Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-19
ROBERT BRA WILL.
AN ENGLISH LAWYERS STORY.

It had been a busy day with me. I had
been working hard getting up evidence
in railway accident case, and was put
ting 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 I knew
were being prepared for me. S'There's
many slip 'twixt 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 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 no name. Says she's
a stranger
"A stranger!' I repeated, "What is
she like? Is she a common persona"
Mot exactly, sir replied the lad.
"a lady?" ] asked.
80 no, sir"
s;What is she, thcn?"
Arthor paused, as if considering, and
then, with a look ofintc ligence, as much
as to say that he had hit the nail on the
head this time, he answered: "Well, sir
she's a sort of betwixt and between"
'.Not bad definition, Arthur. Ask
the 'betwixt and between upstairs
GA tall, midle-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 a large foolscap
envelope, from which she drew a piece Of
paper folded longways. This she handed
to me, explaining, in hard, monotonous
voice thai she had been sent to meby her
master, Mr. Robert Bramleigh, of Coleman
street, who was dangerously ill-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 law
yer and have one prepared according to
the law
unfolded the paper and read as fol-
lows:
In the name Of God, Amen. I leave
my body to the ground and my soul to
Almi ghty 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 that
I have, to Hannah Churton. my house
keeper, as reward for her long and faith
full services Signed by me on Tuesday,
December II, 1868.
ROBERT BRAMLEIGH.
Witnesses Burn, Margaret
Sims.
examined the writing carefully. The
Signature ''Robert Bramleigh," was weak
and shaky. The will itself was written
in g masculine looking hand OF singular
decision and boldness The characters
were large and well-formed.
The will had evidently been prepared
by some one who had but an imperfect
knowledge of the form to be used Tor
such purpose. The solemn appeal to
the Deity and the bequest OF the tesla
tors body and soul was an ola form,much
in vogue with our grandfathers, who gen
orally headed will with one or two pi-
Gus phrases.
The document shown to me was, how
ever sufficient to give Hannah Churton
all Mr.. Bramleigh's property.
Now, I am always very particular
about wills; I think they are too serious
to be settled in hurry. I never will al
low client to execute one until am
convinced that its purport is perfectly
understood.
"You are Mrs. Churton, I presumed
I asked.
81 am" she replied, looking me I'M
finchinly in the face. Somehow / fell
suspicious that things were not SO fair as
they should be. questioned her rather
closely; but the only admission obtain
edlirom her was that she had written the
vii, but it was at her masters dictatioH.
I offered to prepare more formal docu
ment; but before doing SO, declared
that it was necessary I should see Mr.