Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-03-26

Give thousand dollars. That will
never do, my uncle. You will kindly per-
NIT me to make it $5o,ooo," which he
proceeded to do by adding one moro
cipher after the five and the other
three, changing the to f, running the
up and crossing it for t, and adding
q y, thus making the clause in the will
read:
ITO my nephew. Herbert Lathrop, give
and bequeath, the sum of fifty thousand
dollars (s5o.000.)"
THAT will leave me in rather better
shape, uncle. Let's see. That, I sup
pose, would be called doctoring will,
but what says the next clause?"
"All the residue of my estate, both real
and personal. monies. stocks and bonds.
lands and slaves. / give and bequeath to
my daughter, Fannie Lloyd. to have and
to hold forever. and hereby instruct my
administrator to withdraw my funds
from the banking business should l not
have done so prior to my death, and to in
vest the same In real estate, stocks and
bonds, for my daughters benefit: she at
oil times to be consulted. and further
Instruct my said administrator to place
my daughter in full possession of my afore-
said estate on her 18th birthday, and in
my demise within six months from the
date of my death, and do hereby appoint
my tried and true friend, - as admins
traitor of my estate; he to act CONFORMITY
with my daughter, and l direct (having
implicit confidence in his integrity and
ability that no bond be required for the.
faithful execution of this trust.
SIN witness whereof have hereto set my
hand and SEAL in this the town of Whining
ton, state of North Carolina. this twenty
ninth (29th) day Of October, Eighteen TWEEN
ty-nine dS29)
Witnesses: (seaD JOHN LLOYD.
James D. Strange, <
Robert L. Bligh.'
"Oh, no! my uncle. This is well, in
deed. Who should be that tried and
true friend, but the cashier of your
bank-Herhert Lathrop, your affec-'
tionate nephew? But let us see, these
witnesses, James d. Strange and Robert
L. Bligh. remember hearing my uncle
say that Col. Strange replied to his
request:
do not insert my name in the will,
John, until return from Europe; peo-
pie, you know are sometimes lost at
sea-
$50 that accounts for the name not
being filled in.''
Strange and Bligh both took passage
on the Media some two months later
than this will is dated.
"Their signatures are there-indis-
putably there.
THE Media is rocking to and fro
somewhere between the surface and the
bottom Of the deep blue sea-she never
reached port.
"The witnesses on uncle's will were
lost at sea.
"Why, trouble and danger disappear
before me as dew before the sun.
hereby appoint my tried and true
friend, Herbert Lathrop, as admins
traitor of my estate, to act conformity
with my daughter, and direct (having
implicit confidence in his integrity and
ability that no bond be required
"The will is now complete.
"The name filed in is that of Herbert
Lathrop.
Now, Uncle John, your time is short,
| indeed"
Herbert carefully replaced the will
in the envelope and placed all the papers
|
Then returned it to the vault, put on
his hat and coat and unlocked the bank
He opened the door, passed out, closed
and locked it and started up Market
street, but stopped in a. saloon and
downed bumper of brandy; then
lighted a cigar and meandered on as
though he We're going to quiet slumbers
Meanwhile Angus Bruce had reached
the dock. The knowledge that he wa.
loved by Clara Hill had almost made
him happy, notwithstanding the fact
that she expected to change her name
to Lloyd within "a hours. He knew
John Lloyd well--in fact, Lloyd was his
banker-and he had fully determine
to talk to him plainly and at once, be
iieving that if he knew that Clara wee
him only at her fathers bequest and
while another held possession of hcl
heart that he himself would decline the
union.
He argued that Clara not loving the
banker, he would thus save her from {;
life of unhappiness, and perhaps the
banker also, and in time perhaps ever
he, the pilots son, might call Clara Hill
wife.
With these thoughts in his brain hi
fastened ashore and in the direction q
the Lloyd mansion. Just as he turned
the corner within one block of the hous,
lie encountered Herbert Lathrop.
What! Captain Bruce? it gives mt
pleasure to see you; you are going t.
my uncle's?"
II was, Mr.. Lathrop, but it is rathe
late for calls. am the bearer of let
ter from Miss Hill to the bankers daugh
ter; perhaps it ls best that you delive
1t, though 1 promised to do SO in per
son, and besides there is a business mat
ter on which wish to see Mr.. Lloyd"
"By all means come--do not be rec
reant TO your duty, for you can Sc,
them both, and if you do not see then
tonight, you will probably never Sc,
Miss Lloyd again, as she will to-mor
row night become Mrs. Clarence Hill
while my uncle at the sgme time will
be welded TO Miss Clara, and after tina
I do not think you will see him soon
They will probably be absent for si
months OF wedding trip"
So Angus accompanied Herbert t
the house; he unlocked the front-dool
and they entered the half.
The house was in darkness.
ITO be continued