Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-03-02
THE MILLER'S WILL.


ness consider him a dry. cautious
man. lar more disposed to question
'ii''li answer or pass an opinion: but.
at his own home. where l see him at
times, he is very different. If on a
quiet evening there are only a COM
Portable pair. or, at most. a trio of
Trends present, Mauhy unbends. and
at once becomes the most genial and
frank Of hosts. He can tell many
stories of his curious experiences and
difficult cases.
About the neatest and most Gu
rious case Of fraud l ever handled.
he said. was that in connection with
a testy old client of mine. a miller
by trade. He had made a deal of
money. and didn't know what to do
with it. The mans name was Stokes
Matthew >tokes.
One day he called upon me. and
said he wanted to ask nv opinion
upon some matter. but | soon found
he had made up his mind what to do.
and the asking my opinion was only
his way Of getting me to carry out
his ideas. He went into his story
with great energy and bitterness. He
was worth thousands. he said-that |
kneW-all securely invested. and his
only heir was his daughter. all only
child. who had aggravated him lv
eloping and marrying one of his
clerks. named Morley. The clerk
was one Of those gnod-loobing whip
pcr-SnapperS- the old man said. with
passion. Never could see ANYTHING
III him hut inpudence and talk-a
KIND Of cleverness that would have
helped TO make a good >howman-hut
she thought he was heavenly: and
after they got to love each other. a~
he said, if his iInpudencc didn't write
TO me- asking me to give him my
daughter in marriage | gave him
hi notice at once. and a fortnight :
wages. hut that didn't cure the silly
girl. She took to moping and mel
ancholy.
One day l found that She had
cl0ped. and the next lie sent me word
that they were married. | felt it av-
fully. l tell YOU. and could have killed
him if I'd met him that day. and her
too, almost. They re miserably poor,
that one comfort. though he's in q
place and does copying at night. and
they'vc some children and lots of
trouble: 30 | ought to he happy if |
aint. But here's the danger. I'm
! getting Old, and my doctor SAYS |
might be taken off suddenly. 50 /
want You TO make my will, strong and
firm as YOU can make il. doing hel
ont Of the least chance Of getting my
mOney-cutting her off with a shilling.
a. it Is called
Seeing you have no other rela.
tions for whom YOU care. do / under,
! stand YOU wish the money left tc
charitics:' | said, not liking nv tasb
: over well. for / had no doubt that. il
i the poor daughter had been there
she would have given quite a differ.
: ent look to the love story.
To charity. No, hang charity.
. he cried, with a snort. 1 want it al
given to Henry Gunson, a cousin 0.
mine in the city. 1 don't care a two
E pence for him, and know little abou
: him. but he once did Inc a kindness
It's all the same to me who gets tn,
money, SO as they don't get it. See:
Il did see perfectly, but | though
:; l would try to alter his determination
! for if any one thing displeases III
: more than another it is to he th'
h means Of carrying disscnsion and ha
r tired beyond the grave. Could h,
I. not. instead Of trying to crush tn
= Young man who had married hi
o daughter, try to lift him up: From
;. his own account it appeared that h
, was 4 hardworking, di1ligent fellow
>! toiling hard for his wife and children
{, What more could a father wish for
ie son-in-Iaw: In q word. | tried +
; pour oil upon the waters: but I nigh
iT iy as well have poured it upon fire. Th
t. fury Of the old man increased. ant
+ was even turned upon lie when
al pointed out that in commercial Gil
r. cles the cousin, Henry Gunson, o
Re re whom he had spoken, was locke
upon with strong suspicion. owing t
9, an ugly bankruptcy case with whic
d: / had to do.
;. L tell you it's all the same to III
D, who gets it, he persisted. It's moth
ing to me whether the mans good 0
= bad. Disobedience in children mus
/ be punished, and l can't do bette
than enrich my own cousin
he Finding him so firmly resolved,
promised to have draft of his wi
ar ar prepared. and send it to him for pt
rusal by my confidential clerk, whic
: was done the following week. Th
ry will being read to him, was approved
H. and as soon as a fair copy had bee
r, made he came to my office and signe
" it. The witnesses were clerks of N
own. When signed, was about
place it with other papers connecte
with his business, but the old ma
S snappishly told me that he meant
keep that himself, and accordingly
was handed to him.