Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-11-13
...Yon are Mrs. Hannah Gneldt, Oil

it is more trouble for poor Oliver"
"Reassure yourself, madam" said
the gentleman; treasure yourself,
madam. Your husband is not con.
cerned, save through you, and that, l
hope, pleasantly. Your name was Burns
before you were married."
Eyes. sir, Hannah Burns"
"Do you remember dates wellg"
"No. sir"
"You have, perhaps, a record of FAM
lily e~vents-your own birth. your par
ents' marriage, your grandfather's
deathp"
Hannah Gneldt wonderingly replied:
81 have mothers Bible, and they tell
me it's all there"
GLOW far backg".
ITO grandfathcr's birth, 1 believe
Grandfather Burns. He had only one
child; and | am the only one my par
ents ever had. Oliver set down u
wedding day and u two boys birth
days."
'And your grcat-grandfather-the
record of his death is there?"
81 don't know; you may see. Wait,
I'll call my husband"
Going to the door, Hannah took
down II horn, used for that purpose,
and uttered Il call, which brought
Oliver Gneldt home from the field at
once.
He also felt alarmed, but explana-
tions quieted him. Almost as aston
ished as his wife, he brought out the
Bible.
1.-The death of my wife's great-grand-
father, Zebulon Burns, is not here, - he
said. 'Thc first record is in his hand,
l believe. 1t is the birth of his eldest
child"
So it proved, and the lawyer looked
disappointed.
'You can not remember the day of
his dcath?" he said. 81 mean the date
of it."
"He, died long before l was born"
said Hannah, "and, though rich, left
nothing to grandfather. They had
quaryelled, l believe. He told odd
stories of him. He must have been
very eccentric, and a servant or house,
keeper had great influence over him !;
she had the property, Margery-
Margery-'
"Margery WILDER, 1 think" said the
lawyer,
"Yes,' said Hannah, Il remember
now"
"You are quiet people, not likely TO
talk too much" said the lawyer. .l
will tell you something. We have found
something. We found a will the
effects OF a legal gentleman who died
very suddenly in a tit OF apoplexy.
Don't hope too much, mind. A will il
your favor. as your fathers only child.'
Hannah clutchcd her husbands hand.
''lt was written on his dcath-bed, dated
the 10th of March, IL, and leaves al!
his property to your father, his grand
son, then a boy. Hush! don't hope too
much. Margery Wilbur or her heirs
now hold this property under 6 wiz
dated March Is, IL"
ga later will," said Oliver. Then,
of course, they are the rightful posses.
sors. What need of all this? the latest
must stand"
"Not if it is a forgery" said the
lawyer.
Oliver laughed, the bitter laugh O.
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 the 18th. We
believe the will a forgery, written ON
old parchment since the discovery. of
the n | have spoken of. Margery
WILDER took possession with legal forms,
for no one appeared to test her title.
Where was your great-grandfather
buried:?"
"Here," said Hannah. ..They say he
was brought down at his request-Mrs.
WILDER as chief mourner, and his SON.
grandfather--not even sent for. An
old graveyard somewhere. Oh Oliver!
Oliver She turned quite white, and
uttered a cry. "Oliver, that must be
the graveyard on Gray's place that he
dug over last winter in the warm
spell"
",Then it is gone" said Oliver. .tAnd
u last hope with it. No, gentlemen,
good luck could never come to us.
Poverty means to cling to us to the last.
I wish you had better clients"
"Oliver! Oliver" gasped Hannah
Gncldt, .:tell me one thing. Zebulon
was my great-grand-father's name.
Zebulon is spelled with y Z, isn't it?
Oh, do speak,"
81 think you II going mad, Han
nah; of course it is"
"Oh, the big u, [ remember it so we'll
and know it was z; and it would have
been broken to pieces before now.
Oliver, don't YOU remember my door
step chat you were SO angry att? I do
believe it is my poor old great-grand-
fathers tombstone. And not to know
it when l stared at the great ~!
Oliver Gneldt said nothing. Hefcared
his wifc's brain had 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 flat
slab.
1t lay before them on the green spring
grass, black letters on the whitcness,
and, bending over it, they read aloud:
"Zebulon Burns. Born May -, Died
March "a, IS With eulogistic verses,
with long SIS underneath, as in duty
bound.
"lt's poor great~grandfather' s." said
Hannah.
The lawyer extended his hands,
grasping those of Oliver and his wife.
s.1'hp nrOOf is foun0t:' he said s'rhe