The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1891-05-21
STORIES OF WILLS.

AHeIe was I'LL Olu ltuy, ~ tOOoHicoo
old dowager, who had reprobate and
discarded son, and pretty, gentle
niece, who lived with her. Weused to
manage all her affairs, and it was
pretty well-kncwn in the Office that
the "nice girl with the long curls" was
TO be the old lady's heir. Our head
clerk, AIRED whiskered dandy, who had
no mean opinion of himself, built,
could see, certain speculations on tina.
basis. The old lady never came with
out Eliza; and when q visit was ex-
pected, Mr.. Catchpole brushed his fiery
hair into the most killing curls, and
changed the out-at-elbows coat for the
smart one he wore out OF doors, and
beautifed himself as far as that was
practicable. Well, a message came
one day that the old lady wasill, very
i'll, with an urgent request that some
one should go at once and make her
will. Off went our Adonis as fast as q
promise OF something liberal over the
fare could urge the cabman. When he
arrived, the old lady was alive-iust
alive enough to tell him that all her
property was to be left to Eliza. She
told him that in the kissing whisper
which supplied the place of the cracked
voice; but when she came to the word
"all," so full was the poor old Great
ure of love for the niece: or, perhaps,
Of determination-let us hope not
hate against her son-that she half
rose up in her bed and clenched her
withered hand, and sbrieked out
that word again. 1t must have
been q terrible sight--that OF life
struggling with death for q will.
1t was a. short matter to write that
will down; and Catchpole's pen flew
over the paper, and the old eyes that
were glazing so fast stared anxiously
the while, and the thin fingers actual
ly held the pen she had asked for be-
forehand ready to sign the paper. In
few minutes all was ready; but what
difference that few minutes made
The clerk had risen from his seat and
approached the couch, when the sur
geon, who stood on the other side
said, with that GOODNESS which medica
practice brings, at is too late; and
it was too late. The dead fingers
clenched the unused pen so tightly
: that they had to be unclasped from
it. The son was heir of all, and Elizs
beggar. Death had translated that
screamed out call" into none
| Il = al
. ty was wasted by the son, and hai
5 long since passed into other hands
and Eliza, instead ofpossessing SOM
thousands year, and being woed b.
r Mr.. Catchpole, is faded daily COVER
ness.
Every lawyers Office has plenty O
4 such tales as this. One remember Q
a miser who had ruined more than on
family, and in his last moments wishes
J. to make such reparation as bequeatf
d ed gold could compass. Poor wretch
when the will was brought, cataleps
. had seized him. He could not NOV
20 his hand; his tongue refused its offic'
only his eyes were free to move; an
;, of those eyes l have been told teri
BILE tale. He was, as misers often ar
= q man of strong mind and iron nerv
Passive as he was in every other par
the ewes told all that was passiI
within. You could have seen in the
intelligence when the will was read t
him; the powerful volltion brought
bear, and persevered in, when the wri
ten word which was to make it a tie
lament was required; the terror al
horror which came over him when
found the right hand, which had I
often aided him for evil, would NJ
help him for good; the despair whi'
burst the unseen bonds around hi
and, with a convalsive motion,
out the last of life. 1t must have be-
spectacle of horror, when punis
ment came in the shape OF prohil
ton of the one act of mercy, viii
might have made some amends for
lifetime of wrong.
Then there was another legend o.
man whose daughter married again
his will. He lived somewhere in
retired country house, far off frC
any town. This man was subject
disease of the heart, and one mig
. feeling the symptoms OF an approa'
-. ing attack, and that strange preser
ID ment which so often comes beft
death, he reused his household, a
sent off a messenger on horseback, I
= for q surgeon, but for lawyer
wanted his will made instantly. Z
messenger could not be expected bf
\ for at least two hours, and long bef'
l. that the spasmodic attack had co
~ on, but still in the intervals OF
L, paroxysms, that determined N
III wrote as though against time. WI
the lawyer did arrive, all that '
III cit OF the will which had been so act
and energetic few hours before, '
that last piece of writing. ltexpres
the deceased intention, in the stro
S : est terms, utterly to disinherit
rebellious child, and to give his pr
10 erty to some charitable Institute
1t was complete, even to the sig
les ture; only the flourish usually ad
TO the name was wanting, as tho
there the hand had failed. But t
writing was not will; it was no
nroper form, nor attested. In
eve of the law it was but an inv
piece of paper, and the daughter t.
that which her birthright entitled
to. -