River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-10-27

i spoke gravely to the old man, al
though without much hope of success,
but at last | got him to confess that he
had no intention of making his house
keeper his sole heiress until she had
herself preached the subject to him.
She certainly must have had great pow
er over the old man to induce him to
agree to such scheme. | proposed
to Mr.. Bramleigh that he should leave
( his property to some one on whom he
could rely, in trust for his daughter. /
also volunteered, although / have an
aversion to the trouble and responsible
| ity of a trusteeship, my services as a
trustee for this purpose My argu-
ments prevailed. He assented, and
prepared a will accordingly, the old
man requesting that his medical man,
DIR. Ramsey, should be nominated as
my co-trustee, and that an annuity OF
ESQ should be paid to Hannah Chur-
ton for life.
| read the viii to him very carefully,
explaining, as I did so, its full effect.
When / had finished, he muttered :
"Quite right-quite right; but | am
afraid Hannah viii not be pleased" /
counselled him not to mention it to her,
and my advice seemed to satisfy him.
Ringing the bell, / requested Mrs.
Churton TO summon James Burns and
| Margaret Sims, the two servants who
had witnessed the first will. As soon
as they were in the room / gave Mr..
Bramleigh pen, and placing the doc
ument before him, | said distinctly. so
that all might hear: ''This which |
have just read to you is your final will,
and you request James Burns and Mar
garet Sims to witness your execution
of it?' 1t isl do" he solemnly said,
as with feeble fingers he wrote his
name. The two awe-stricken domestics
then added theirs, and | think their
hands shook more than the testator's.
Hannah Curton was silent spectator
of the whole of this but | could not
see her face, as she stood in the back
ground out of the light of the lamp.
Before allowing any one to leave the
room, placed the will in large envel-
ope Fastening it with wax, impressed
it with Mr.. Brarnleigh's Monogram and
crest by means of a seal that was on
the tray of the inkstand. The old man
watched me closely, and when | had
finished, he said, keep it'll it is
wanted" thus relieving me of great
embarrassment, for | did not like leav-
ing it in the power of Hannah Churton,
lest she should tamper with it.
On our way down stairs, DIR. Ramsey
told me that his patient was rapidly
sinking, and that he doubted whether
he would live another twenty four
hours.
Taking him into the dining-room and
shutting the door, / told him my sus-
picions of the hOusekeeper, and that /
felt afraid of leaving Mr.. Bramleigh
alone with her all night. He agreed
with me, and promised to send his as
sistant to watch till the morning, when,
if Mr. Bramleigh should still be living,
he would on his own responsibility put
q trustworthy nurse in charge.
at is all right, Mrs. Churton," /
maliciously said, as the doctor wished
her good night. II am quite satisfied
now. The will will be safe in my keep
ing. By-the-by," | added, looking her
sharply in the face, chad you not bet
ter let your masters friends know of
the danger he is in? DIR. Ramsey
says he does not think he will last
mach longer"
She mumbled in reply, but | could
not catch what it was. | stayed talk
ing on Indifferent subjects to while
away the time until the arrival of DIR.
Ramsey's assistant. Mrs. Churton,
however, unlike her sex, was remark
bly, reticent, l could only get the short
est remarks from her. She seemed
very much astonished and rather dis
pleased when DR. Ramsey returned
with his assistant. He explained to
her that though there was no chance of
saving his patients life, yet his last
moments might be alleviated by skilled
attendance; and, therefore, rs he could
not himself stay all night, he had
brought his assistant for the pu pose.
In ones experience in mankind we
find that it is impossible to be some
times too clever. Mrs. Hannah Chul-
ton was very clever but she committed
two great mistakes. The first was in
consulting a lawyer. The will drawn
by her-for so it really had been
might have been upset on the ground
of undue influence. l say, ''might
have been," for there is nothing so
hard to prove as undue influence.
The great point against her was the
outsting of child in favor of stran-
ger.
Mistake number two was as follows:
The doctor had gone up stairs to in
stall his assistant, leaving me standing
in the hall with the housekeeper.
Fumbling in her pocket, She pulled out
roll of back notes; thrusting these in
to my hands, she told me that it was
her masters wish that | should take
them for my trouble. | unrolled them
and found two for ten and one for five
pounds. Twenty-Five pounds!
A long legal experience had taught
me that in dealings with doubtful peo--
pie ones safety lies in having a good
witness. | waited till the doctor came
down stairs, occupying myself by en-
tering the numbers of the notes in my
pocket-book.
Look. Doctor" L cried as he APP
peared, showing him the notes. 'Mr.
Bramlelgh is a liberal paymaster."
Turning to Mrs. Churton, said: ''This
will amply repay me"
Retaining the note Cor five pounds, L
returned her the other two. She took
them from me without saying a word,
but black look came over her face.
| think she began to suspect me. !
got home very late that night. The
capon was more than done, and so was
| the oyster sauce!
Mr.. Bramleigh died the next morn
ing at ten o'clock. Soon after | had
left he became unconscious, in which
state he remained until shortly before
death, wi en- there was rally. Open
ing his eyes with al eager look, as if
he missed something, he threw one
arm outside the covering, and crying,
d" Magdalen, Magdalenl" he obeyed the
summons which babe him to his assize
yea, in that dread court where " Not
proven" is unknown. Guilty or not
guilty? Who shall say?
The funeral took place on the Satur-
day, but an engagement prevented me
from following. Mrs. Churton had
written. requesting that | would at
tend with the will, which still remained
in my possession with the one drawn by
| her.
l arrived at the house little after
one O'Clock, and was at once taken into
the dlning-room, where found DR..
Ramsey, Mr. Robson Ia brother practi-
| tjOnerl. and a handsome Young fellow,