St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-08
ANOTHER WILL.
Boston GlnhI

lie mad several cross grains IN his
character, and the worst of it was, from
our point of view, one could never tell
where these would crop out next.
His estate marched with mine-or
what had once been my mother's-and
it was always an understood thing that
Oh his death the ring fence was once
more to be restored.
There's much in your character,
john" said he to me once, THAT might
be improved upon. shall take you i'll
hand one OF these fine days and see if
can't educate you bit more up to what
L think you ought to be-"
[ asked in what direction he thought
my principal imperfections lay.
He replied that it was eight thirty
then, and as he Invariably went to bed
little after twelve, it would be useless
to begin catalOguing them at that alb
surdly late hour, but if L could come to
breakfast with him next day he would
see what he could do for me with plenty
of time before him.
but the worst Of you u.s." said Uncle
Grey -FentOn, yours so confoundedlv
pig-headed."
Firm" [ suggested.
Pig headed, my dear nephew. [ see
it, and being a kindly dlsp0sitioned
relative, PHI not be over-delicate and
hide it from you"
] will own that Twas trifle savage at
first, but then | shrugged my shoulders
and remembered Uncle Grey-Fenton's
little ways, and had got over it before |
was inside my own door again. and
went across again next morning to hear
and laugh at the list Of my transgreS-
Sions.
But 10, no list was forthcoming.
"We'll let 'em stand over for the pres
ent," said Uncle Grey-Fenton. Il
don't feel equal TO the strain of talking
so long today. Fact is, Pm not very
we'll. You know how trivial things up
set man of my time of life.
"WeIl, Pve had my study shifted to
the end room at the other side Of the
hall yonder, and now | find the direct
view of the valley blocked up by great
SpraWling oak tree just inside your
boundary. There. that one. Give Or
ders for 1t to be cut down as soon as
possible, there's a good fellow"
but, my dear uncle, you must be iok-
ing. That's show tree, an historical
tree, and 1 don't know what beside.
That's the Lollar6's oak"
''LOllard'S grandmother"
II assure you Pm not joking. That
tree is most valuable and interesting
relic. A Lollard was hanged there or
else a Lollard hanged somebody else on
it. or else-Well, anyway, it's something
to do with a Lollaad and hanging, as
you must know as we'll as l do. No: |
couldn't cut that tree down. The wife
would never forgive me if did"
-. ~; oh tho hlonHn
your poor wife"
"Uncle, you're unreasonable. III cut
down any other of my trees TO please
you"
Nephew, it strikes me that you are
mighty unreasonable. What Oh earth
is the use OF your Offering to cut down
the other trees for me? l wonder you
didn't offer to take the tiles off your
house and roof it with corrugated IRON"
Uncle, you're mighty unreaSon-
able"
mo, Pm not a bit. 1 want tree
removed which blocks my view. You
can do it if you will, but you won't.
You're pig-headed."
81 repeat to you that it would be moth
ing short of sacrilege to do this thing.
The historical associations which are
linked with that tree -"
''Historical fiddlesticks. Tell me, who
were those LollardS?"
81 forget. But that doesn't matter"
"Oh, of course not; but you appar-
emily don't know whether they were
thinkers, tailors, or typewriters, and yet
persist in keeping up that humbugging
tree to their memory"
1--WE don't argue further over the
matter. Any other tree"
Eyes, or a corrugated iron roof Well,
see you won't give in, but L suppose
you're willing to own now that you are
Just a wee bit pig-headed
Pm not vacillating. sir. | am merely
firm. wish you very good morning."
''Good morning to you," said Uncle
Grey-Fenton.
That little scene happened in rs, and
we had the tree question up about once
a month on the average till the summer
of 'S6, in which year my Uncle Grey
Fenton died.
But l did not think that the old gen.
tleman would take the matter in the
way he did, for after his death a will
was found which decided every stick of
the estate away from NE. 1t was to be
put into the hands of trustees, VINO were
to apply the income to certain charity.
blow TO NE. | never thought that he
would perpetrate a piece Of rank in
Justice like that to satisfy spite that
was, to say the most Of it, petty.
Aud | saw, too, that the will came as
a surprise to our old family lawyer, who
read it, as well as to myself.
There's something wrong, Mr..
john" said he when called in at his
office the next day, ''and [ can't under
stand it anyhow. My late client intended
you 70 have everything, as thought.
Indeed, may so so far as to say that |
made out a will myself to that effect IN
rs, which, on referring to my office
diary, turns out to be dated the very
day after the one we have just acted
upon.
II know you and he had some differ
ence about tree on your place, but
never imagined that he intended TO dis
inherit you for it.
Indeed, he used to chuckle over the
matter whenever he mentioned it, and
l always thought he had got some mild
practical joke in hand, such as burning
it down himself. or perhaps blowing it
up"
Then what became of the later will?"
said l.
SAY, there's the rub. But still it isn't
to be found. aud I've looked every
where. Pm afraid, Mr.. John, that this
other document will have to be proved. ="
land it would be no use contesting
it!'
mot bit. You wouldn't have a leg
to stand on unless you can lay hands on
the later will"
Every one in our neighborhood will
recolleet the terrible storm III the hot
summer of 1890, when the lightning
played such awful havoc The church
tower went, and Smiths saddle room
chimney and the eastern gable of the
Fenton Arms were both badly dam
aged.
But the greatest blow to the beauties
of the village was the loss Of the Loll-
ards oak. 1t had been getting decrepit
for several years, and this last attack
killed it.
The lightning had divided the great
trunk as though it had been struck by