Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-07-22
CHAPTER vII-CoNr1NUED.

coat, reseated himself and commenced
careful perusal of the will.
The instrument commenced very
much as did all wills at that period,
or as they do now, for that matter.
I'm the name Of God, am@a. 1, John
Lloyd, being Of sound bodily and mental
health, yet realizing the uncertainty of
life. do declare the foregoing writings to
be my last will ana testament
Then followed several small requests
to some who had formerly been in the
bankers service, remembrances to his
slaves, directions as to his funeral and
burial, and then the following clause:
ITO my nephew, Herbert Lathrop, now
in my employ. I give and bequeath the
sum of five thousand dollars ($5,G000'
Here was the first point where Her
bert halted in his perusal of the will.
but not for long did he halt.
Five thousand dollars. That will
never do, my uncle. You will kindly per-
NIT me to make it 5O,0OO,' which he
proceeded to do by adding, one moro
cipher after the five and the other
three, changing the to f. running the
e up and crossing it for t, and adding
a y, thus making the clause in the will
read:
ITO my nephew, Herbert Lathrop, give
and bequeath, the sum of fifty thousand
dollars ($50,000.)'
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, I give and beQueath to
my daughter, Fannie Lloyd, to have and
to hold forever, and hereby instruct my
administrator to withdraw my funds
FROM no hor1l-f rcr hr1Ci ob( II 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
all times to be consulted, and I further
instruct my said administrator to place
my daughter in full possession of my afore-
said estate on her 18th birthday, and in
case she may have passed that age, before
my demise within six months from the
date of my death, and do hereby appoint
my tried and true friend, admins
traitor of my estate; ne to act conformity
with my daughter, and I direct Qlaving
Implicit confidence i'm his integrity and
ability that no bond be required for the
faithful execution OF this trust.
I'm wiAless whereof have hereto set my
hand and seal, in this the town of Whining
ton, state of North Carolina, this twenty
ninth (2eth) day of October, Eighteen TWEEN
ty-nine QS293.
witnesses (seaD JOHN LLOYD
James D. Strange,
Robert L. Bligh."
"Oh, no! my uncle. This is well, in
deed. WHO should be that tried AID
true friend but the cashier of yo,1r
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 l return from Europe; peo-
pie, you know are sometimes lost at
sea-
$50 that accounts for the name not
being flied 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.
1.-The Media is rocking to and fro
somewhere between the surface and the
bottom of the deep blue sea-she never
reached port.
1.-The witnesses on uncle's will were
lost at sea.
.'Why, trouble and danger disappear
before me as dew before the sun.
IS I hereby appoint my tried and true
friend, Herbert Lathrop, as admins
traitor of my estate, to act conformity
with my daughter, and L direct (having
implicit confidence in his integrity and
ability that no bond be required
The will is now complete.
1.-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
back in the box as he had found them
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 a bumper of brandy; then
lighted a cigar and meandered on as
though he were going to quiet slumbers.
Meanwhile Angus Bruce had reached
the dock. The knowledge that he was
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 determined
to talk to him plainly and at once, be-
lieving that if he knew that Clara wed
him only at her fathers bequest and
-rhjia another held possession of her