The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-06-14

for the terms were all in favor of the or
phan grandchild.
"During that very day was startled
on entering the room to find the feeble
old man out of the bed, and making su-
perhuman efforts to pull it from the re-
cess. | thought his brain was touched,
for his keen eyes looked into mine, and
| heard him say, sWin, will I got him
back into bed, and tried to soothe him.
keturah came up, and he was still
moaning, will, will
"'Dear uncle, Job will have it ready
this evening" said she, with affected
tenderness; but he looked from her to
me, and still said, will
1t was plain James Weston would
not be old Moneybags much longer, and
DR.. Hill bade us prepare for the final
change.
"Job Bromley had prepared. That
evening l had gone down stairs to get
my supper, leaving Keturah in the room,
when the lawyers clerk came home
with seedy-looking companion.
"The two went up into the sick cham
ber, and something impelled me to fol
low. My list slippers were noiseless; |
crept into the little dressing-room, the
door of which was ajar. saw parch-
ment produced, and a pen, and the old
man raised to sign. | thought also l
heard distinct No, no. and then he
fell back-dead.
"'It's no use, Job; he's gone, and his
money-bags with him; you've left it too
late-just like you,' cried Keturah, in a
temper.
"There was blue-bottle-fy buzzing
in the window-it was in the middle of
August.
's' Stop said the stranger, let me
catch that blue-bottle,' and after some
lodging he caught it, and for what do
you suppose, Mrs. Chappell? He put
the fy in the mouth of the dead man, and
held it shut, saying as he did so, Now
put the pen in his hand and guide it, and
we can swear he signed it schile there ,oas
life IN him.
81 shrank with horror as | saw this
villainy perpetrated, and the other mans
signature affixed, whilst the fly, released,
went buzzing over the room, and then
bells rang, and great wall went through
the house; but the young one who fled
to me for comfort, and sobbed upon my
shoulder, was the only true mourner.
"The funeral came and the will was
read. James Dudley had not been Who'll
ly excluded; they had been too cunning
for that; but the will set forth that his
mother had offended in her marriage,
and that he, James Weston, had taken
an oath to disinherit her offspring. The
testator, however, left a charge upon
his heirs and executors, his beloved
nephew and niece, to educate his grand
son James, and article him to a solici-
| tor, as he himself had been articled,
with small sum for maintenance till
the youth was twenty-one, when he was
to have ESQ and no more.
81 told DR.. Hill that was sure the
pen was put in dead mans hand, but
he said it was preposterous, and bade
me hold my tongue. l was dismissed,
and being myself afraid of any pub
licity of my own name, [ weakly let the
matter drop, sitting conscience with the
| thought that it was no business of mine.
"Then my own cares drove all 9th
ers out of my mind. I came to Lon
don, where | soon got good connec-
ton, and l began to save money. At
last it came to my ears that the Brom-
ley's were purse-proud and arrogant,
and had not even fulfilled the provisions
of the sham will for poor James Dud-
ley. My conscience stung me; felt as
if | had been a partner in the fraud to
rob the orphan of his patrimony, and l
went to magistrate for advice.
"He gave me a hearing, and then re-
ferred me to a respectable solicitor, who
took the matter in hand.
"To make a long story short, James
Dudley was looked up, criminal pro-
ceedings were threatened against the
BrOmleys, search-warrant obtained,
and in the recess behind the bed anoth-
er will was found, properly drawn up
and attested, in which old Moneybags
left to his nephew only the money he
had already defrauded him of-as wit
ness several forged checks inclosed with
the will Of course the latter will would
have set this aside had it been genuine
That it was not was proved by the alb
rupt flight of the Bromleys, and the
confession of their fellow-conspirator,
who was brought to book.
"James Dudleyis is now rich man,
and If he does not make good use of his
wealth, Mrs. Chappell, never trust the
discernment of MARY MARBURY" ="
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