Arizona weekly enterprise., 1882-04-08
A bAD LOT.

On June morning in the year 1875, Mai. Cyril Palmer and his friend, Amos Maxwell, sat in the bay window of the formers country house, discussing certain weighty and private family af fair.
 The Major-or rather ex-Major, for he retired from the army after serving in the late war-was a man of 40, bronzed, wrinkled, triie gray, stern featured and leaden-eyed Though quite wealthy, he affected @ disorderly pow erty of dress, and indulged in those habits of cheap dissipation which mark the decadence of so many sciops of old and influential country families.
 Maxwell-a small attorney, of political aspirations--was q very different man in outward se1nblance to the ex-officer, though their characters were quite simi- lar. In place of the Major's brown and toughened face, ornamented with a coarse nose, a thick bristiy mustache and those side whiskers which define the lower line of the inferior maxillary bone, the lawyer presented pale, sharp countenance, smoothly shaven, and al most devoid of character The habits which had left the Majors cheeks and nose empurpled by tiny veins, which re- mained injected with blood, had in creased the pallor cf the attorneys face and made 1t more striking by sundry black specks and pimples, which were horribly suggestive of modification. In place of the Majors bull neck and TO- tund chest, his friend exhibited throat like that of a turtle, and cayernous thoracic region. Their dress, too, was almost at opposite extremes. The off cer sported his clothes, and the lawyer was merely covered ny his. The former wore a dark-blue frogged frock coat, gray pantaloons, @ small glazed cap with gilt buttons, and carried a heavy malacca cane; while the latter wore q conventional suit of rusty black, and a silk hat, half covered with bombazine in lieu of clape.
 eff I had the whole properly" re- marked the Major, "I could live very comfortably. It is not enough for two, however; and the sooner can get Liz married off the better"
 "But she won't marry against the pro visions of your excellent fathers will, replied Maxwell You can't make hel marry young Davis unless she wants to. If I understand 1t, she is to marry the one you approve of, or lose her half o. the estate.
 "Yes."
 "Well, the chances are-vouIl excuse me-the chances are that sine will out. live you twenty years. If you die, tn, whole goes to her, don't it?"
 "Yes."
 "Then what are you going to do abou it? l don't see how you can gain any thing by her marrying"
 ''I can't, unless I make her mar. somebody 1 disapprove of.
 ''She isn't fool. She won't marry for love in cottage, and lose erproper- ty by it."
 Mai. Palmer was forced to confess that he didn't think it likely. No one who had ever seen the cold, still, dispassion ate. totally selfish beauty of Elizabeth Palmer could have suspected her of any such weakness.
 "I know" said the Major, "that she would give her right hand to marry Bill Davis, but -"
 "But she wouldn't give $50, ,OO0."
 "No; she's fond of him-very fond of him-but sine has sense with it and, what Is worse, thinks that she will only have to wait couple of years to see me turn my toes up; then she'll marry whom she likes, and have the whole pile to herself. Can't get ahead of these women. There isn't any such thing il the book"
 Notunless you come to life after she marries, and object to her choice. '
 By love Amos, I believe you hit it. Can't I fix that ?"
 "What do you mean ?"
 "Go off and leave will get some fellow to swear Pm dead let her marry Davis, and then turn up unexpectedly and raise thunder with the whole thingi"
 "Too risky. It might pay to let or that you are dying, and trust to luck fol her to anticipate your death. Yor might lie unconscious-non compos mentis, or something of that sort-for { few weeks, and be unable to say any thing about the marriage. Then, jus before the ceremony, you can get vel enough to express an opinion against it and, by virtue of your guardianship claim that she has forfeited all right tc the estate She needn't hear of it though, till the knot is tied.
 "Can thaS be put through legally ?"
 Yes, by the aid of little money r
 "It will be worth five thousand dollar to you if you can do it. D
 "I can try it, anyhow
 "Amos, you're trump! You and were always good friends, even when used to lick you at school and we otgh