Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-01-04
Again he conquered her.
Harry" she SAID. II will 60"
CHATTER LII. TOP CURSE THEY WILL
PAY"

PAY"
Three days Afterwards a hanson cab
drove 10 the Office OF the very respectable
firm Of solicitors who managed the affairs
OF the NOrlaud family. They mad one or
two other families ~ well and, in spite of
agricultural depression, they nude a very
gooi thing indeed Il Of a very comiorta-
bic business. The cab contained a lady in
depp widows weeds.
Llly Harry Norlaud expected TO be re-
ceiV,d with GOODNESS and suspicion. Her
husband, she knew. had not led the life
,VDected IN these days OF a younger son.
Nor had his record been slch as to endear
him 10 his elder brother. Then, a. mas be
imagined. there were other tremors caused
by a guilty knowledge OF certain facts
which might by some accident come
out" Everybody has treinors for whom
something may come our. Also, Iris had
had no experience OF solicitors, and was
afraid OF them.
Instead of being received. however. by n
gentleman as solemn ~ the Court Of Cham
Gerry and "a terrible "a the Court OF As
size, she found an elderly gentleman. OF
quiet. paternal manners, who held both
her hands, aud looked as X he was weep
ing over her bereavement. by long prac-
tice this worthy person could always, at
a moments notice, assume the appear
ance of one who was weeping with his
client.
MY lear LADY, he murnured. my
dear ladyl This is a terrible time for
you!"
She started. She feared that something
had come out.
I'm the moment of bereavement, too, to
think OF business"
II have brought you she replied, curt
~, my ~husband's-my late husbands
win"
Thank you. With your permission
though it may detain your ladyship-I will
read it. Humph! II Is snort and To the
point. This viii certainly give Us little
truuble. fear, however, that besides the
assurances your ladysnip will not receive
much"
Nothing. My husband was always a
poor man, as you know. Al the time OF his
death he left "a sm "A sum Of money only.
! am, as a matter of fact, greatly incon-
venienced.
Your ladyship shall be inconvenience
no longer. You must draw upon US. A.
regards Lord Harry's death. we are in.
formed by DIR. Nimpany, who seems 10
have been his friend rs well As his medical
adviser
DIR. Vimpany had been living with him
for some time"
that he had a somewhat protracted
illness."
Il was away from my husband. | was
staying here In London-on business-fOr
some time before his death. | was not
even aware that he wa IN any danger.
When | hurried back To Pdssy | was ton
late. Ny husband was-was already bur
ied.o
lit was most unfortunate. And the facl
that his lordship was not on speaking
terms with the members of his own FAM
ly--pray understand tina | am not eX-
pressing any opinion on the case-but this
fact seems to render his end more IN
happy vu,.a,, ,-.. -
tc.e which suggested To the lawyer jeal
ouky or dislike OF the doctor.
Well" he said, lit remains TO prove
tbs will and TO make our clairss agains
the Insurance ONCE. I have the policy
here. His lordship was insured in the
| ROYAL Unicorn Life Insurance Company
pee 10 have this large claim satisfied
quite Immediately. Perhaps the Office
will take three months to settle. But, as
said before, your ladyship can draw up
on US"
You are certain that the company will
pay
"oh! thought that perhaps SO large a
| sum
"My dear Madam''-the man wb? adj
miuistered so much real and personal
property smiled-"hfteen thousand pounds
i not what we call a very large sum.
Why, II an insurance company refused TO
paw a lawful claim il would cut its own
thrOat-absolutely. It's yerv existence de-
ponds upon its meeting all just and law
ful claims. The death being proved II re-
mains for the company TO pay the inspr-
ance into the hands OF the person entitled
to receive 1t. That is, in this case, 10 me-,
acting for you.n
Yes. | see, but / thought that. perhaps,
nv husband having died abroad, there
might be difficulty
There might. III he had died in Central
Afr ca. But he died in a suburb OF Paris.
under French iaw, which, in such matters,
is even more careful and exacting than II
own. We have the official papers and the
doctors certificate. We have, besides, a
photograph of the unfortunate gentleman
lying on his death bed-this was we'll
thought Of: il is an admirable likeness
the sun cannot lie-we have also a photo
graph OF the newly-erected tombstone.
Doubt Dear me. madam, they could no
more raise a doubt as to your husbands
death than il he were buried in the family
vault. IL anything should remove any
ground for doubt, IL Is the fact that the
only person VINO benefits by his death is
yours IL. II, on the other hand, he had
been in 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
"Oh! am glad 10 learn, at least, that
there will be no trouble. l have no
knowledge OF business, and | thought
That"
'No-no-your ladyship need have no
such ideas. In fact, l have already an
ticipated your arrival, and have sent TO
the manager OF the company. He GER.
tainly went so far as to express q doubt as
TO the cause OF death. Consumption in
ANY form was not supposed To be in your
husbands family. But Lord Harry
ahem.-tried his constitution-tried his
constitution, as | put it,"
He had put it "A little differently. What
he said was to the following effect-'.Lord
Harry Norland, SIR, was u devil. There
vas nothing he did not do. l only Won
der that ne has lived so long. Had I been
told that he died OF everything all togeth-
er, l should not have been surprised. Or
dlnars rapid consumption was too simple
for such q a n
Iris gave the lawyer her London adj
dress, obeyed him b. drawing u hundred
pounds, half OF which she sent TO Mr..
William Linville, at Louvain, and wen
home to wait. She must now stay In Lon
don until the claim was discharged.
She waited six weeks. AT the end OF
that time she learned from her solicitors
that the company had settled. aud that
they, the lawyers. had paid TO her bankers
the sum Of R15,0oo, being the whole OF the
insurance.
Acting, then, on her husbands instruc-
tons, she sought another bank and opened
an account for one William Linville, gen
tleman, residing abroad. She gave herself
as q reference, left the usual signature of
William Linville. aud paid TO his account
a check for $4,000. She saw the manager
OF her own bank. explained that this large
check was for an Investment, and asked
hun TO let her have $4,000 In bank-notes.
This sum, she added. was FOL q special
purpose. The manager imagined that she
vas about to perform some act OF charity.
perhaps au expiatory work On behalf OF
her late husband.
She then wrote TO DIR. vimpany. who was
IN Paris, making an appointment with him.
Her work OF fraud aud falsehood was
complete.
There has been no trouble at ALL" she
wrote TO he. husband, land there will not
be any. The Insurance Company has nj.
ready settled the claim. | have paid IS
00J 10 the account Of William Linville.
Ny w banker-who knows my father
believes that the none Is an Investment.
Ny dear Harry, l believe that, unless the
doctor begins 10 worry us which he will
do IA soou Hs bis money Is all gone--a clear
course lies before vi Let Us, ~ l have
already begged you to do. go straight
away TO some part Of A'uerica. where you