The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-08-04
MR.. ToMpK1Ns' WILL.


IT never was what you may call
superstitious," said a lawyer from
the country as he sat in the court
room awaiting the judge, 'but I had
an experience once that has ever since
induced me not to scoff at what is
called the supernatural. Mr.. Tomp-
kins was one Of the first clients my
father, who was lawyer, ever had.
He was wealthy and had, as was sup
posed, never been married. He lived
in an old homestead not far from a
we'll known city, and his wants were
attended to by an elderly house
keeper and several servants, male and
female. After became lawyer it
was my duty to see Mr.. Tompkins
quite frequently in relation to his
property and so forth. He was a
kindly man, somewhat reserved, and
when I first knew him, probably IS
years of age. He had strong per-
sonality both as to appearance and
character. He was over six feet and
stout in proportion. His face was
always clean shaved, and he wore his
hair long. When I knew him it had
turned gray, but was as abundant as
ever. His carriage was erect, and
his general appearance was such as,
if once observed, could not we'll be
forgotten.
"Mr. Tompkins was in the habit of
spending a good deal of time away
from home, and the impression of my
father and myself was that he was re-
cuperating in Florida. He went and
returned without notice. and his do
while at the same time they were ex-
ceedingly careful to have everything
ready for his reception whenever he
might return. Neither to me nor to
my father did he ever utter any ex-
planation of his absences from home
or make any allusion to them whatso-
ever.
Zone day Mr.. Tompkins came to
our office and asked for my father.
He was not in just then, and Mr..
Tompkins sat down and talked with
me. He asked me how I had spent
my time at college and about my as
sociates and my age and many other
things. After pause, which lasted
some moments, he said:
You have reached that age when
you should marry. The best thing
in the world for you is to get wife
as soon as you can take care of one.
A man is safer when he marries early
81 looked out of the window and
saw my father coming toward the
Office.
"'My father is coming said.
"Mr. Tompkins arose and glanced
toward the street. Then he stepped
to one side and appeared to ME to be
brushing something off his coat sleeve.
The next instant he wheeled right
round, staggered and fell. My father
entered just at the time, and both of
us hastened to raise Mr.. Tompkins
and place him on a chair. We sent
for his physician right away, and
when he came he said that Mr.. Tomp-
kins was suffering from an attack of
apoplexy. He was conveyed to his
home and the best attendance was
procured for him.
"My fathers impression was that
his client had come to see him on
some important business, for he never
visited the Office unless a matter in
which he was deeply and anxiously
interested impelled him to do so. His
usual custom was to send his car
riage for my father when he desired
to consult him. What the subject
could be which induced Mr.. Tomp-
kins to visit the Office that morning
neither my father nor I could divine.
eve talked over the incident long
and carefully, and in the course of the
conversation mentioned my be father
some facts which it had not struck me
before were of sufficient importance to
mention. It was not often that at
that time in my history I visited New
York. In fact, up to the time Of
which 1 speak I had been to the city
only twice. 1t was circumstance
which occurred on my last visit that
1 mentioned to my father. The busi-
ness that took me to the city was in
relation to some documents affecting
wooded lands up the state in which a
client was interested. I met an old
college friend, and one day he and I
went down to Long Branch together.
After taking in the sights we were
naturally hungry and went to the
best hotel we could select. Seated at
table near to us was party consist
ing of an elderly gentleman and lady
and several young people of both
sexes, ranging from S to I8 years.
The gentleman was seated with his
back to me, and it struck me that
was familiar with the contour of the
head. 1 tried hard to get sight oi
the face, but did not succeed until
was leaving, when so managed as to
procure pretty good view of the gen.
tleman's countenance.
"'Why,' said to my friend, that
is Mr.. Tompkins, an old client of my
father
"I faced around and looked the
gentleman square in the eye, but he