The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-10-06

neral. Accordingly, all assembled for
that purpose. Mrs. Boutwell, had not
large property, but she had cut it
up pretty we'll, going down even into
the third generation with her legacies.
And what was quite remarkable about
il all was, with the numerous bequests,
there was no fault found with any por-
tion as assigned in the will. All ex-
pressed themselves satisfied.
But before Executor Hanford left
the house he learned of the storm
brewing over who should be the pos
SCISSOR OF the tester bedstead.
''Tm not surprised" he remarked
TO the younger executor, as he drew
his fingers through his long gray hair,
''for in all my years Of experience in
settling estates, I've known of more
family quarrels over few old house
hold things than over the division of
the property many times over; and
the very worst feud Of all commenced
over an old brass kettle"
The contention, thus begun in the
Coles family, created rancor, bitter
ness and suspicion, so that when the
inventory came to be made and the
things assigned, nothing could be
divided satisfactorily.
Aunt Hester and Mrs. Ganson re-
newed hostilities over feather bed.
you've got the bed Desire meant
for me to have" Aunt Hester COM
planned, bitterly. "I've heard sister
say time and time again that mine was
to be the one with the goose quill in
each corner, and yourn's got 'em in
and mine hasn't. That one they've
given you is made of live geese feath-
ers, and the one have is nothin in
the world but hen feathers"
Abner's wife and Augusta Ganson
quarreled like two children over which
one should come to own little china
lamb that had stood on Aunt Desires
what-not.
And Mrs. Redfern, finding two Gus
tard cups . missing from the set of
china assigned her, accused one Of the
other heirs Of being the thief, and
even threatened to- make serious trou-
bic if said cups were not returned.
And so one strife after another fol-
lowed along until it was hard to find q
more bitter family, one toward an
other, than the Coles family.
Meantime Thanksgiving came and
went, and no one even thought of q
family dinner.
The executors found the disposition
Of the household effects of Mrs. Desire
Boutwell, long and tedious proceed
ing, but finally, after much wrangling,
division Of all the articles had been
made. All but the tester bedstead-
the settlement of that remained as far
off as on the day of the funeral. Not
one of the claimants showed any sign
of surrendering. There the bed stood
up in the spare loom, the only article
Of furniture left in the house.
What to do in the matter the execu-
tors were at complete loss to decide.
But one day the affair settled itself.
The several heirs to Mrs. Desire Bout.
wells estate had been summoned to
Lawyer Hanford's office. While the
business was going on little dried-up
old lady, in a rusty black silk, came
into the Office. Some of the heirs
recognized her as their Uncle Abner'
sister, who had moved West number
of years before, and who had wounded
the Boutwell, pride considerably by
marrying q poor tradesman.
you'll see by reading this" she
said, handing the lawyer letter in
Abner Boutwell's handwriting, "that
my brother gave me long time ago a
tester bedstead that he had in his
house."
At the mention of this coveted ar
ticle of furniture many of the heirs
gave q start.
''It never belonged in fathers fam
ily-Judge Boutwell's"- continued
by way of explanation, ''but was one
my brother took on debt just before
he was married. 1t was owned by a
man named Lon johnson. He and
my brother got into some trouble to-
gether over money matters-and the
bedstead came into Abner's hands.
''Lon Johusonl" echoed the lawyer.
..'The man died up here in the poor.
house not long ago. So the bedstead
belonged to his family?"
; eyes; it hasn't much of history, tc
| be sure, but / thought as / was down
here on visit had best take it home
| with me, although it's altogether toe
, high for my bedroom, and I've got to
have those big high posts sawed of.
r This remark caused a perceptible
, shQdder among some of the heirs here
assembled, but there was nothing to
be said.
! Mrs. Redfern was the first to speak
! after the old lady had gone out.
"It's just as well after all that / die
not get the bedstead," she said, loft
| lily, ''for now my husband will buy m'
, the beautiful rosewood one that he hai
, talked about"
! "Such possessions do not make mucI
difference to me one way or another,
J observed Mrs. Ganson, signing heav
lily.
3 "If the Boutwell, family would pa,
, me what they owed Abner Iwhen h
was in the grocery business. / coul(
own tester bedstead myself, -, spok,
/ up Abner's wife, sarcastically.
l GAS for me-" piped Aunt Hester
"'I've come to think, after all, it's jus
as we'll didn't get the high-post bed
q stead, for l see now it would hav
= turned everything around SO in til,
I parlor bedroom.
"Well, am glad you are all so vel
I satisfied" observed Lawyer Hanford
as he tied up his legal papers with 4
4 piece of red tape, "for now l consider
\ the only obstacle to the settling of tn,