Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-01-03
IHf MORGAN WILL,


rbad very little practice and found my
saIf with plenty of time on my hands,
Ia eyot into the habit of dropping in to
obat with anewsdealer who kept stand
lot far from my office. Old Bowls, as
av.r, body called him, dealt in waste pa
ar and rags, which he sold to the paper
One evening he was sorting lot of
tbis rubbish when my ptacueed eye
tiabtea on what appeared to be legal
socument bound with blue tape. took
~, and saw that it was marked Last
Will end Testament"
Iopened and commenced to read;
tIp the name of God; Amen. Know
all men by these presents, that |, James
Worpau, being of sound mind and dispo
inc memory, do make and publish this
nv last will aud testament"
whats that you sayr demanded
Bowles, as he dropped handful of paper
and looked up at me.
repeated What had read.
IAN right" he said. "Now, squire,
read on"
~ give and bequeath to my adopted
daughter, Elizabeth Morgan, otherwise
kpown as Elizabeth Summers all my
personal and real property, after the
PAYMENT OF my funeral expenses and my
Just oebts."
"Heaveusr exclaimed Bowles, "that
muat be the will of old Morgan, who died
four wears ago--it was said, interstate.
HeIeft not less than hundred thousapd
dollars, that all went to remote heirs,
though every body expected it would hav ,
been left to this very Elizabeth Summers,
his adopted daughter"
"What hes become of the ADOPTED
dauehtery" / Ssked.
II do not know, but think can find
nut"
How much of this property is real
estateY And where is il situatedY
"WeIl, there is the Oakdale plantation,
which lies about Ave miles out from here,
is worth al least fifty thousand
DOLLARS. Then there are several houses
in town also, besides twenty Eve
thousand dollars in government securi-
ties"
"Who is the relative that got the prop
ertyY"
"Simon Skaggs. he lives out at the
0akdaie farm, | think he is second cou-
sin to Mr.. Morgan"
"What kind of man is heY"
"A mean old skinfint, or he would
never nave Rhktu bnt lhsb penny rum
that poor girl"
"Well," said |, 81 propose TO take this
will home with me 70 night, and examine
hunt mp the girl and recover the property
for her"
To this he assented, and depositing
the document in my pocket, bade the
Ole IN IN good night, and returned to my
Office where | slept.
Bat | was too excited for sleep,
locked my room. and sitting down, read
the instrument through slowly and care
fully. There was but one legstee men
toned. The will vas clear and sim pie;
Il core the appearance of being genuine,
and had evidently been drawn by one
thoroughly acquainted with the neces-
sary legal forms.
The longer | pOndered over it the more
| became Convinced that | had at last
stumbled upon an interesting csse-one
which If properly managed, could not
fail to bring me reputation and right
great wrong besides.
The next afternoon / went 10 Bowels
store. He was alone, waiting for me-
VI have found where the girl is" he
said, "a soon as told him that the will
was undoubtedly genuine. "She lives
about fifty miles off, in place called
Frendyille, quite up among the noun
tans, on wild hill farm, where things
go on the most primitive manner. A
distant -elative-sn aunt three times re.
moved, very poor, but it SEEMS not with
out heart-heard of her restitution, and
sent for her. An old lady, who used to
know the girl and had her at her house
while after old Aorgan's death, happened
to come In here, and | asked her il she
knew where Elizabeth Summers was"
u will go down and see her to morrow"
said promptly.
"Asc bring her back with you," an
s~eied Bowls, rs briskly. "My daughter
and l will give her q home Gad!" he
cried, rubbing his hands enthusiastically,
all.n
1t was late in the afternoon when /
arrived at my destination having made
we journey partly by rail and partly by
stage The coach puS me down at a lone
" cross roads, from which | bad about
tso miles to walk.
VI yes-the Widow Benhsm," said
'he driver pointing with his whip, Gives
up yonder just around the point of the
4 mountain. You'll see the house in ten
n -ttHNNEH OF so.
4 was warm sunny day in August,
WIN not breath of air stirring. | soon
caught sight of he house-a plain UMPIRE
Il ending structure like 90 many in that re-
slon' When 1t was about 200 yards dis
ant the sound of falling water attracted
me' apparently coming from some pre-
e'P'ous rocks on the left. As / was
.a'Fsty' 1 went toward is. As l turned
eHe corner OF a cliff, handsome girl,
sooat twenty years Of age, emerged from
soft OF cave bearing on her shoulder
.lise Water-jar. The lightness in which
sue stepped from stone 10 stone across
.1s orook, the pose as Of some sylvan
s14les7 With which she bore sloft the jar,
Iaae me inter uuconsciously an exclama.
.on oi surprise. Though she was dressed
M eoarsest home-spun and wore
1rF shoes nor stockings, forgot al
- hsr the LONELINESS of Fer apparel in
grace Of her movements, the exquisite
eI'o1r of her figure, and the beauty of
Apressive face, which was nov
u-'ng with bushes. A small dog, ap
bate1ily a self-eonstituted profecfor