Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-10-07

wished myself in Burmah, teach
ing the heather or anything
else than in that quiet village
AT length, one day, in fit of
desperation, | looked over my
: affairs, took an inventory of my
possessions, which consisted of
! a few law books and two seedy
suits Of clothing, and asked my
self what had better be done; /
could endure this waiting no
longer. CRY your luck some
where else, john" said | to my
self "these old staid New Eng
land villages went to seed thirty
years ago. Go to Kansas and
start afreshl That is just what
III do if no work comes this
week"
But at the close Of that very
day there came a low knock at
my office door. l knew that it
was not any Of the fellows who
sometimes came in to chat a.
while, and | threw down my
newspaper and opened the door.
There stood a very handsome
young lady dressed in mourn
ing, and | was little frightened
and awkward, but | asked her
to come in and take a seat.
T'Mr. w eston, | believe" she
asked.
eyes, at your service
81 am Minnie EIlery,' she
said, with a low musical voice,
"and | came to consult you on
.businessp
81 shall be happy to hear
your story" l answered, Gas |
have a little leisure just now."
/ was in a fiutter of delight
that Miss .Ellery. had chosen
to consult me on business, yet [
believe that I distinctly heard
every word that she told me. /
1t seems that she was an adop-
ted child of the rich Mr.. Eilery,
who had recently deceased. -
The old gentleman never had
legal papers of adoption made
out; he had.not regarded it as
necessary, as the child had been
given to his "care by her moth
cr on her death-bed." He had
given her a happy home, and
carefully educated her as his
own daughter. Several years
previous he had made a will, in
which he had given her the bulk
of his property, after providing
handsomely for his wife during
her life time. But now two
brothers of the deceased came
boldly forward and claimed the |
property, and the will could not |
be found.
"The will must be found" / |
exclaimed, in my excitement,
"you must look again"
She shook her headin sadness.
II have looked over every |
scrap of paper in papa's writing |
desk, safe and library, and ma
ma has helped me, but the will |
cannot be found" ,
"Havr you any suspicion that
either Of these uucIes has pri-
vately obtained possession Of
the missing WILL" | asked.
"None at ALL" she frankly
answered. .a "They have no ac-
cess to the papers; it is all a
mystery" -
I promised to do my best for
this lady my first client =.
and told-her TO renew her search.
for portant paper, and [
would call at her house the next
day; we would again talk over
the natter and see what could
be done.
Well, / did not sleep much
that night; Hooked up my au-1
thorities to see what could be
done in case the will could not
be found, and had determined
upon my course, when l pre-
sented myself at the Ellery
the next morning. AS
Miss Minnie came into the par
Ior to-. greet me, she seemed
more lovely than on the previ-
Gus evening, and | was charmed
especially with her thoughtful
to her adopted moth
er. They had made another
search for the will, but with no
better success. ] inspired them
with courage by stating that
under the circumstances the suit
might be gained without it, par
as one Of the witness
IS could readily be obtained,
md l believed the right would
prevail.
l became so much interested
n my fair client and her case,
hat | forgot all about my Kan
'as project, and prepared my
elf for the trial. l thought of