The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-18

Mr.. Scrope Of Shrewsbury was the
family solicitor, an upright gentleman,
who had known Townley's father. and
he persuaded the baronet to make his
will as follows: Mrs Childs, his niece.
had the property for life; then her chill
dren by seniority inherited, and then
heirs male. and failing them or issue
the son of Richard Townley to inherit
In Zee. As there were nine Of the Childs
children. James Townley's chance Of
gaining the inheritance his father had
forfeited seemed very remote.
Sir Edmund died, leaving q large
personal estate In addition TO Apley
Park. and the Childs entered into pos
session.
James Townley had no force of char
aCter and was, moreover, improvident
and careless, and he added to his re-
probabilities by marrying avery pretty
young woman, named Cray, who was q
seamstress in one or those one stored
shops ON Eighth street, below SAMSON.
Each did their best to make q living,
but the husbands health failed, and
then poverty came. Mr.. Townley was
delicate and could do little to support
the household, now increased by the
birth Of q sickly boy.
Rachel Barron had known the eldef
Townley and nursed his SON when i'll
with q fever and abe came forward,
took the stricken family 10 her own
home ut the fourteen Chimney and
cared for them. The husband wa then
dying from quick consumption and the
wife failing in health, and both were i'm
effect paupers.
In the month OF March, 1897, q small,
thin man, evidently English and look
ing very much like q ferret, came 10 see
James Townley. he was, he said, q
friend OF his fathers and had but re-
GENTLY heard OF the sons afaiction. He
talked alphabetically, left several dol
lars and promised TO call again, and
this he did several times, always giving
Mrs. Townley money.
Rachel watched him closely and be-
came very distrustful. Mrs. Townley
had told her something Of her husbands
history, and after many injunctions to
do nothing until she returned the reso-
lutte Rachel paid q visit to the late Rich
ard MCCALL.
He heard her story indifferently, but
advised that Mrs. Townley should Sign
no papers without letting him know of
ik The woman hurried home, and an
tering the house heard some one talk
ing mp stairs. She went at once to the
aTownley's room and peeped i'm. Two
me6 were ut the bedside. James, prop
ped mp by pillows had before him ON q
piece Of board paper, and his wife had
Just placed . pan In his feeble hand
On the table was o pile OF notes and
gold.
With . rush the mulatto grabbed the
paper, almost upsetting both men, who
turned ON her 6ercely.
BE careful what you' re doing, WON
an. That In o legal document that MIR.
Townley has received money 10 execute,
and I'll hold Jon responsible for dam
ages"
IAN right This yer il my house.
You get out and take yer money with
you- We amt signing anything today"
And the men were resolutely hustled
down stairs. In an hour after Mr.. NO
Call and his clerk came walking Inn and
heard the story.
LET me . the paper. An, yes, y
shrewd scheme TO get Townley 10 con-
vey his right 10 q magnificent estate for
e260. We IRE just In time. it seems"
= Townley was almost unconscious. but
he lived long enough to know that he
was the owner Of Apley Park. This
freak Of fortune came about in this
manner.
Mira Childs, husband died before the
baronet and she was the head OF the
family. Shortly after coming 10 Apley
Park the eldest SON broke hts neck In
the hunting field and was brought home
dead. His elder sister was In Germany,
and her mother received . letter telling
of her sudden illness, and with several
children, a maid and. man attendant
started at once to cross the channel,
posted through France and got safely TO
Germany. and with two carriages was
driving along the Rhine, when the hank
gave way and all were precipitated into
the river, and the maid and position
alone escaped Thus the Childs family
was extinguished.
The attorney for the heir lost no time
in communicating with Mr.. Mccall, APP
prising him that one of their clerks
had sailed for America, and that his en-
rand was 60 make some arrangement for
his own benefit with the new heir and
to warn that gentleman at once.
Thanks 10 Rachel Barron, no warn
ing was needed. James Townley died
two months after hearing or hin good
fortune, and his wife, attended by Ra-
chel, started Tor England Inside Of
two years both the widow and son died.
Rachel married o very respectable white
man In the neighborhood, moved TO
Brighton and kept d hotel there. much
frequented BY Shropshire people. Her
property hare was looked after BY Rich
ard Vaux, who was also Q patron Of her
hotel at Brighton She died I'm 1855.
quite wealthy.
The Foster family again came into
ownership Of Apley Park. and IL ID now
enc Of the most haamtfful nlacaa In Eng