The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-05-11
JACOB BLOUNT'S WILL.
BY III. A.

Who, then, was Jacob Blount
Briefly. the richest man in Chester
! worth fifty thou sand dollars, at the YER,
least SO said rpimor- and. in this in
stance. rum0r was co.rec.
The propc.ty consisted partly of {
house and grounds, partly of stocks il
various banks and manufacturing cor
pOrations. These had been wisel,
chosen, and proved reproductive invest
mcnt.
! A few words us to Jacob Blount him
self:
| He was an eccentric man, of few
words, Il hasty temper, and difficult to
understand. His death was in har.
! mony with his life.
| lie had gone to Philadelphia csten.
sibly on business. A week afterwar(
his servant returned alone, with the In.
, ,cllig"ncc that his employer had been
seized with an apoplectic fit, and died
almost instantly; that he had been in.
tered at Laurel Hill cemetery, and
that he, the servant, had thought il
| rest TO return Immediately.
What has he done with the prop
, cgty:" thought every one.
For the determination OF this inquiry,
! curious questioncrs were compelled to
wait until the nearest of kin could be
| summoned, and the will read.
The probable heirs were but two in
numbcr-ncphews of old Jacob Blount,
and cousins to each other.
One of these, Henry Seymour, was a
trader in Boston. He was a hard,
worldly, sordid man, and had married
woman who, instead of abSting had
only encouraged, these upamiable
| traits.
The other, Edward Gates, was a
ooolkeeper, on limited salary, on
which, with his wife and one small
child, he was compelled to live with
the utmost frugality.
To each of these persons a letter was
addressed by tho attorney of the de-
ceased. 1t was to this effect:
"DEAR SHIT becomes my painful duty
to advise you that your uncle, Jacob Blount,
is TO more. He died, struck down with
apoplcxy, while on a recent visit to Phila-
Cclphia- TIC reading Of the will will take
place on the 18th inst, at the residence of
the deceased. AS near relative of the de-
ceased, you will, no doubt, feel an interest
in being, present.
Yours respectfully,
NORMAN COKE, Atty at Law"
A few words will indie to the man.
rer in which the above letter was ra-
ccivcd by the parties addressed.
Mr.. Seymour was surprised to see
her husband hastily approaching the
house, in the middle of the afternoon,
bearing a letter in his hand, and evil
IDENTIFY in excellent spirits.
Guess what has happened?" said he,
rubbing his hands.
Something fortunate, / imagine"
was her reply.
"Egad, you're right" he responded.
Here the wife caught a glimpse of
the letter, with its black seal.
.'You doa't mean to say old Blount's
dead?' she exclaimed, rising, excit-
eily.
Tho very thing. Here's a let.SSr
from Coke, my uncle's lawyer, inviting
ne TO attend the reading of the will
Hadn't | better decline, hey?'
Seymour :'as not, in general, IL free
tous man rather the reverse; but
good news plays queer tricks now and
then with the recipient.
"Of course the old fellows left you
something handsome. What is he
worth?'
Fifty thousand dollars. Not cent
less.
fifty thousand" repeated Mrs.
Seymour, her eyes sparkling.
Yes, said her husband. "But there's
another whose chances of succeeding
to il arc as fair as mine
WHO is that9'
My cousin Edward.
"A mere drudge of a bookkccpcr"
VERY true: but he may get the mon
81. nevertheless.
"foUr uncle wouldn't be so absurd
Il hope not. But he was so full of
whims and f;ncies, that there's no
knowing what he may do
In 4 tenement house. on narrow
street, lived Edward Gates. 1t was
d Twing near six o'clock. In mod
c tly-furnished room, u very pretty wo-
man was engaged spreading the cloth
fot tea. She had scarcely completed
h II task when well-knOwn step was
heard at the door, and Mrs. Gates
hastcuca to admit her husband. He
received her cordial greeting kindly,
but sadly.
What has happcned?" she, too,
= ,kcd, feeling instinctively that some
thing had oc urrcd 10 dampcn her hus-
tlnd's spirit.
''tnclc Jacob is dead" was the re-
Ply.
lis itpossible?" asked his wife, in
SANITY looking sober. when did he
Gle? What are the particulars?"
This letter contains all that know
OF the matter" said Edward, handing
the lawyers letter TO his wife.
1T was u sad DEATH" she said, brief
ly, after reading it through. "Of
course, you will go to Chester?"
Yes; day after tomorrow"
Henry Seymour and Edward Gates
met, for the first time for several years,
on the day appointed to read the will.
Seymour, uncertain of the manner in
which his uncle had seen fit to dispose
of his property, received his cousin
with polite affability. At the same
time, he could not repress certain |
tremor, when he considered
his uncle's eccentricity, and that it was
barely possible that he would be left
without a penny of his uncle's property.
Gentlemen" said the attorney, adj
justing his spectacles. ..are we ready
10 proceed to the reading of the will?'
.'Quite ready" said Seymour, look
ing at his cousin.
While the lawyer was deliberately
the will, Seymour nervously
played with his handkerchief. His
cousin, on the contrary, looked as calm
us il he had no interest in the proceed
ings.
know all men, by these pres
cnts,'n began tho attorney, "'that |,
Jacob Blount, of the town of Chester,
being of sound mind. do make the fol-
lowing disposition OF my property: My |
lands, tenemcnts, and stocks. | be-
queath all and scyerally, without ex-
ception, to my nephew, Henry Sey-
lnour, of Boston, tradcr.'n
Seymour looked radiant with delight. |
Edward exhibited no other emotion |
than trace Of surprise.