The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-07-15


document, and which are to be hers in
dividually to have and to hold, withou
any restrictions whatsoever
more evidence Of insanity ~ growleC
John Hardine. "The old woman nevel
made such a will as that of her own &C
cord. You needn't tell men and h'
shook his head insinuatingly. "Judg,
Hardpan, Lie can't give me nuthin'
She hadN hand in making that will"
"But I swear I didIft!" cried Lie
hotly.
"Here's letter that may possibly
throw some light on the subject" said
Judge Hardpan. "rve looked carefully
among the papers, and / find no evi.
deuce to prove that any Of her other
children have taken the same pains as
Mrs Tubbs to influence their mother IA
undue partiality in making her will"
"Let me see that letter, please" said
Mrs. Tubbs.
LET her" growled John Hardine
rubbing his hands in a sort Of glee over
his own pun.
'No, prefer to read it myself This
lis an important document"
"But this is not legal court, Judge
Hardpan. Give me my letter, I say.
You're meddling with that which
doesn't concern you"
Judge Hardpan .winked at John Har-
dine.
Read it aloud" said that worthy,
who had suddenly changed his mind.
Judge Hardpan proceeded to read
amid the general silence of his auditors.
"Irs easy enough to see now why il
was that Lie got the old woman's
property. She systematically bored for
IT," said John Hardine.
The insulted woman rose to her feet
and confronted her defamers.
Judge Hardpan, you are designing
villain, and you know itw she ex-
claimed, while fairly quiveriug with ex-
element
81 shall fine you, madam, for con-
tempt Of court %
"But the court is not in session."
'Pd have you to know, you sassy
jade, that this court is always in session,
and always an object OF contemptr'
'That latter remark is wholly unuec-
essary, sir" she replied, with ineffable
scorn.
81 know it, mom," he answered,
without perceiVing the self-evident sar-
casm.
"You, sir, came to me with the frst
intimstion that 1 had concerning my
mothers will. After l had fed you, ]
took my seat, and in the fullness Of my
heart wrote that letter. 1t was writ.
ten, reiterate and affirm, after the will
was made; and In it 1 expressed my
honest and afiectionate solicitude fol
my mothers health, and my earnest de-
sire that she should deny herself moth,
ing that would make her declining days
comfortable. II that be undue iniiu.
ence, make the most Of it,"
al shall, nom; l shall. You see
you'll find it hard to prove that thi
letter was not written before the viii
was made. Ii isn't dated"
"Then you'll fiud it equally hard t,
prove that il was written before thl
making OF the will. It's a poor rul,
that won't work both ways" was tn,
quick rejoinder.
The Judge was not & rapid thinker
and this unexpected sally si!euced hin
for the nonce.
"Let US finish the reading Of th,
will" said Israel Sappington.
'T will aud bequeath to each Of N!
other children, all and separately, al
equal proportion of the undivided liv
stock Of which may die possessed; thr
division to be made by themselve
through two such arbitrators as the!
shall mutually agree upon, these two 4
select third for final adjudication II
all selections where they shall fail t.
agree"
Again I pause to remind the reade
that I am eliminating from the origina
document the tedious verbosity tha
would, il admitted, mar the meaning o
this otherwise faithful translation.
"And so ali the rest are well remem
bered, and I'm cut of with the ol,
spinning-wheeI ~ cried John Hardine
"Lize, you hussy you needn't preacl
+ to me! l know tarnation well that yor
had hand in this business ~
"Did you have a hand in making m,
fathers will, John? The will that be
} queAthed TO me my mothers old loon
; aud left you rich %
, "a plain admission that you've bee
melting your mother to spite-work
! mom," said Judge Hardpan.
"If I believed in physical argument
and this was not a house of mourning
, I'd horsewhip both of you !" said Lie
= her voice husky with smothered indig
nation. "And you claim that wome
\ are protected and supported by men, d
4 you? a fig for such protection
r never bad anything to do with Law
, lawyers or lawsuits, but l am deter
e mined to fight for my rights in this cas-,
: And I'll win them, toO-see II J don't!
"And l intend to contest the will /!
!, said John Hardine.
"By the terms Of the will, I am {
s take possession at once" quietly al
$ swered Mrs. Peter Tubbs. "And to yoJ
T my brothers and sisters, who have DC
1 Joined in this disgraceful attack upo
my honor, will say that had no MOI