Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-07-19

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her; but but be has his fathers spirit
and his ways TO the very bone.'
Il am glad you have awakened 10 the
truth, said.
You should have advised me better.
be retorted, querously.
should l, Jack?'
No. no; you did Dick. I've only
found out what an old fool | am, my
dear boy. We have quarreled terribly,
that boy and I, for 1 have found him
out, in spite of his smooth tongue. He's
SCAMP, a villain, a gambler, and in
debt terribly. He has half killed me,
Dick, and
tore at the bell, as the poor old fell
low seemed about 10 have a lit, for the
terrible emotion he had suffered at
what must have been the roofing up OF
his most cherished belief IN his sisters
child, had proved, IN bis weak state, to
be more than be could bear.
The doctor was sent for, and at the
end of an hour John Hendricks was so
lar recovered that he whispered my
name, and l, sitting down beside him,
heard him IN a whisper say:
Draw up my will quickly. A just
one.'
Il don't think he will ever recover
sufficiently to sign, said the doctor.
He has deferred it too late, Mr..
Bro ND.'
The doctor was right, for my poor
old friend never recovered his senses,
but quietly breathed his last few hou RS
later.
suppose it vas from a feeling OF im-
portance perhaps more from an unwill'
,ngness 10 wound poor Sam Hemsley
and his young wife by letting them hear
the unjust will, that did not hurry my
selfto produce it, though l don't think
they anticipated much. But all at once
TO my utter astonishment, Philip rose,
coughed to clear his husky voice, and
said, quieDtly
Il presume YOU all know how much
I have of late been 10 my uncle's con-
fidence, so you will not be surprise d
that, as l was by bis wish solicitor
he should have Entrusted to me the
making of his will
lam a man Of the world, but for the
moment was knocked off my balance.
Then l was about 10 exclaim, as saw,
him bring forth the document. why
you scoundrel, you have forged Will y
Fortunately for Sam, recovered
myself and sat with my old friends
genuine will buttoned up beneath my
coat, while, with The calmest audaclty,
the rascal read out the document that,
as a lawyer. he had cleyerly forged.
| saw it all now. He had asked me
If | had his uucle's will, and had said
no. lie must have searched the old
mans papers and found none, and feel
inc safe Philip had forged a will in bis
own favor. and cleverly, 100, making
one about which there could be no as
puie for he provided egacies 10 friends
and tie residue, which proved 10 be
over 100000, in equal moieties to his
two ne epnews, Samuel and Philip Hem
sley.
[ sat and laughed to myself as
heard him read this piece OF forgery,
which was all IN due form, clever from
the mans cunning in conlenting hlm-
self with talf, knowing that If the vii.
were otherwise 1t might have been dis
puted. when now it would be taken as
perfection and there at the time,
sat with the genuine will III my breast,
from which he was cutting himself by
this act. while l rejoiced to think how
the villain was being forced, as it were
by fate, 10 do justice 10 his brother
Sam.
What would you have done-given
the scoundrel iu;o custody as a iorger,
made a terrible upset, and caused DO
end of trouble about The properly :
perh,ps YOU would. did not, Tor
went home, after satisfying myself tina
the false will was in due form, aud des'
troyed the real one.
Yes. L know what you will say-that
it was ielonious act, aud that l ough'
to have been struck OF the rolls. Fer
haps oug ght 10 have been, hut pon-
dered On the lacl that, instead oil the
whole 100000 going TO villain who
would stoop to forge, half Of it went TO
n truly deserving man, so left The
punishment 10 higher power ihah
that of man, and kept my secret, when
is a sc crct still, for | have only given
fict iiious names.