Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-06-08

tive will in time be complete. have
a much more confident feeling now in
regard to my position with Mrs. May
nard, and my future Investigations, so
| far as she is concerned, will be COM
paratively easy to pursue, If l proceed
with due caution. think when next
see her I will question her in regard to
that letter of Mrs. Dunkirk's, of which,
by the way, neither of us spoke to-day.
can scarcely determine what use Nou
hoped to make of such document;
though probably he had no definite
knowledge of its contents and took 1t
entirely at Mrs. Maynerd's valuation.
If she iInagines that it would constitute
for her legal claim to that fortune,
she is greatly in error. However, l
will be indulgent to the fancy, if it ex-
lists. and thus derive whatever benefit
to my side of the case a thorough can
wasting of the document may furnish.
By skillfully arranging my questions
concerning it, / may be able to gain
some insight into her personal rela-
lions to Mrs. Dunkirk: not that
this is material exactly, but it is rele-
want. / wish, if possible, to learn
her whole personal history so far as it
has any near or remote connection with
this case. To be sure, know the story
set forth by Hunter and ketchuin, in
which she is made to figure as sort Of
juvenile adventures with a chronic
weakness for coveting her neighbours
wealth, and consequently a soul not
above the temptations that beset the
lovers of filthy lucre. She is an orphan,
so II. and X. maintain, the only child
of a widow with whom Mrs. Dunkirk
was once intimately acquainted, who,
when her own mother died, leaving her
a slender bank account, managed to
gain admission to Mrs. Dunkirk's hoase-
hold; in the hope, am further assured,
that by sl1illfully playing her cards she
might become the childless old lady's
heir. Well, after living with Mrs. Dun
kirk for five years, and presumably in
sinuating herself into the good graces
of the old lady, she married this May
nard-Maj. Maynard-and they went
abroad for few months. This much /
have learned from Hunter and Ketchum;
however, / am not satisfied to accept
the story on the mere strength of their
assertion. Ishould at least like to hear
the case stated by Mrs. Maynard her
self.
Now" North's soliloquy ran on, ''H.
and X. stoutly maintain that there
ACCOMPLISHMENTS was her maiden,
name? Oh, Nina kingsbury-by Mrs
Dunkirk; that her position in the
household during those five years was
merely that dwell, ward, though
there was no legal guardianship,
either. They admit that during that
period of five years Mrs. Dunkirl made
will in which she bequeathed her
fortune without reservation. except for
a legacy of few thousand dollars to
one old family servant, to her young
friend, Nina kingsbury. Shortly after
the marriage of that young lady, how
ever, some rumor revived Mrs. Dun
kinks old belief that her brothers
daughter was still living, and could be
found: and acting upon that belief, the
old lady destroyed her will. And now
the mooted question is: Did she ever
make another? Hunter and ketchum
say. No. and they have kept to this
denial through everything, but Hop
kins and Shepherd, acting upon the in
strlctions of Mrs. Maynard and my
brother1 Ollin, bring forward docu-
ment apparently genuine and well
certified, and affirm: She did make a
second will, and here it is!' Of the
manner in which this forgery was
handled by my colleagues, can only
say that it was merciless, but mastery.
''Now, Mrs. Maynard was aware, it
seems, of the existence of that first will,
and she also knew about its being de-
stroyed; though how she came to be in
possession of such direct means of COM
munication with Mrs. Dunkirl's end of
the line, and how she contrivcd to gain
information which that lady would not
be at all likely to furnish her, cannot
for my life conjecture. Here is the
place where missing link must be
supplied. There is evidently third
party somewhere! However, acting
upon her own knowledge of the circum-
stances whenever, wherever and how
ever gained, she proceeded, with the
aid Of my brother and that third per-
son, whose identity must yet discover,
to concoct the conspiracy out Of which
grew this forged will.
cat this point arises the question::
How came this forged will to be dis
covered in Mrs. Dunl1irl's desk after the
first fruitless search for will had been
Abandoned? This is one of the
mysteries that 1 must try to solve. That
Noll did not place it there l would
stake my life. That Mrs. Maynard did
not do SO, seems equally evident. Who,
then, did? That undiscovered third
person! Nothing could be more OBJ
vious. Now, where is the clew that
shall lead to the discovery of that third
* 57E501 /