The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-05-30
LITERARY
ROBERT BRAMLElCH'S WILL.

1t n al Deen busy gay WIFI liz. ldu
been working hard getting up evidence
in a 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 / knew
were being prepared for me. "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 l 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, II you please,
sir. She won't give no name. Says she's
stranger
"a stranger" l repeated, "What is
she likel Is she q common perscn!"
Not exactly SIR replied the lad.
"a LADY," | asked.
so no. sir"
''What is she, thenl'
Arthor paused, as if considering, and
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"
"a tall, midle-aged woman entered
and took the seat | placed for her.
Nv visitor removed her gloves and
carefully smoothing them, placed them
on the table beside her She then pro-
duced from her pocket large toolscap
envelope, from which she drew piece OF
paper folded lon9ways. This she handed
to me, explaining, in hard, monotonous
voice tina. she had been sent to me by heI
master, Mr. Robert Bramleigh,o 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 tor his
will that afternoon. Fearing lest i
should not be in proper form, he had
desired her to take it to the nearest law
yer and have one prepared according tc
the law.
| unfolded the paper and read as fol
lows:
In the name of God, Amen. l leav,
my body to the ground and my soul t.
Almighty God who gave it. Now this il
the will of me Robert Bramleigh, of 80!
Coleman street. give and leave all m.
houses, lands, money and everything tina
| have, to Hannah Churton. my house
keeper, Ms u reward for her long and faith
full services. Signed by me on Tuesday
December -, 1868.
ROBERT BRAMLEIGH.
Witnesses--James Burn, Margare
Sims.
examined the writing carefully. Tn
signature Robert Bramleigh," was veal
and shaky The will itself was writer
In a masculine looking hand OF singula
decision and boidness. The character
were large and well-formed.
The will had evidently been prepared
by some one who had but an imperfec
knowledge of the form to be used TO
such a purpose. The solemn appeal Il
the Deity and the bequest OF the tesla
tors body and soul was an ola form, mucl
in vogue with our grandtathers, who gen
orally headed will with one or two pi
Gus phrases.
The document shown to me was. how
ever. sufficient to give Hannah Churtol
all MIR. Bramleigh's property.
Now, l am always very partlcuia
about wills; think they are too serlou
to be settled in a hurry. l never Will al
low client 10 execute one until l al
convinced that its purport is perfect
understood.
You are Mrs. Churton, presume
l asked.
II am" she replied, looking me un
fiinchinlv in the face. Somehow l fe
suspicious that things were not SO fair 6
they should be. questioned her rattle
closely: but the only admission obtaiI
ed IRON her was that she had written IL
will, but it was at her masters dictaiiol
offered to prepare more formal doc'
ment, but before doing so, declare
that it was necessary l should see NJ
Bramleiyh named the omission OF Il
appointment of an executor. This seen
d rather to nonplus her. She aske
whether she could not be named as ex
cutrix. Tue more a7ersion she shewc
to my Sc .ing her master the more col
WINGED felt that something was wroai
and seeing that Was not to be move
from my purpose, she 1t last gave
proposing, however, that should .
company her back, - 10 greatly ian