Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-09-28


Unique Proceedings which Produce
ed an Avalanche of Feminine Fury
Among tho BeIiicoae Legntccs.
illegal practice in the country" said
the young attorney who had taken run
down TO the city to frcshon up - bit, ais
not cracked up to be anything which s.
right, but if / continue TO have experiences
similar to that which had last week my
life will not be devoid of interest.
Il was sent out by my father, whore
Junior partner am, to Bilerton a little
while ago to draw up will for an old wo-
man who had about SEQ, 900 worth Of prop
erty to devise and about u dozen legatees.
When reached the devisor's house, found
that she was prepared for hereafters and
emergencies Of all kinds.
"Shc had heard of broken wills-had-
heard that no lawyer could draw up a will
that some other lawyer couldn't break
but being a strong minded person she had
her own ideas about things. She had put
off making WI rs long as she dared, but
one day happy thought struck her, and
sho concluded that she could beat the law
yers at their own game. She said to her
self that wills were broken because some
one didn't get something that he or sho
thought she ought to have or some one
else had got something that he or she
ought not to have. The old woman So
luton of that difficulty was stroke Of
genius.
81 found the dovisor sitting prim and
stiff in her prim and stiff little parlor, and
ranged around the room were n lot of other
women, all primmer and sitter than the
dcvisor. They were the lognteos, and they
were there to tell the dcvsor what they
wanted without reserve and as freely as
thoy would fight after the dcyiSor's death
for the same thing if it had not been be-
queathed. There were two men there. but
they didn't count. | didn't notice them
when ! went in, and every time they said
a word they were promptly squelched.
1.-THE women were of the spinster type,
the kind that one likes to characterize "a
females, spare acidulated and grim. | be-
lieve two of them We're married but thes
must have been so long before that they
had forgotten it. Here were pretty ma
tcrials for an argument, and if | hadn't
been so young and fresh l would have col
lapscd at the unprecedented plan. As IL
was l enjoyed the situation until I was
fairly in for it, and then, Of course, coulI
not get out.
Lest her presence should trammcl o
free discussion, the dcvi,or. after intro
ducing us all around and making the nco
essary explanations, left the room, and in
+ less than five minutes the air was full of
flying fur and feminine fury.
We'll, if | can't have the white house
with the cupalow / won't take anything
said Hannah Maria, and she swishod OUT
of the room in tears only to come back -
few minutes later, having thought better
of it.
"'Now, you can have the swamp lot
Susan. You know your husband alters
said he'd drain it if it was his IL. This
from Jane.
." Indeed And have me nursin him for
fever an ague all the rest OF his life, caught
workin down in that miro. l guess not.
No, ma'am I want the Hill farm. It's
little, but it's healthy, an you amt SO
smart AS you think, Jane Pearce.'
"Ladies ladies l INTERCEPTED mildly.
Really, / can't make anything ont of this
if you won't he "a little more amicable.
am afraid that the testatOrs wise plan
will be frustrated if you cant come to u
better agreement.
"A scornful sniff, punctuated by such
remarks as Bruten Wretch and the
like. which ran around the room, was all
, | got for my pains. | had interfered in u
family quarrel, and it was none of my Of
fair if the family chose TO decide things In
, bellic0se way.
"And then the row started again after a
few minutes Of sullrn silence. 1t was,
, You take the meddcr LOT and III take the
wood lot OF Il think Elizabeth ought to
have the COWS; her husband bein so shift
less, she could sell the milk and do better. ,
Now they banded about the phaetOn' and
the cherry bounce, which no one seemed
Ill
of the unobtrusive males present.
Then tho fight settled thickly over the
little apple orchard, and l was reduced to
despair. Finally threw myself into. the
breach once more with new proposition
would take the inventory of property and
let them ballot on the proposition articled
there each piece of property going to tho
one having the plurality Of votes, and l
went 10 work at once to put my scheme in
operation without waiting for the lega-
e tees consent.
The upshot of it was that the plan fell
fat on the first round when very desir-
able Request was put up, each legatee cast
ing one emphatic ballot for himself or her
self Then there was II scene and tears and
, more tears, with suspicious glances at the
, two men whom no one thought would have
, dared to prefer themselves.
r Il don't know how | ever came to q
conclusion, but in the end got a fair idea
;. of what would be acceptable, and after
consultation with the testator and getting
her approval drew up the will.
= but that ism all of the story. When
; l came to present my bill, the devisor ask
a ed me how much l wanted l drew deep
. breath and boldly said Five dollars. She
- almost tainted away, and, mind you, the
9 will hequeathed property to the amount of
- $50, geo When she came to, l asknd her
r if she thought l demanded too much.
n "'lll never give it in tho world-never,
!, never never was her determined reply.
- We'll, would s. 30 be too muchf' She
only frow ned at this without fainting.
Well, what do you think is right
finally asked in despair
: IAN pay you $3.50 and not cent
v more, she answered, jumping at the
Il rhnnce to name her own figures, and l.
+ we'll you can call me fool if you Will
y took it. Thcrell be dozen partition suits
= in that will, and | stand a good chance of
getting into them.
YES, country practice is meager, but 1t
+ is stimulating concluded the young at
: torney thoughtfully as he ordered 3 cent
cigar and went ont, leaving his nearer to
pay for the drinks.-\cw York sun.
Unimpresscd.