Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-05-02
CHAPTER XIV.


CHAPTER XIV.
THE WILL SIGNED AND LOST.
Grace stood near the threshold with white
face and questioning eyes.
81 thought heard grandpa call"
ut is nothing. Go out at once" ordered
Captain Starbright.
At this moment the girl caught sight
Of the dead face among the pillows, and
with a shrill cry of alarm she darted for
ward and bent over the old millionaire.
"Grandpa! grandpa! speak to me-" cried
Grace Penroy, shrilly, seizlng one of his
hands.
The chill of death was in the old palms,
and on the instant the girl realized the
truth, that the kind old man, kind to her
at least, would never speak again. He was
dead, had died without looking again upon
her face. The thought was most painful
one to poor Grace She could not weep
then, for Indignation held sway in her
heart. Turning upon Captain Starbright,
she cried:
"You promised to send for me and did
not. Cruel man!'
Then, without waiting for word from
| him, she walked with bowed head and sor-
rowful mien from the room.
Seekmore Gripes gllded to the door with
a cat-lke tread and turned the key in the
lock-
I" You should have taken that precaution
BEFORE" he said, piercing the Captain with
his little gray eyes
:. 1t was an oversight on my part" admit
ted Captain Starbright.
(Which may prove your downfall"
"Don't croak, Gripes, whatever you do. -
"The situation warrants it,"
81 hope you are not ready to throw up
| the sponge.
What can we do?'
The heartless lawyer penetrated his COM
panion with glance.
% his calamity is so sudden 1 am not pre-
pare, to state" answered the Captain,
pacing the room with uneasy strides.
"No will has been made.'' remarked the
lawyer. ''Death thwarted you there.''
land the property goes to the next OF
kin?''
Certainly"
"One minute more of life and the will
would have been signed," uttered the Cap
tain at length, with a groan.
"That IS true.''
Captain Starbright bent over the docu-
ment as it lay spread out on the table. With
a name signed at the foot it would be legal
document, as it was it was only so much
blank paper. The Captain was not the man
to permit a fortune to slip through his
fingers when there was a way to prevent it.
"a few strokes of a pen would fix that, y
he said in a low tone, glancing at Mr..
Gripes.
The lawyer looked wise, but said nothing.
Perhaps he was keen enough not to advise
| I'D such an emergency.
sit was evidently the old mans intention
to sign the will,'' pursued Captain Star.
bright
att was his first intention returned Mr..
Gripes, significantly.
"There is million at stake, Mr.. GrlpeS.'
The lawyer nodded.
Just turn your back one moment
Seekmore Gripes did SO.
He heard the scratch, scratch of a pen,
then the Captains voice:
''See here, Mr.. Gripes."
The lawyer turned about and came for
ward, peering over the Captains shoulder
at the paper now lying on the table. One
glance sufficed to show that the will bore in
proper place the name of Morgan Vandible.
Glow is that!'
at looks fair" admitted the lawyer.
at is fair. / bave only carried out the
old mans wishes.''
"His first intentions, certainly"
"Well, first intentions are the best ones, +"
asserted Captain Starbright. 81 want you
to take possession of the will, Mr.. Gripes,
and bring it forward at the proper time"
There are no witnesses as yet"
''True; that important part must not be
forgotten. Will it do for me to sign as
one!"
'If no contest is made there might be nc
objection" returned the lawyer.
Il haven't any fear of that There is only
one living direct heir, and she is willing and
anxious for such a disposition of the proper
ty as this will DEGREES"
Then the Captain signed the paper as a
witness. Mr.. Gripes noticed that he wrote
the name "Clinton Brandon"
'My middle name," explained the willy
Captain. ''Should it be necessary, could
deny that it was me that signed. Isn't that
proper!"
Possibly"
'If another witness is necessary you
will furnish one, Mr.. Gripes!''
Perhaps"
"Remember, there is million at stake.''
A gaunt smile twitched for an instant at
the thin, wrlnkled lips of the old lawyer.
He made no reply, but folded and thrust the
forged will into an inner pocket.
Day was beginning outside, and the
weazen-faced old man prepared to de-
part.
ave will meet you after the funeral
Mr.. Gripes.'
''Probably.''
'Every thing seems satisfactory. I bid
you good-day for now"
After pressing Lawyer Gripes' hand tho
Captain showed hiH2 to the door. The
his masters return with no little lmpa-
thence, manifested by paving and an &C.
casional whinny.
1t was not until after day-dawn that the
death of old Mr.. Vandible was made known
to all the inmates of Lone Hollow. Mrs.
Penroy manifested more feeling than Cap
tain Starbright believed her capable. Grace
retired to her room and refused to sec any
one.
Sam was dispatched to Stonefield with
orders for the undertaken, who arrived at
the house soon after noon with hand
some casket. Preparations were at once
made for the funeral, it not being deeme d
necessary to hold an inquest, since there
seemed nothing strange in Mr.. Vandible's
sudden death, his age being nearly eighty.
The funeral was plain affair, the re-
mains of the old millionaire being laid to
rest beside the only other grave ON the
premises, that Of his late wife, who had
preceded him to the better land several
years. Her body had been removed to it's
present place only a few years before from
the city cemetery, at the wish OF the old
millionaire, who had strangely declared his
wish to sleep in this spot far removed from
the turmoil of the world.
Seekmore Gripes sat in his room at his
clearinghouse Che was a bachelor) eagerly
scanning legal document, no less Il paper
than the last will and testament of Morgan
Vandible. 1t was week subsequent to the
funeral of the old millionaire.
The window was open, and breath of
fresh night air famed the withered cheek
of the acute lawyer.
He seemed satisfied with his scrutiny