Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-01-20
THE MILLER'S WILL.

Bedford row is n spot that everybody
knows, but no one knows it better than
MIR. MANLY, the famous solicitor. q.
People meeting linn only on legal busi
ness, consider him dry, cautious man
far more disposed TO question than an
swsr or pass an opiaion; but at his own
home, where | have seen him at times,
he is very different. II on quiet even
ing there aIC only a comfortable pair.
or, at most, trio OF friends present,
Manly unbends. and at once becomes
the most genial and frank Of hosts. He
can tell many stories OF his curious ex-
Ueriencas and difficult cases.
"Arout the neatest and most curious
case o' fraud l ever handled" he said,
was in connection with testy old client
Of mine, a miller by trade. He had
made deal of money, and didn't know
what to do with il. The mans name
was S!nkes-Matthcw Stokes.
"OEr day lie called upon me, and said
he waited 70 ask my opinion upon
some matter, but / soon found he had
made up his mind what to do, and the
asking my opinion was only his way of
getting me to carry out his ideas. He
went into his story with great energy
and bitterness. lie was worth thou
sands he said-that / knew-all in
vested, and his only heir was his
daughter, an only child, who had ag-
gravated lin by elopinz, and marrying
one ol his clerks, named Morley. The
Gle was one Of those rcod-i looking
VII per snagpsrs.' the old man said,
witt passion. Never could sec any
thing in him bat impudenco and talk
kind Cf cieTCTne-s t-at would have
helped TO make him n GOOD ehowman-
but sho thought him heavenly; and
after they got to love each other. MS he
said, If his impudcncc iidn't write to
me, asking ne 10 give him my daughter
in marriazeH gave him his notice at
once. and fortriEht's ~ages; bat that
didn't cure the silly gi-l. She took to
moping and melancholy.
=" One day I found that she had
eloTed and the next, b. sent me word
that they wera married. felt 1t awfully.
tell you, and could hrve killed him II
I'd met him that day, and her too, al
most. They're misersllE poor, that's
one comfort. though he'' iE place and
does copying at night, a',d they've some
children and lots of trouble; so / ought
to be happy If 7 aint. Hut here's the
danger I'm getting od, and my doctors
says might be taken ofl suddenly, so l
want you to make my will. strong and
tlrm "a you can MAJ G it, doing her out
OF the least chance OF getting my money
cutting her of with a shilling, as it Is
called
"' Seeing you have no other relations
for whom you care. do understand you
wish the money left to charities p said,
not liking my task over well. for had
no doubt that II the poor daughter had
been there, she could have given quite
a different look to the love story.
"'To cnarityP No, bang charity he
cried with q snort. | want IL all given
to Henry Gunson. n cousin of mine
In the city. I don't care twopence
for him, and know little about him, but
he once did me kindness. It's all the
same to me who gets the money, so rs
they don't get 1t. See p
81 did see perfectly, but thought I
would try to alter his determination, for
II one thing displeases me more than an
other, IL Is TO be the means Of carrying
discussion and hatred beyond the grave.
Could he not, instead of trying to crush
the young man who had fharried bis
daughter, try 10 lift him upP From his
own account IL appeared that he was
hard working diligent fellow, tolliue
hard for his wife and children. What
more could father wish Tor his son-in
IavP In word, I tried to pour OF
upon the aters, but / might as vel