The Arkansaw traveler., 1882-10-29
OLD poPPLEWELL s WILL


 |. wi.s zzGe..; shock ;o ;he feei3ns, oi ..r Popplcwell 10 discover that tt~ia,he' d bequeathed legacy oi ,.oo9I 70 hls .ousekeepcr. :. certain Mrs. Drayco,;. he oman had entered ;hc o!d man ser ice only abou; yea beiore his death. nd if there had been anything fe''farka- le in her demeanor towards h,m it con .sted rather cf 9eant courtesy and Wan, attention. She had never apparently made ;he i.s,4,est attempt to lngra'.aie aerse.f 8i,h her master who. on h.s part. had always seemed 10 regard his aiten- laant with calm indifference. Bu: Silas ielt doubly aggrieved because his father .ad scrupulousiy concealed from him that ae had made will. leaving him 10 be- eve that he was bound to inherit every hing as neN, of kin and heir-at-law.
 Silas Popplesell came across the will 4ui;s ancxp c.edly wh,ie going through he old mar papers few hours after his .ecease. The document appeared 10 be perfectly legal, and had evidently been prepared by a solicitor, whose name was appended as one of the witnesses to the ,estator's signature. Except the legacy to the housekeeper ii left everything to Silas Poppleweli and appointed him sole executor Considering ,ha, old Joseph hopplewell was reputed 10 be wealthy man most persons In Sllas position would not have suffered the unexpected legacy 10 disturb their equanrmi,y. But Siias iiopplewell was one of those mean. grasp ng, avarcious individuals who eanno, pear the thought of losing an,;hing. He
 l. l. tf,- ally entitled to the whole of his father $ property. and regarded the legacy 10 Mrs. Draycott as fraud upon his just rights. He was. therefore overwhelmed with rage and disappointmen:. and worked himself into a perfect fe,er of sir,uous indignation.
 In the midst of his ,rIbulation ]; sud- denly occurred 10 han that bgi for he sheet of paper which he held n hls hand he would be richer man by e.ooo sterling. This eminen,ly practical slew of the situation aroused his worst pass!ors and he soon found himself wondering what would probably happen Ii Inc will were forthcoming. Supposing. Tor ln- stance. he were 10 leave the document where he found it and say nothing to
 
 hat the ,estator had revoked i,, assuming she had ever been a~are of Us existence. while il was quite possible. considering his late fathers hahltual reiiccnce con corning his affairs. that the woman sus- oected nothing. Ii the wors, happened. and hue and cry were raised. he wi could no, be conveniently found or De:- .er still. who could gainsax hnn If he were 70 declare boldly tha, his father had de liberately destroyed the .il n hls pres ence.
 Such insiduous reflections as these are apt to blunt man ns mo:al per options. especially when he . laboung under A keen sense of injustice. oil-s poppie~ ell 5 standard of morality was not hlg one, and he would any da, sooner have done A shabby trek than loose siSpence The consequence ~as tha, after little hesI,a- ton he yielded to an uncomfortable lm- pulse and consigned the obnoxious ~IlI to the flames
 When the paper vas reduced 10 ashes. Sslas suddenly awoke 10 the fact that he had committed felony and rendered him. selfhAbie to penal ser,itude- He turned deadly pale when he though, of ,his disz-