The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-01-04
CHAPTER LII. : COURSE THEY WILL

PAY"
drove to the Offices OF the very respectable
firm of solicitors who managed the affairs
of the Norland family. They had one or
two other families us we'll aud, in spite of
agricultural depression, they made II very
good thing indeed out of n very comtorta-
bic business. The cab contained Il lady in
deep widows weeds.
LadG Harry Norland expected to be re-
ceiv>d with GOODNESS and suspicion. Her
husband, she knew. had not led the life
expected in these days of Il OUNCE son.
Nor had his record been such MS to endear
him to his elder brother. Then, as may be
imagined, there were other tremors, caused
by a guilty knowledge of certain facts
which might by some accident come
out" Everybody has tremors for whom
something may come out. Also. Iris had
had no experience of solicitors, and was
afraid of them.
lnstend of being received, however. by a
gentleman as solemn as the Court of Chan
Gerry and as terrible as the Court of AS
size, she found an elderly gentleman, of
quiet, paternal manners, who held both
her hands, and looked rs if he was weep
ing over her bereavement. BY long prac-
tice thisw worthy person could always, ut
u moments notice, assume the appear
ance of one who was weeping with his
client.
My dear ladyls he murmured. my
dear lady! This Is q terrible time for
your
She started. She feared that something
had come out. :
"In the moment of bereavement. too, to
think of business"
II have brought you," she replied, curt
Vim" '"'' "'s'''' 3,
THANK YOU. With your permission
though it may detain your ladyship-I will
read it. Humph! it is short aud to the
point. This will certainly give US little
trouble. l fear, however, that besides the
assurances your ladyship will not receive
much"
Nothing. My husband WAS always a
pool man, rs vol know. AT the time of his
death he left Il sm al sum of money only.
am, as a matter of fact, greatly incon-
| Yenienced.A
"Yonr ladyship shall be Inconvenience
no longer. You must draw upon us. AS
regards Lord Harry's death, we are in
formed by DIR. Vimpany, who seems to
have been his friend as well as his medical
adviser"
DIR. vimpapy had been living with him
that he had a somewhat protracted
illmess?"
81 was away from my husband. l was
staying here In London-on business-for
some time before his death. l was not
| SNpl dNulC Niktu ITO WIS III duf tduAeT.
When | hurried back to Pissy | was too
late. My husband wus--was already bur
led"
at was most unfortunate. And the fact
that his lordShip was not on speaking
terms with the members of his own fami-
ly--pray understand that l am not eX-
pressing any opinion on the case-but this
fact seems to render his end more un.
''He had DIR. Yimpany," said Iris, in a
tone which suggested to the lawyer jeal-
ousy or dislike of the doctor.
"Well,'' he said, sit remains to prove
the will and to make our clairas against
the Insurance Office. I have the policy
here. His lordship WIS insured in the
ROYAL Unicorn Life Insurance COMPANY
for the sum of e15, 900. We must not ex-
pect to have this large claim satisfied
quite Immediately. Perhaps the Office
will take three months to settle. But, as
said before, FOUR ladyship can draw up
on. u.s."
"You are certain that the company will
pay"
ooh! I thought that perhaps SO large a
sum-"
my dear Madam'-the man whe adj
ministered so much real and personal
property smiled-''hfteen thousand pounds
Is not what we call n very large sum.
why, II an insurance company refused to
pay a awfu claim it would cut its own
ENTHUSIASTICALLY. It's very existence de-
Ponds upon its meeting all just and law
full claims. The death being proved it re-
mains for the company to pay the insur-
ance into the hands of the person entitled
to receive it. That is. In this case, to me,
acting for you.n
Yes. see, but ! thought that. perhaps,
my husband having died abroad, there
might be difficulty"
There might. IL he had died in Central
Africa. But he died in q suburb of Paris,
under French law, which, in such matters.
is even more careful and exacting than our
own. We have the official papers and the
DOCTORS certificata. We have, besides. a
photograph of the unfortunate gentleman
lying on his deatl-bed-this was we'll
thought of; 1T Is an admirable likeness
the sun canno lie-we have also a photo
graph of the newly-erected tombstone.
Doubt? Dear me, madam, they could no
more raise u doubt as to your husbands
death than II he were buried in the family
vanlt. II anything should remove any
ground for doubt, it is the fact that the
only person who benefits by his death is
yourself. If, on the other hand, he had
been i'll the hands of persons who had
reason to wish for his death, there might
have been suspicious Of foul play, which
would nave been matter for the police-but
not for an insurance company.'
oaih taH SthN W lettu, nv leHSb, UuuU
there will be no trouble. rave no
knowledge of business, and 1 thought
that"
"No-no-your ladyship need have no
such ideas. In fact, | have already an
ticipated your arrival, and have sent to
the manager of the company. He Ger.
tainly went SO far as to express a doubt as
to the of death. Consumption iu
any form was not supposed TO be in your
husbands family. But Lord Harry
ahem!-tried his constitution-tried his
constitution, as l put it,"
He had put it II little differently. What
he said was to the following effect-"Lord
Harry Norland, SIR, was a devil. There
was nothing he did not do. l only won
der b u ne has lived so long. Had | 1 been
told that he died OF everything all togeth-
err, / should not have been surprised. Or
binary rapid consumption was too simple
for such a man."
Iris gave the lawyer her London adj
dress, obeyed him by drawing a hundred
pounds, half Of which she sent to Mr..
William Linville, at Louvain, and went
home to wait. She must now stay In Lon.
don until the claim was discharged,
She waited six weeks. AT the end Of
thattime she learned from her solicitors
thar the company had settled, and that