The Penn's Grove record., 1886-08-28

he a SlSterI-a Mrs. BuTtOnr'
"Nobody knows much about Mr..
fuckers family" said the lawyer, with
a humorous expression. HE has left
them over the pond"
"I wish l had thought to ask him.
said DR.. Wynyard; she must be a
brother Of a lady l once knew. l never
saw such an extraordinary resemblance
in my life-face, voice, eyes, and man.
ner event / could not at FIST think
what made his features appear SO
familiar to me; but I've just remem-
bered whom he reminds me Of"
"Well, we'll ask him, " SAID the law.
yer. 81 will invite him to meet you
here again."
DR.. Wynyard was so very much
struck by the resemblance between Mr.,
Tucker and Mrs. Burton that he al.
most convinced himself that they were
related. The fact of MI. Tucker being
an Englishman naturally gave somt
slight probability to this conjecture,
though the chances were that it was
mere accidental likeness. Nevertheless
DR.. Wynyard felt curious to meet Mr..
Tucker again, and went a second time
to dine with DIR. Weston for the pur-
pose. But Mr.. Tucker at the last mo-
ment had to send an excuse, and so 1t
happened that the doctor sailed for
England without ever seeing him
again.
Oddly enough, DR.. Wynyard was de-
stIned to be reminded of Mrs. Burton
the first thing on his arrival in England
just as she had been brought to his rec
objection the last thing before he had
left for America. On the day he reach
ed home his wife informed him that his
friend Mr.. Seaford, the lawyer, had
been making particular inquiries as to
the date of his return, and that same
evening the lawyer called.
'Sorry to bother you, old fellow, i'm.
mediately upon your return, but some
very queer facts have come tolight con-
corning that Mrs. Burton you intro
duced to me a few years ago" said the
lawyer.
"What is the matterl'' inquired DR..
Wynyard, with natural curiosity.
81 had a visit while you were away
from two brothers of the late Mr.. Bur
ton" said Mr.. Seaford. ''"TAey had
never heard of his death until recently,
and had come up from Nottingham.
They found his will at the probate Of
fee, and, as my name was upon 1t they
came to me-"
"What about?" asked the doctor.
well, in the first place, they dis
puted the signature, " said the lawyer
''but | pointed out that you had wit
messed 1t, and that the signature OF a
sick nan frequently differs from his
ordinary handwriting"
81 saw him sign it," said the doctor
unhesitatingly.
Quite so; but then they took a more
serious objection. They declare their
brother was a widower."
$50 he may have been once, For all
| know, this Mrs. Burton was his sec
ond wife. L dare say she was"
$50 l suggested" said Mr.. Seaford,
''and l produced her marriage certlfl-
cate. which I happened to have among
my papers. 1t vas the certificate she
handed me herself"
"Well?"
swell. the brothers swear that Clara
Newcombe, the person named in the
certificate, and who was married to
their brother in 1876, died in 1879, and
they have since furnished me with a
certificate of her death. Here are both
the certificates. You can inspect
them"
at is singular, certainly" said the
doctor, scrutinIzing the documents,
but you know what women are. She
made a mistake and handed you the
wrong certificate"
''I'm afraid there was ne mistake"
said the lawyer, shaking his head. ut
is a singular coincidence, assuming she
was the second wife, that her name
should be Clara-the same as the first
wife's Christian name"
''It might happen" said DR.. Wyn-
yard, starting, nevertheless.
"Of course, it might; but it looks
much more as though the woman,
whoever she was, had passed herself as
somebody else. l believe the brothers
are right, and that she was not the
testator's wife at ALL" said the lawyer,
gravely.
my dear fellow, 1 saw them daily
for months. l have no doubt that she
was his wife. Why did he call her so
in his will if she wasn't2 He knew well
enough what he was doing when he
signed it, and | read it over to him
lirst," said DR.. Wynyard, quite scorn-
fully.
"That is strange, certainly; but /
can't get over the certificate business,
said the lawyer. 81 wanted to ask
what you really knew about the Bur-
TONS"
"Well, nothing" replied DR.. Wyn-
yard, rather reluctantly. 81 attended
them professionally for six or eight
months, They neither volunteered MOI
did | ask for information about them
selves"
1.-THE brothers seem honest enough
SAID the lawyer, Irregular yokels, but
they declare they have been swindled.
They have given me a lot of papers,
specimens OF the deceased's handwrit-
ing, and so on. l don't know what
will be the end of it ALL" added Mr..
Stafford, taking some documents from
his side pocket. "Here is a portrait OF
the deceased which they gave me-"
DIR. Wynyard carelessly took up the
photograph which his friend threw upon
the table by his side, but having glanc-
ed at it he uttered a startled exclama-
ton.
"NDdu is lIt cACidlucu GhO Aa"5CA'
"This isn't the Mr.. Burton who
died!'' calculated.
"The brothers say So" replied his
friend.
at is no more like him than it is Ike
you. Good heavensl 1t is-it is Mr.,
Ambrose Tuckerl' cried DR.. Wynyard
more and more amazed.
"Who on earth is he2"
"Mrs Burtonl' cried the doctor, as
the truth flashed upon his startled un'
derstanding. 81 see it all, Seaford.
Ambrose Tucker, the mar | met in
New York, and Mrs. Burton are the
same person. He disguised himself as
a woman"
"Then, if that be so, Burton isn'i
dead at ALL" %interposed the lawyer
quickly.
"If this is Burton" said DR.. Wynn
yard, emphatically, as he pointed to
the photograph, II saw him the Other