Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-06-24
So it proved. and the lawyer lookd dis

So it proved. and the lawyer lookd dis
appointed.
You can not remember the day of his
death % he said. Il mean the date Off ;"
- lie died long before / was born"
said Hannah. land though rich. lett NJ tn
ing to grandfather. They had quarrelled.
I believe She told odd stories Of him.
Tie mast have been very eccentric. and a
servant or housekeeper had great influ-
ence over him, she had the property.
think. AIarServ-Margery-"
.'Margery WILDER, think" said the
lawyer
Yes" said Hannah. Il remembernOw.
You are quiet people, not likely to
talk too much,'i said the lawyer. 81 will
tell you something. We have found
will among the effects Of a legal gentle
man who died very suddely in hit OF APP
poplexy. Don't hope too much. mind
4 will in your favor-that is. now in your
favor. as your fathers only child
Hannah cIutched her husbands hand
1T is wGeten by one on his death bed.
dated the 10Th Of March. IL, and leaves
all his property to your father. his grand
son, then boy. Hush. don't hope too
much. Margery WILDER or her heirs now
hold this property under will dated
March 10, IL .
"A later will, said Oliver Then. of
course. they ar" the righttul possessors,
What need of all this the latest will
must stand
Oliver laughed. the bitter laugh Of care
and disappointment.
..Who can prove that ~ he said
NO one, perhaps. Yet the record OF
the old mans death might.
,y,.,, ba nd sinf.aH a ill
on the 10Th Of March would scarcely make
another on the 18th. We believe the will
Eryery. written on old parchment. since
The discovery of the one have spoken Of
Maroery WiIber took possession with TO
legal forms. tor no one appeared to con-
test her title Where was your great
grandfather buried ?''
Here" said Hannah They say he
was brought down at his reguest-Mrs.
WILDER as chief mourner. and his son
grand -father-not even sent for. An old
graveyard somewhere. Oh, Oliver. Oil
ver.'
She turned quite white. and uttered
cry.
..Oliver, that must be the graveyard
on Gray's place that he dug last winter in
the warm spell"
Then it is gone. said Oliver. And
our last hope with it." No. gentlemen,
good luck could never come to Us. Pow
erty means to cling TO us to the last. l
wish you better clients
OLIVER. Oiver.'' gasped Hannah
Gneldt, tell me one thing. Zebulon was
great grandfather name. Zebulon is
spelled with II Il, isn'tit? Oh, do speak,
IL think you are going mad Hannah
of course it is"
Oh, the big Il. remember it so well
knew it was Il; and it would have been
broken to pieces before now. Oliver, don't
YOU remember my doorstep that you were
SO mad at? | believe it is my poor old
great grandfather tombstone. And l
not to know it, when ! stared at the
great ~
Oliver Gnedt said nothing. lie feared
his wife's brain was turned. and that made
him faint and cold Us he followed her into
the garden and there watched while the
three others lifted ut the flat slab.
1t Law before them on the green spring
grass. black letters on its whiteness, and.
bending over it, they read aloud.
"Zebulon Burns. Born May. Died
March IA, Ii" with eulogistic verses,
with long s. underneath. Us in duty bound.
ITS poor greatgrand- father" said
Hannah. And the lawyer extended his
hands grasp ~ those of Oliver and his
wife
The proof i found he said. The
latest will is IL forgery, for it is dated
the day after the old mans death. Mrs.
Gnedt is heiress TO Il large property. l
congratulate YOU"
And Hannah, with her head on her hus-
bands shoulder, whispered. "Olver. it
wouldn't have been better to have married
Miss Lester after all ~