The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-05-16
ROBERT -BRAMLEIGH,s MILL. q

1t had been a busy day with me. /
had been working hard getting up eyi-
dence in a railway accident case, and
was putting up my papers with sigh of
relief. Another forty minutes and
should be at home. ] could almost
smell the boiled capon and oyster sauce
which knew were being prepared for
me. There's many a slip stwixt the
cup and the lip, :, says the proverb; and
in my case it proved only too true; for
just as / was tying up the last bundle of
papers, the Office boy pus his head in at
The door and dispelled the tempting
vision.
"a woman to see you, if you please,
sir. She won't give no name. Says
she's stranger"
"a strangerl' repeated. "What is
she like7 Is she a common person.
Not exactly, sir, y replied the lad.
ga lady p / asked.
90 no, sir."
"What is she, then 7'.sesa,e,z.a--ss-.-a-sesz
Arthur wasa droll lad. ] had brought
him to London from the country, to
oblige an old college friend. I am
afraid that he was not of much use in
the Office, but he used to keep the other
clerks ina good temper by his amusing
ways and dry remarks.
Arthur. paused, as If considering, and
then, with look of intelligence, as
much as to say that he had hit the nail
on the head this time, he answered !:
Well, sir, she's sort of betwixt and
between"
"Not bad definition, Arthur, Ask
the 'betwixt and between upstairs" s."
A tall, middle-aged woman entered
and took the seat / placed for her.
My visitor removed her gloves and,
carefully smoothing them, placed them
on the table beside her. She then pro-
duced from her pocket large foolscap
envelope, from which she drew a piece
of paper folded longways. This she
handed to me, explaining, in hard,
monotonous voice, that she had been
sent to me by her master, Mr.. Robert
Bramleigh, of Coleman-street, who was
dangerously ill-in fact, was not ex-
pected to live many hours. The paper,
she said, had been written by his di-
rection, and signed by him for his will
that afternoon. Fearing lest it should
not be in proper form, he had desired
her to take it to the nearest lawyer and
have one prepared according to the law.
Isunfelded the paper and read as fol
lows:
In the name of God, Amen. 1 leave my
body to the ground and my soul to AL
mighty God who gave it. Now this is the
wills me, Robert Bramleigh, of $50 Cole,
man-street. / give and leave all my houses
I.
Hannah Churton, my housekeeper, as a re
ward for her long and faithful services
Signed by me on Tuesday, December u
1868. ROBERT BRAMLEIGH.
Witnesses-James Burn, Margaret Sims
l examined the writing carefully
The signature "Robert Bramleigh,'
was weak and shaky. The VIII itsel
was written in notwithstanding hanC
of singular decision and boldness. Th,
characters werelarge and well formed.
The will had evidently been prepared
by some one who had but an fmperfec
knowledge of the form to be used 70
such purpose. The solemn appeal t,
the Deity and the bequestof the tesla
tors body and soul wzs an old form
much in vogue with our grandfather
who generally headed a willwith one o
two pious phrases.
The document shown to me was, how
ever, sufficient to give Hannah Churtol
all Mr.. Bramleigh's property. Their
were the requisite number of witnesses
and the Principal Registry of He
Majesty Court of Probate would haY
granted letters of administration witt
the will annexed (the appointment o
an executor having been omitted the OF
dinary probate could mot have been OF
tained), on one Of the attesting wit
nesses making an affidavit that the vii
had been executed by the testatoI in tn
presence of himself and the othe
attesting witness, and that they had a
the same time and in the presence q
each other subscribed their name
thereto as witnesses.
Now, | am always very particula
about wills. l think they are too serior
to be settled ina hurry. i never wi
allow client to execute one until 1 al
convinced that its purport is perfectl
understood.
You are Mrs. Churton, 1 presume
1 asked. W III "a f
81 am" she replied, looking me III
finchingly in the face. Somehow
felt suspicious that things were not S
fair as they should be- questioned he
rather closely; but the only admission
obtained from her was that she hs
written the will, but that it was at hi
masters dictation. / offered to prepal
a more formal document; but befol
doing so 1 declared that itswas necessar
| should see Mr.. Bramleigh. name
the omission Of the appointment of a
executor. This seemed rather to no
plus ber. She asked whether she cou
not be named as executrix. The mo
aversion she showed to my seeing b.
master the more convinced l felt tn
something was wrong; and, seeing th
/ was not to be moved from my purpos
she at last gave in; proposing, howeve
that / should accompany her back,
she greatly feared it would be too late
left till the morning.
A cab soon took us to No. 559 Col