The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-06-14

bright blue color. "Another of my
whims, John. had my memorandum
book made of an unusual color, that It
might be more easily traced, If lost and
now, he continued, placing the book
beside the papers, my memoranda are
all In order, and only ask your atten-
tion.'
j daresay you have heard your father
speak of Mr.. Brierly-though perhaps
not, as l now remember he must have
died when you were quite child. How
ever, your father knew him well, and |
also knew him, but not very intimately,
although 1 have at different times trans
acted business for him. He knew little
about such matters himself, and always
left everything connected with his prop
erty in the hands of an agent-not that
l ever acted as such, my connection
with him being casual. He was possess
ed of little landed property; but the
bulk of his money was invested in stock
of different kinds. He dabbled, how
ever, very little in the share-market; for
though his man of business was willing
enough TO speculate, yet old Mr.. Briefly
said that he had enough and to spare;
and whenever he knew his money was
safely invested, then he let it stay; so
that his agent had little to do, and his
pickings were proportionately small.
"Little or nothing was known of Mr..
Briefly before he came to settle near
Hanwell, where he bought himself a
pretty place, and lived in strict retire
ment with his only daughter and sole
companion, child about eleven years
old Different stories were of course in
circulation as to who he was and where
he came from. Some hinted at desert
ed wife; others, that he was a widower.
The latter have reason to believe was
correct. But as far as he was concerned
he never satisfied the curiosity of his
neighbors, but lived quietly on, having
apparently no thought or pleasure be-
yond his child. AS l told you, he was
nothing of a business man; and like
many such, he placed entire trust in his
agent, or more correctly agents for the
management of his estate was confided
to the hands of Dibden, Knollys q Dib-
den solicitors and conveyancers of Bell
yard, Doctors Commons. The firm
used to be Dibden & Knollys, until Dib-
denis only son Stephen Joined it, when
his name was added shortly after which
event Knollys died; but the name was
retained by the firm; so that at the time
l speak of the whole business belonged
to the two Dibdens, father and son.
Why Mr. Briefly should ever have Sc
lected such agents, or how he met them,
l never found out; but he placed in
them the most implicit confidence, and
used constantly to send for the elder
Dibden to his house, especially during
the last two years before his death when
his health was failing, and he disliked
the trouble and fatigue of going up
to town.
Whether it was Dibden's cleverness
AS a man of business that he was taken
with or whether he was managed by
cunning, know not, but he certainly
let him obtain a great deal of influence
over him and at his death, which took
place when his child was only fifteen
years of age, his will directed that she
should be under the guardianship of
Dibden; who, during her minority, or
as long as she remained with him, was
to receive five hundred pounds year
for his charge. 1t, moreover, directed
that she was not to marry before she
was legally of age, and then only with
Dibden's consent, until after her
twenty-fifth birthday, when she was
free to do as she liked. The curious part
OF the willard it evidently shows that
whatever influence Dibden eXerted over
the old man was not sufficient to attach
a permanent penalty on his child if she
disobeyed' his wishes-was that, in the
event of her not complying with the
terms of the will, she should have only
an allowance of five hundred pounds a
year during her life but that the proper
ty should be settled on her children, to
be enjoyed by them after her death. -
Hard as this arrangement was for a
loved and only child, to be excluded
from being mistress of her property for
four years after she became of age, un-
less she married with her guardians
consent in the meantime, L am certain
myself that ii would have been harder
if Dibden could have managed it; but
he was evidently not able to convince
the father that after twenty-five years
of age a woman's fortune might not be
safely left to her own discretion. Every-