The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-07-20

bility of your losing your legacy"
" / know that there is chance of
it,"
The mans hands wandered for q
moment aimlessly among the papers on
the desk before him. Then he fixed his
eyes keenly upon that sweet, ingenious
face.
"You don't, you can't think that
there has been any foul play, Lucy ?"
don't know what to think" re-
sponded the young girl, turning wearily
towards the door. " 1t is hard for me
to believe that my grandfather would
leave me so slenderly provided for. AS
to the rest 1 must refer you to Mr.. Craw-
ford, my lawyer"
When the two met again it was in
crowded courtroom. =
Not all Gilbert Fairfax's ingenuity
prosecution would take; whether it
would dispute the genuineness of the
will, or endeavor to prove that the testa-
tor was not in fit state of mind to
make it; so he was obliged to provide
for either contingency.
The legatee, in endeavoring to prove
the validity of the will, presented a very
strong case. Two respectable witnesses
testified that they were present when
the will was signed, and that they heard
1t read to the testator, who signified his
understanding of and assent to it. The
signature itself, though somewhat
cramped and tremulous, as it would
naturally be under the circumstances,
aside from this bore strong resem-
blance to the testator's.
When the witnesses for the defence
were all in, and the last one was about
to leave the stand, the counsel for the
prosecution arose and said:
"Now, sir, remember that you are
under oath Do you declare that you
saw this paper signed by the living hand
of the late Arthur Fairfax ?'
The countenance of the man addressed
visibly altered at these words.
Il saw his hand sign it," he said after
moments pause.
"Do you, dare you assert that you
heard the man, whose name is attached
to this paper, assent to its provisions ?"
There was pause considerable longer
than the first. Then the witness said,
speaking slowly and with some hesita-
ton:
''I heard the will read to him.
also heard his nephew ask him if he
understood it, and saw him bow his
head in assent"
"That will do" said the lawyer.
Then turning to the judge, he added
{. Your honor, can prove, to your
satisfaction, and the satisfaction of every
one present, that the late Arthur Fair
fax died three hours before the will was
signed"
"The clerk will now summon Mrs.
Rachel Barker to the stand"
Mrs. Barker, an elderly, respectable
locking woman, being duly sworn,
said:
"My name is Barker. I was house
keeper to the late Arthur Fairfax, hav-
ing been in his service nigh on to
twenty-five years. Was in his service
at the time he died, the twenty. ninth
day of August last Have often heard
him say that when he died Miss Lucy
would have Woodlawn and all its be-
longings. But, when he took to his
bed, his nephew, Gilbert Fairfax, came
and took everything in his own hands.
The doctor was stranger to us all. He
had his own friends and servants, and
none of us as had served him so long
and faithfully was allowed to come nigh
him.
81 was coming up the stairs the day
master died, when see Gilbert Fairfax
an the doctor comm out of his room,
walk off together. Thinkin' that this
was mighty queer, an mistrusting that
there was somethin' wrong, / determin-
ed to git into the room by means of
door that lead through a closet, an
which hadn't been opened for many a
year. The lock was old and rusty, but
after considerable trouble / managed to
turn the Key; findin' Mr.. Fairfax layin'
on the bed as cold an lifeless as he was
when / see him in his coffin the next
day.
~ hadn't more'n time to make sure
of this when heard footsteps approach
in the door, havin' jest time to git back
into the closet, when in walked Gilbert
Fairfax, the doctor, and three other