Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-07-01
The Forged Will.

It was my first visit to London since
I had taken up my abode and entered
on the practice of my profession as
solicitor of southampton.
In London / had very dear friend,
my college chum, George Dickson,
and of course lost no time in looking
him up.
Three years had passed since our last
meeting, but ten could have scarcely
produced change more marked than
had taken place i'll the appearance and
manner of my friend.
Our first greeting over, I longed to
ask the cause of my friends meisn.
choly. 1 felt sure. in due time. of
being made the confidant of the secret,
provided no motive of delicacy prompt
ed its aoncealment.
That evening George told me his
story. He had formed an attachment
for young lady, whose graces of mind
and person he portrayed with all a
lovers eloquence. She had returned
his fiction, but her fathe. had op-
poseG i nit, having set his heart on
tie maI.,svn of his daughter 10 a
nephew O. is
THIS nep..t" vas young surgeon OF
profigate cLaiacter, NY friend assured
me-but that n.y have been prejudice
who had Ion. wooed his cousin, to
whcm bis offers were as repugnaut as
to her father they we're acceptable.
Some months since, MIR. Parsons, the
young lady's father had gone into
Hampshire on business, accompanied
by his nephew. At Southampton he
had been seized with sudden illness,
which terminated fatally iu three
days.
On the day preceding his death he
had executed will containing solemn
request that his daughter, to whom he
left the whole of his estate, should ac-
cept the hand OF his nephew in mar
riags, coupled with the provision that
in case she refused within a specified
period to enter into the proposed union
the whole estate should be forfeited to
the nephew.
To sacrifice her fortune to her hearts
choice would not have cost Julia Par
sons moments hesitation. But her
father's dying request, in Julias eyes.
was sacred. It had surprised and
stunned her, it is true. for in their con-
terence on the subject he had never
gone beyond the most kindly remon-
strxnces, and had never binted at any
thing like coercion.
Young Parsons, the nephew, had not
the msgnanimity to forego his ungen-
erous advantage. He might have been
content with his cousins fortune alone,
but his right to that depended On his
of[er and her rejection of an alliance
which she felt in conscience bound to
accept. The brief season of grace
which she bad been compelled to beg
even with tears, had already almost
Passed, and o few more days would
witness the condemnation Of two lives
to hopeless misery.
At the conclusion Of my friends mar
fative, in which. for reasons that may
hereafter be developed, felt peculiar
interest, l prevailed on him to accom-
lsny Inc to place Of amusement.
When we reached the theater the
perfor nance had already begun, but
We succeeded in finding seat which
commanded fine view of both the
stage and the audience.
In few minutes George touched my
elbow.
Observe the gentleman nearly op-
posite. in the front row, seated next to
the column" he whispered.
looked in the direction indicated,
and saw face whose striking resem-
Dlance to one had seen before caused
me to start with surprise.
Who is it asked.
".Etheridge Pareons." was the reply.
The nephew?"
"Yee."
Does he resemble his uncle?" l
Vas on the point of inquiring, but then
'ae stranger drew the glove from the