Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-10-04
CHAPTER XXI

The sou Dreatn Oh u SUMMER Wlnu
from the distant hills rustled the cur
tains in the artists chamber.
The river glistened in the sun.
Miss Maxey, radiant and excited, Mrs
Maxey, tremulous and apprehensive,
rose up when the artist opened the door
leading into the parlor and ushered in
his guest
my wife and my sister, Miss Max
ey; my lawyer, Mr.. Bernstein. The
old gentleman in the black coat glanced
at the two young ladies with his little
twinkling eyes and bowed.
Happy to meet you, Mrs. Maxey,
most happy, and you, Miss Maxey, most
happy"
And so they met, the lawyer and the
artists sister, as everybody believed
them to be, as perfect strangers.
"Be seated, Mr.. Bornstein," said
Maxey. The lawyer accepted the proffer-
ed chair by the table. The rest followed
his example.
Have you prepared your resume of
the Forsythe case, as you intended"
asked Maxey. Somehow his hair had
risen to an alarming attitude, and his
necktie was completely disorganized-
two infallible symptoms Of state of
extreme nervous tension.
''I have got down few notes, en-
tirely free from technicalities, Mr.. Max
ey, which I trust you will find cover
the principal points. meant to have
had my clerk make fair copy of it, but
l did not have the time You may find
my writing trifle backward at first
sight. Perhaps / had better read off the
headings MYSELF"
Nothing would suit me better" said
Maxey
He had chosen for himself comfort
able chair by the window.
The two ladies sat together on the So
fa Miss Maxey held the young wife's
hand.
The lawyer drew from his pocket
neatly folded package of manuscript.
As he smoothed it out in his lap he cast
his twinkling glance around upon his
auditors. If it rested Longer and more
significantly upon the face of the art
lists sister than anywhere else, she alone
knew why.
II may say to you, Mr.. Maxey, be-
fore l begin, that there may be some
matters in this document which you
now hear for the first time. You may be
at q loss to know how l obtained this in
formation; but, unfortunately, l shall
not be able to satisfy you on that point,
for the reason that l have given my
promise not to betray the name Of my
informant. have also added few un-
necessary sentences for the purpose Of
bringing the document to a finished
close. That is all l desire to say by way
of preface. Shall l begin at once? Very
well. The document is headed The
Forsythe Case, and thus 1t reads:
'"Twenty years ago Ansel Forsythe
was wealthy merchant, who persisted,
in spite of the ravages of a terrible dis
ease, in carrying on great and profit
able business. The rheumatism had
twisted one of his legs out of shape and
made him helpless wreck at A. He
was suffering besides from nameless
malady, which wasted him away bit by
bit and brought him each year fearfully
nearer to the grave. Personally he was
unable to have an active superintendence
Of his affairs, and the work was done
by keen and ambitious young man
who had formerly been his private sec
retary, man unscrupulous and with
out any religious convictions whatever,
but who, for the reason that he came Of
Jewish ancestry, was nevertheless called
the Jew.
"The Jew was undoubtedly man Of
great talents, for he managed the mer.
chants affairs to such advantage that
they prospered beyond his expectations.
For that reason the Jew is said to have
considered the property which grew uI
under his care as morally his own.
"The merchant had remained bach
elor until we'll along in years, when he
married fragile beauty, who died in
giving birth to a female child. This
child was called Ethel and was her ia
theirs idol In the will, made immediate
ly after her mothers death, he settled
all his property upon her. This was de
cidedly not to the Jews liking, but HI
was too circumspect man to permit
his real feelings to be seen. He played
very deep game
"When the child was not more thai
a year DID, he persuaded the merchan
that he ought to marry again. The poo
deformed mang would have been littl'
likely to have followed his advice, bu
great pressure was brought to bear upol
him. Medical men were found who di(
not scruple to tell him that marriage
would undoubtedly prolong his life. HI
then consented to the sacrifice.
"All this while prospective matri
mony had been to him a sort Of abstrac
idea, but this decision narrowed it dow
to reality. And it now occurred t.
him that to marry one needed WON
an. Here he was, an unsightly, twiste'
creature, morbidly sensitive to his owl
defects. Who would marry him? Moth
ing simpler, said the Jew, than to tin
desirable lady.
"He proved this by presenting to hir
the next day his own sister.
!: "Miss Rosenfel was very young-al
most child in Notwithstanding, and
they told him, as pure as the drive
.. . snow. At any rate, she soon showed tina
, she had no objections to making sacri
,, fec of herself on the altar of Hymer
4 She became Mrs. Forsythe.
"The next month appeared a new COO
q icil in the merchants will. A third
q his vast property, in the event Of HI
r death, was to be left to his widow. Ell
Q vious people say that the Jew made
bargain with his sister whereby sE
was to receive this third and leave hil
free to gain if he could the other tive
| How far sha actua1lv asSisteta him ma