Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-11-26
THE SECRET OF THE STAIR.
A LAWYERS STORY.

A LAWYERS STORY.
He was a client OF mine, was John Dargle,
and can tell his story or at least act as
chorus to It; for he tells the greater part Of
1t himself in words cannot improve upon.
His old uncle, Philip Makerace, left him
the whole Of his property quite unexpected
ly; for, in the first place, 1t was supposed he
had nothing to leave, and in the second, he
had a son, William Makerace, who should
have been the natural heir.
But father and son had never got on well
together, and at the time of the old mans
death there was a wide breach. He was a
quarrelsome, ill.conditioned old fellow, and
the son took after him. He quarreled with
his only sister, John Dargles mother, years
and years ago, because she chose to marry a
merchant skipper; and when he, poor man,
was lost at sea, leaving his widow and an
only boy all but destitute, Philip Makerace
scarcely put out hand to help her. Yet he
seemed to have a lingering liking for the boy,
apprenticed him to the merchant marine, and ,
as have said when he was just three-and-
twenty, finally left him about 5000 year.
This was great change for mother and
son, who had been living pretty much upon
the scant wages ofthe young sailor. He was
a kindly, simple, good chap, was Jack-a
British tar TO the backbone--and / reiOiced
heartily at his good fortune. / knew his
father and all the circumstances Of the mar
riage, but never cottoned TO old Philip; and
luOugH uc llNeu WllnlH Anew miles OF me mere
at Nuncestcr, l never saw him, and hardly
knew either him or his son William.
Chillestone, as his old, tumble-down house
was named, was what artists would call q
picturesque place, and John Dargle, when he
came into possession, conceived the strange
idea of living in it, and the yet more strange
| idea of getting his cousin, this William
Makerace, who was an architect by profes-
sion, to restore, enlarge and beautifv it. Jack
was magnanimous; he felt that William had
been hardly treated; looked upon himself, in.
deed, as sort Of usurper and, longing tC
concilitate and in some sort to compensate
the ousted heir, took this opportunity, the
first which offered, of expressing his good
will and intentions toward his cousin.
If ] point out one important clause il
Philip Makerace's will, and give an extract
from a letter written by the architect to his
cousin just as the restoration of ChillestonC
was completed, can let Jack go on with his
story. The clause in the will was to the ef
| feet that the fathers property should revert
to the son only in case Of John Dargle (thC
! nephew dying without issue. The eXtrac
from the architects letter is follows:
1t still remains quite an old-fashIoned house t.
look at externally, with stacks of quaint, twist
| ed, corl1screw chlmneys, gable-ends, great brow1
| cross-beams and jOsts showing out amidst tn
| gray stone and red brick. A genuine halftim
hered house, as the phrase goes, with lintels an,
! oyerhanging upper stories. wide, wooden Eorcl
and stone-mul ioned lattice windows. Whel
| time and well-trained crecpers shall have mel
! lowed and toned its colOrs down the addiuon
| will appear antique and Elizabethan az tn
| original portion. as If the whole of IL had beel
| erected 300 years ago.
Int nally l have endeavored to preserve tn
same characteristics as far vas consistent witt
| modern ideas of comfort, and yOu must com
and see how have succeeded But the staircas
| is q iumph, and has st world of thought.
| Facing the entrance, and ascending from tn
| farthcst extremity of the square hall, 1t divide
| into two return flights from a low, broad landin
at ton Of f.rlf fh uFasr rxrsa1
| halustrade, the newels and the polished floOrin
really give it very antique and picturesque aI
| pearance. The space necessary for IL was OF
tanned by building out at the rear, and thus tn
staircase forms a projecting mass, independent {
the room space a shaft, as it were. up and dow
which, had been building modern hotel, iii
would have been worked You may remembe
the house, and as it perversely came eXactl
where designed erecting the block for the stall
case was obliged to fill it mp and brick 1t owe
! have taken up my quar- ers at ChillestOne f.
the last five weeks, the better TO SUP erintend tn
finishing touches; and although a short time mus
elapse before il is quite habitable | would urg
you to come over at once and spend day or tw
and see for yourself If there be anything you ca
suggest. We are, you know, shOrt-handed
to domestics, there being only the infirm oil
woman who acted as housekeeper and cook
my father and a lOut of a stable lad.
| As you expressed a wish that your motht
should select your servants | have contrived
put up with this limited staff, and dare say 20
, won't be more inconvenienced by it for a nigl
are coming and the room you occupied befol
shall be got ready.
Believe me always faithfully yours,
WILLIAM MAKERACE.