Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-05-26

'sJust the thing - exclaimed, when
} recognized the queer gestures and shagg.
beard of the man who was the centre of {
laughing group of boys. I called thu
waiter.
"Tom,'' I said, "coax, if you can, King
Solomon up here, with the promise of some
coffee and oysters. I have a fancy fol
amusing myself with him."
In half an hour afterward had the fell
low chattering away, under the potent in
fluence of the coffee. Ordinarily, not only
his mental faculties but his power of speech
We're partially paralyzed, so that he spoke
in e singular tone.
AS the nervous excitement became grea
ter, what was my establishment to heal
him go over in that strange, automaton
like way, the very words which | had writ
ten the day befre at Judge Brewers.
/ [ soon after dismissed him. The entire
scheme was plain to me, and I saw my
way clear.
developed my plan to the old squire
and we agreed upon a plan OF operations.
During the day / received a note from
Mrs. Brewer, requesting me to attend the
meeting of the relatives, when the will
was to be read. Squire Buckrum and my
self were busy in making our arrangements
until the appointed time, when we both
went to the Brewer residence.
There were but few relatives present,
and the large parlor was not half full.
Agnes Brewer was there, her mourning
dress setting off the fairness of her sweet
face. Mrs. Brewer was stately and beau
tiful in her widows Grape. Her brother
leaned upon the corner Of the mantlepiece
like a grim Caryatide. The grave servant
sat at q respectable distance, admitted, 1
presume, by special favor.
AS the waiting silence grew deeper and
deeper, a man glided through the hall, past
the door. No one saw him save myself
At length Mrs. Brewer gave me sign. 1
took no notice of it, but Squire Buckrum
rising with much parade, drew the will
from his pocket, and clearing his throat,
began to read.
esquire Buckrum ~
|
interpose, but only those two words were
uttered when her brothers hand was laid
heavily upon her shoulder, and she sank
into her seat while the squire proceeded.
| AS the quire pronounced the last words
and wound off the concluding paragraph
| with a flourish, Mrs. Brewers large black
eyes grew bright.
esquire Buckrum,' she said, in her Pc
culiarly sweet tone, mo one will question
the genuineness Of the paper you have
read, but will of latter date-quite re-
cent-changes the disposal Of the property.
| MI. Halidash, sir please explain"
II am aware that fictitious paper is
existing" said the squire.
Iinterposed. I pitied that proud lady s
shame.
| "Will it not be best that Mrs. Brewer
! request all but immediate friends to re-
! tire ?''
She grew deathly white, when I spoke,
but her courage never faltered.
''Sir, desire all my friends to remain !"
| GAS you will, the old squire resumed.
Il am aware of the existence of a ficti-
tious paper which you propose to foist upon
us as the will of the late Judge. I warn
you to desist. am prepared to prove"
"What sir ?" she interrupted, her lips
curling in scornful contempt.
| s'This, madam: That you carefully Sc
| Guided your husband from all your friends
| even from his own daughter--by what
| ever ingenious pretexts you could devise.
You did this to obtain complete control
of him. That your husband died Oh the
| 10th Of October, and you, in concert with
other, kept his death a secret until the
| 18th. That in the interval you taught the
| wretched creature-Whom we all knoW-to
| personate your husband, and stimulating
| his wandering wits, made him able to go
| through the farce. We are prepared to
prove that you did this to secure the great
Ell portion of the Inheritance for your son
and yourself, thus half disinheriting the
daughter, and wholly dafrauding the exiled
son, whom you drove to prohigacy. can
say we can prove this but for the sake of
the family reputation, we are willing to
make terms'
Squire Buckrum paused, quite out of
breath.
"You hear this fine story, my dear
| friends. Laughable, is it not?"
"Mr. Southwyn, you have heard" said
the squire, calmly. cit is for you to pro-
pose withdrawal"
"We will have the new will read," said
Southwyn, Mrs. Brower's brother, de-
| family.
[ arose, and amid breathless silence,
read the paper.
The document was passed around, the
| signature criticized and a low murmur Of
assent followed.
81 think, =" said Mrs. Brewer, THAT you
have formidable task upon your hands,
Squire Buckrum."
II am prepared to prove it, and also that
you did at various times administer poison
to your husband, which first paralyzed his
faculties, then terminated his life. I can
prove this by the accessory to your crime!'
! Mrs. Brewer was now as white as snow,
and her eyes glistened. She pointed her
finger toward the grave servant, and Kissed
a sentence from within her ashy lips.
"Devil Hound The fends deYour
and torment you!''
I, to whom this last revelation was new,
| still gazed at Mrs. Brewer. While [ look
ed, crimson stream dyed her lips, and she
| fell, prone and senseless.
| Mr. Southwyn sprang to the door, but
his flight was checked by the officer who
waited in the hall. Agnes came to her
stepmother's assistance, horror and pity
contending in her face.