening
we three spent together, and what hap
py marriage followed not long after.
Eldridge Parsons, I have Just learned
joined one of the late Cuban expeditions
and was killed in recent encounter witt
the Spaniards.