Weekly Trinity journal., 1878-06-08
ROBERT BRAMLEIGHS WILL.

lief. Another forty minutes and | should
be at home. l could almost smell the
boiled capon and oyster sauce, which l
knew were being prepared tor me-
"There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and
the lip" says the OLD proverb, and in my
case it provided only too true for, just
as / was tying up the last bundle of pa
pers, the Office boy put his head in at the
door and dispelled the tempting vision.
"A woman to see you, if you please
sir. She won't give her name. Says she
is a stranger"
"a Stranger" repeated. "What is
she like? Is she common person ?"
mot exactly, sir, replied the lad.
"a lady :" | asked.
"Oh, no, SIR"
"What is she, then ?"
Arthur was n droll lad. 1 had
brought him to London from the country
to oblige an old college friend, l am
afraid that he was not of much use in the
office, but he used to keep the other clerks
in 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 is sort of 'betwixt and between. 1"
"Not bad definition, Arthur. Ask
the 'betwixt and between upstairs"
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 piece OF
paper folded longways. This she handed
to me, explaining, in n hard, monotonous
voice, that she had been sent to me by
her master, Mr.. Robert Bramleigh, OF
Coleman street, who was dangerously i'll
in fact, was not expected to live many
hours. The paper, she said, had been
written by his direction, 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.
Iunfolded the paper and read as toll
lows:
In the name of God. amen. ! leave
my body to the ground and my soul to
Almighty God, who gave it. Now, this
is the will Of me, Robert Bramleigh, OF
$50 Coleman street. | give and leave all
my houses, lands, money, and everything
thnt | have, to Hannah ChurtOn, my
house keeper, rs a reward fer her long and
faithful services. Signed by me on
Tuesday, December II, 1868.
ROBERT BRAMLEIGu.
Witnesses-James Burns, Margaret
Sims.
| examined the writing carefully. The
signature, Robert Bramleigh," wa,
weak and shaky. The will itself wa
written in n masculine looking hand o
snglar decision and boldaess. The
characters were large and we'll formed.
The will had evidently been prepared by
someone who had an imperfect knowledg,
of the form to be used for such a.purpose
The solemn appeal to the Deity and the
bequest OF the testator's body and sou
was an old form, much in vogue with oul
grandlathers, who generally headed a vii
with one or two pious phrases.
The document shown to me was, how
ever, sufficient to give Hannah Churton
all Mr.. Bramlcigh's property There
were the requisite number of witnesses
and The Principal Registry of Her Males.
tvs Court of Probate would have granted
letters Of administration with the will
annexed (the appointment of hn executor
having been omitted, the ordinary pro
bate could not have been obtsined), on
one Of the attesting witnesses making
affidavit: that the will had been executed
by the testator in the presence of himself
and the attesting witness, and that they
had at the same time, and in the presence
of each other, subscribed their names
thereto as witnesses.
Now, | am always very particular
about wills; | think they are too serious ia
be settled in hurry. | never will allow
a client To execute one until ! am con
vinced that its purport is perfectly under
stood.
"You are Miss Churton, presume -
| asked.
al am" she replied, looking me un-
ninchingly in the face Somehow | felt
suspicious that things were not so fair as
they should be. l questioned her rather
closely, but tho only admission that |
obtained from her was that she had writ
ten the wl!l, but that it was at her mas
ters dictaton. | offered to prepare n
more formal document but before doing
so, declared that it was necessary
should see Mr.. Brameigh. | named the
omission of the appointment of an exc
culof. lnls heeheu iafhoi W HonPi"s
her. She asked whether she could not be
named as executrx. The more aversion
she showed to my seeing her master the
mere convinced felt that something was
wrong and, seeing that | was not to be
moved from my purpose, she at last gave
in proposing, however, that / should
accompany her back, as sho greatly fear
ed that it would be too late if left until
morning.
A cab soon took us to $50 Coleman
street. 1t was large, gloomy old
fashioned house, with a spacious entrance
hall. | was taken into the dining room,
and asked to wait while Mr.. Bramleigh
was being prepared for my visit. The
.,-r;,yro Ia tha room, UNA old and vary