Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-11-02

ing the questions that had almost risen
10 his lips. Slowly drawing Oft his
gloves, he looked at his brother for a
moment with peculiarly close, intent
scrutiny before replying; then he said,
quietly;
80 far as this matter rests between
ourselves, Allan, IL can wait, Of course.
But now pray tell me, IL may ask,
how did you happen 20 come 10 X--?"
81 came on a professional errand,
Noll am here as the authorized rep
resentative Of Mcssrs. Hunter and
Ketchum, OF New York"
"llunter and Ketchum? How why
are you associated with them, Allan2
In what case, pray2"
"Ihe same in which you are so deep
ly commemorative DunlIirlt will case"
! lie spoke these last words In sig
nfcant tone, looking searchingly at his
brother 10 see what effect they would
| produce. His expectation was not full
! filled. There was no confusion, no
| guilty consciousness in Ollin's face as
hc answered; only a genuine surprise
and amusement.
"Thc Dunltirk will case? BY Jovc.
Allan, that is coincidence! And 50
wc'v been at opposite ends Of this ease
all th., time? Pray tell me what par
ticu lar point have you been at work
upon here? I say, Al, haven't you been
rather accommodating the enemys
camp? Come, now, old fellow, own up!"
II will tell you fully about that here
after, Noll, said his brother, flushing n
little under the laughing accusation.
"Oh, very well. Since the Dunkirls
will case has been introduced, | have a
word TO say on that subject which
shall proceed 10 say now, rs Allan ut
tcrly refuses 10 talltl" exclaimed Ollin,
turning 10 Mrs. Maynard with sudden
animation. "Of course my brother, be-
ing duly informed ON that point,
through his own connection with the
case, must have told you about the late
awkward developments In regard %
that will. And right here" he added,
quickly, "allow me to explain why you
never heard about IL from me. The
night before left home, having made
an unsuccessful attempt to call upon
you, ] wrote you, stating briefly how
matters stood In New York, aud advs-
ing you Of my proposed absence, though
not entering into any explanation 81
the object Of this hastily-projcctcd trip.
Now give you my word that solemn
ly believed | had mailed that letter,
along with several business letters that
] wrote at the same time; but IL now
transpircs that did nothing Of the
sort, for last evening ON tho train.
while making very thorough invcsti-
cation Of my pockets, I brought tn light
that identical document" holding out
O. Mrs. Maynard, who mechanically ~.
ccptcd II, n letter duly stamped, scaled
and directed, but not post-marlcd,
(which hereby offer You as an evil
dcncc Of good faith. And now. TO re-.
turn. have crowded some very salts.
factory work into the last two weeks,
Mrs. Maynard, though II has kept ire
busy day and uiyit have been fol-
lowing up clcw after clcw and sitting
all the evidence could get my hands
on, and the consequence Is. have final.
~ discovered the whole truth in regard
to that forgery. Isn't that sufficient
cause for elf-congratulation?"
Allan started perccptibly AZ these
words, rs he exchanged flashing
glance with Mrs. Maynard Ollin was
too wholly absorbed in his own
thoughts 10 notice this AT all
lyon see" he went on, without pause,
rs, throwing OIL his ulster and giving IL
To Williams, he returned 10 the little
group who were all eagerly awaiting
his nest words, III felt little doubtful
about the gcnuincncss Of that will
when found that Hunter and Kctchum
were going to contest IL. To bc sure. IL
seemed all right enough, SO far as
could judge from the mere copy that
Jenner sent us; still | could not help
feeling some serious misgivings With
out mentioning this fact 20 you, | set
myself 10 the task of discovering whom,
In case the will should prove to be
fraudulent, could suspect. was not
long in arriving ut n definite conclu-
sion. That very generous legacy To
Jcnncr had looked rather significant To
me from the first, and ! made up my
mind that II there was anything
wrong about the will. Jcnncr was the
first person to be investigated. Her
mysterious disappearance as soon rs
Hunter and Ketchum had thrown the
Wow ihN' NhNll tAblllIltu INV hnA-
picion; consequently, when | received
telegram from our New York attor-
ncys, announcing the decision of the
court and demanding an explanation
from mc-which was natural enough
under the Mountaineering plans took
definite shape at once. resolved to
hunt Jcnncr up, II IL took half my for
tune and all of Pinkerton's men To do
III II would take too long to
detail the curious circumstances
that gave us our first clew; but mt last |
found her away up in Vermont among
strangers and on her deathbed She
had been fatally injured In railway
accident while on her way To Rutland
the accident occurring within u short
distance of her destination. She was
perfectly conscious when | visited her,
and she seemed to realize hcrcondition.
When told her for what purpose had
come, she Immediately and voluntarily
confessed that she herself forged that
will, relating every attending circum.
stance with minute detail have the
confession in due form-legal affidavit, !
sworn TO In the presence of magis- |
trate-now In my possession, and telc. |
grnphed the substance OF IL To lloplsins !
and shepherd without an hours DELAY |
Thus the awkward uncertainty as 10
who II was that williully and felouious-
~ forged that Duul,irk will is happily |