El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-11
Mr.. TOmpkins' Will
Did the Spirits Garry Out the Wishes
of the Dying Man.

~~~-s-~-s-1-s-o-s1-s-4> -s-1s-1-s>SH-
| Il never was what you may call SUI
| perstitiOuS," said a lawyer from the
| country as he sat in the courtroom
awaiting the judge, but 1 had an ex.
perience once that has ever since in.
duced me not to scott at what Is called
the supernatural. Mr.. Tompkins was
one of the first clients my father, who
was a lawyer. ever had. He was
| wealthy and had, as was supposed,
never been married. He lived in an
| old homestead not far from q well
known city up the state, and his wants
were attended to by an elderly house
keeper and several servants, male and
] female. After l became lawyer it
| was my duty to see Mr.. TOmpkins
| quite frequently in relation to his prop
| erty and so forth. He was a kindly
| man. somewhat reserved, and, when 1
first knew him, probably 65 years of
| age. He had strong personality both
as to appearance and character. He
| was over six feet and stout in proper
ton. His face was always clean shaw
| ed. and he wore his hair long. When
l knew him. it had turned to 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 n 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
mestics, being used to his ways. never
troubled themselves at his absence,
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 explana-
ton of his absences from home or
make any allusion to them whatsoever.
"One day Mr.. Tompkins came to our
office and asked for my father. He
was not in just then. and Mr.. Temp
kins sat down and talked with me- He
asked me how l had spent my time at
college and about my associates and
my age and many other things. After
a 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 a wife as
soon as you can take care of one. A
man is safer when he marries early
Il looked out of the window and saw
my father coming toward the office.
My father is coming l said.
MIR. Tompkins arose and glanced to-
ward 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. Ny father
entered just ut the time, and both of
us FASTENED to raise Mr.. Tompkins and
place him on a chair. We sent for his
right away, and when he
came he said that Mr.. TOmpkins 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 i'm !
portant 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 GUS
tom WIS to send his carriage for my
father when he desired to consult him.
What the subject could be which in
duced Mr. TOmpkins to visit the office
that morning neither my father nor
could divine.
We talked over the incident long
md carefully, and in the course Of the
l mentioned to my father
some facts which it had not struck me
before were of sufficient Importance to
MENTION. 1t was not often that at that
line in my history l visited New York.
n fact. up to the time of which
speak had been to the city only twice
t was a circumstance which occurred
N my last visit that l mentioned to
ny father. The business that took me
o the city was in relation to some doc
Iments affecting wooded lands up the
tate in which client was interested.
met an old college friend, and one
lay he and l went down to Long
Branch together. After taking in the
lights we were naturally hungry and
vent TO the best hotel we could select.
eated ut n table near to us was a par /
y consisting of an elderly gentleman
nd lady and several young people Of
9th sexes. ranging from to IS years ;
he gentleman was seated with his
ack to me. and it struck me that l
'aS familiar with the contour of the {
cad. i tried hard to get sight of the |
ace, but did not succeed until l was 6
'aving. when l so managed as to pro- I
nre pretty good view of the gentle I
,an'S countenance. I
[r. Tompkins, an old client Of my ia G
her. ~