The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1885-07-17

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himself, conveying this very property In fee, for
the expressed consideration Of thirty Thousand
dollars. little more than half its value. The
deed was dated and acknowledged more than
three months before IT was offered for record.
1t was acknowledged before M 'Kissen, VINO was
one Of the subscribing witnesses, the other name
being that Of 10 Davis, sort OF hanger.on OF
M'Kissen, who had been drowned about -FOUR
weeks before by the upsetting OF boat IN the
river. happened to be In the county clerks
Office when Cuyp brought in the document.
was at deed book, engaged In search, and,
after Cuyp had gone out, Parsons, the county
clerk. spoke to me about 1t, saying 1t was bad
business, as it left Miss Trescott without any
thing. took the deed from him, and looked 1t
over. There could be no doubt about Trescotts
signature, a bold one, with which was famil-
lar. But wondered what Trescott had done
with all that money, and said 50. We talked
the matter over, and at length concluded that
that he must have gained 1t away.
The next day met Miss 1rescott in the
street and she accosted me.
aMr Bonsall," she said, ~ was about to send
for you. Mr. Grover, you know, was papas
lawyer. He is out OF town, and viii not re-
turn for several weeks. ! must have counsel.
the Four Section Purchase"
"Have you seen the deed itself, Miss Tres
colt p
and Mr. Parsons was kind enough to let me ex-
anime It, 1t has papas signature-or sucn o
| forgery of it as is impossible to detect; but
there is some fraud about 1t. Papa told me, on
his DEATH bed, too, that there was nothing on
the property; it was free and 1t was mine;
And he left 1t to me by name in his will, and
bis will not month made. Mr. Cuyp came to
see me this morning..
"What did he say?"
ooh, he assumed kindness; said he was sor-
| ry and not disposed to Cypress me, and was
! quite willing l should remain on the place
| wear without rent. That looks suspicious, Tor
| It is not like him. What am to say :"
"sdy nothing at present. Do you wish me
| to act for you?"
"Well, then, if Mr. Cuyp speaks to You again
send him to me. Do nothing, as well as say
| nothing, meanwhile without my advice. l
shall look into the affair at once. Has your IA
ther-I have reason for asking-left much
ready money!"
"No, sir; only q little over nine hundred dol.
| lars. That is what strikes me as singular. HE
| had no thirty thousand dollars this year, am
confident II is terrible, this thing.
"Don't distress yourself, pray. You are IN
possession, at all events. Excuse me, but 1t Is
| Just possible that your father may have BEEN
that is, they may have got him to sign when ne
was not quite himself"
ooh, no, Mr. Bonsall Papa sometimes was
| little overtaken by wine after dinner; but then
his writing would have shown that. That sig
nature was made-if he did make it-when ne
was perfectly SOBER"
II agree with you there. Miss Trescott; but
do not say so to any one else. Ii any one sug.
gests that he was intoxicated when he signed
r. bo rf;o lor RI n n dOuht In fact.
say nothing at all on the subject. Refer all to
me-"
Every good, SIR; I shall obey your dirsc-
TONS"
We then parted. could not see my way
very clear in the case, but it was worth fight
ing. Still thinning upon it, walked over to
the postoffice, which was kept in one OF the
village shops or country store, to get my letters
and papers. The shop keeper, Peter Brown,
was alone, his clerk being at dinner. He hand
ed me a letter. which / read, and then began to
chat with him. There was paper covered
book, used for making charges, loose blotter,
lying on the counter. Mechanically opened
and Shut it, when the paper in it attracted my
attention.
"May ask where you got this book 7" In
quired.
ooh that is of my own malse!" he said, and
then told me how he acquired the paper.
opened the book again, and turned to the
last page.
zone less than quire."
"You noticed that ;" be replied, smiling. ~
can tell you how that occurred" And he did.
When he had concluded said: Brown, you
can do me favor. You have no particular
friendship for Ben Cuyp. have you ??
"Cuyp, the old hunks No; why !"
flee and get Parsons to let you look at the Tres
colt deed for the -Four Section Purchase.
know you're not leaky vessel and can keep a
thing to yourself. Now, no matter what may
strike you when you examine that deed-and
something will strike you-say nothing about
it to Parsons or to any one, but come over to-
my once as soon as You are through.
II don't see what you're after, but I'll do it
as soon as Bill comes from his dinner"
went over to nv office, and sat there wait
ing for Brown, who came in after half hour.
The moment he saw me he whistled. Then we
had long conference. The res lit OF it was
that made up my mind to file bill on the
equity side of the COURT to set aside the con-
veyance. l said nothing about this to Miss
Trescott, though told her l had great hopes
that the deed would not stand. A day or so
afterward. just as was getting my case in
shape, Cuyp called on her again. She was In
cautious enough to say that the deed was fraud
ulent, and she would fight it; and Ben went
off very angry. Cuyp felt that he had a
strong case, and took the bull by the horns.
Miss Trescott was served with notice OF
ejectment. ~
Two weeks, or threresbouts after the begin
ming of the proceedings, Moses M kissen
stepped into my office, and asked me il /
would lend him my copy OF blood on Execu-
tors" for day or. SO. let him have it.
was satisfied, however, that he had come for
quite another purpose. So ] asked him to
take smoke, and furnished him with pipe
and a chair, and waited for him to open his
batteries. He soon came to the point.
"Miss Prescott has retained you, 1 see, in
that ejectment case"
al don't see what she has to stand on. The
deed is all right and cant be got over. l
know the whole transaction"
81 think the deed can be set aside," said.
81 should like to know on what ground
But that's your secret"
81 don't know, M'Kissep, what secret there
Is in it. You have enough knowledge of law
to be aware that deed executed by man I'M
der the influence of liquor is worthless. A
drunken man is not competent to make a con-
veyance."
aPooh pooh When Trescott wrote his
name he was as sober as you and are now,
and ! know it. l was present and saw him
write it,
"What il we should be able to prove that
he was stupidity drunk all day on the date of
the deed"
1--WE can prove by dozen good witnesses
that he was not"
eve" responded. so You ara party
in interest !"
"Nothing Of the kind. But do so much
business for Cuyp that get In the habit OF
mixing up his affairs with mine. 1t is no mat
ter to me whether you get the better of Cuyp
or not; only. so far as the deed goes, that's all
right"
hWel, you and won't quarrel about other
peoples rights and wrongs, Mac, I've said
now more than a lawyer should. But don't
run away with the notion that you have the
ground Of our defense. That's the last thing
I'd tell Vol. No doubt You'll be able to nrnye