The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-05-17

lou nave, perhaps, a record ol
family events-your own birth, your
parents marriage, your grandfather.
death?n
Hannah Gneldt wonderingly re
Piled
II have mothers Bible, and they
tell me it's all there"
How far back p
ITO grandfather's birth, / believe
Grandfather Burns. He had one
child; and l am the only one nv
parents ever had. Oliver set down
our wedding day and our two boys
birthdays"
"And your great-grandfather-the
record ofhis death is there?"
II don't know you may see
Wait, I'll call my husband"
Going to the door. Hannah took
down a horn, used for that purpose
and uttered call, which brought
Oliver Gneldt home from the field al
once.
He also felt alarmed, but expla-
nations quieted him. Almost as
much astonished as his wife, he
brought out the bible"
"The death of my wife's great.
grandfather, Zebulon Burns, is no,
here" he said. "The first record is
in his hand, / believe. 1t is the
birth of his eldest child"
So it proved, and the lawyer look.
ed disappointed.
''You cannot remember the day
of his death ?" he said. II mean
the date of it."
''lIe died long before l was born,
said Hannah, ''and though rich, left
nothing to grandfather. They had
quarreled, / believe. He told odd
stories of him. He must have been
very eccentric. and a servant OIL
housekeeper had great influence
over him; she had the property
Margery-Ma -Margery-Margery-,"
"Margery WILDER, 1 think" said
the lawyer.
"Yes," said Hannah. II remem-
Der now
"You are quiet people, not likely
to talk too much, said the lawyer.
Il will tell you something. We
have found something. We have
found will among the effects of q
legal gentleman who died very sud
denly in fit of apoplexy. DOM
hope too much, mind. A will in
your favor, as your fathers only
child" Hannah clutched her hus-
bands hand at was written by one
on his death-bed, dated the 10th o.
March, IL, and leaves all his prop
erty to your father, his grandson
then boy. Hush. don't hope toe
much. Margery WILDER or hel
heirs now hold this property undel
will dated March 18th, r."
"A later will. said Oliver. "Ther
of course they are the rightful pos
SCISSORS. What need of all this? the
latest must stand"
"Not if it is forgery" said the
lawyer.
Oliver laughed, the bitter laugh
of care and disappointment.
"Who can prove that" he said.
No one. Yet the record of his
death might. "a man whose dying
hand signed a will the 10th of March
would scarcely make another on thu
18th. We believe the will forgery
written on old parchment since tht
discovery of the one l have spoker
of. Margery WILDER took possession
with legal forms, for no one appear
ed to test her title. Where wa'
your great-grandfather buried?"
Here" said Hannah. "They say
he was brought down 1T his reques
Mrs. WILDER as chief mourner
and his son-grandfather-not ever
sent for. An old graveyard some
where. o Oliver! Oliver!" She turn
ed quite white, and uttered cry
"Oliver, that must be the graveyard
on Gray's place that he dug ovel
last winter in the warm spell"
''Then it is gone," said Oliver
Sand our last hope with it. No
gentleman, good luck could nevel
come to us. Poverty means to clint
| to us to the last. 1 wish You hae
better clients"
4Oliver! O,iyer!" gasped Hannah
Gneldt, 'tell me one thing. Zebu
lon was my greatgrandfather's name
Zebulon is spelled with aZ,isn't it
Oh, do speak"
"Ithink you are going mad, Han
nah; of course it is"
"Oh, the big 2, l remember it SC
well, and know it was u, and il
would have been broken to pieces
before now. Oliver, don't you re.
member my doorstep that you were
SO angry at? believe it is my pool
old great.grandfather's tombstone
And not to know it when | started
at the great ""
Oliver Gneldt said nothing. He
feared his wife's brain was turned,
and that made him faint and cold
as he followed her into the garden
and there watched while the three
others lifted at the fiat slab.
1t lay before them on the green,
spring grass, black letters on the
whiteness, and, bending over it,
read aloud
"Zebulon Burns. Born May
Died March IA, IT," With eulogis
tic verses, with long SIS underneath,
as in duty bound.
sIt's poor great-grandfathers, said
Hannah.
The lawyer extended his hands
erasping those of Oliver and his
wife.
sThe proof is found" he said
"The latest will is dated the day
after the old mans death. Mrs Gneldl
is heiress to large property. Icon
gratulate you.
And Hannah, with her head on
her husbands shoulder, whisper
ed,-
''Oiiver, it wouldn't have beer
better to have married Miss Lester
after all"
Mr.. 8. H. Joseph, Agent Emer
sons Minstrels, remarks / can