The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1901-09-05

1 until | met Daniel Draper. After
my first contact with him had
no further notions regarding the
proposition. I was young law
ger, lust established in practice as
Junior partner tn firm with
a big income. was Of the crit
zeal point 10 most puzzling Casa
will case In which J was strangely in
tercstcd. u was not the amount in
solyed. hut rather the uuaccountabie
10 Justice that seemed 90 have been
committed that attracted my interest.
Phoebe Parker was the niece Of
simon Gilbert. lie had lived with
bis books and his daughters un-
III Julia, the elder, took " into
her head 10 marry Richard Rad
,liTc. the broker. and at the same
time Fanny. the younger. fell IN love
with Tom Beldeu. Then the old man
declared himself. He did not propose
10 be- left alone 10 his age nor 20 be-
come mixed up with other families. II
jnc or both Of his daughters insisted
On marrying. welt end good. lie would
not be unfair. He would give them q
dowcr-aS much Of he could spare. The
balance Of his fortune. at his death,
would go to some person who would
live with him and make him comfort
able. The daughters were determined
and married. and true to his promise
Simon Gilbert gave each ~ them $1,000
and never entered their houses. He
hunted up a niece. Phoebe Parker, and
told her n she would take care 81 him
while he lived and not marry he would
treat her like a daughter and will her
nh he had. This amounted TO some.
thing ike $4,000,
Phoebe had taken the offer after
some thought and mass tears. She
was an orphan without a cent and In
love with Jack shirley. But Jack had
his crippled father and invalid mother
10 support and Il was out ~ the ques-
ton for him 90 think Of marrying
while they were alive unless he could
huy an interest in the business, and
that would cost ten or twelve thouSahd
dollars. So she had gone into the grim
aud gloomy house Of Simon Gilbert and
there she had worked and wept, trying
to make the old man comfortable and
pining for q kind woodland for Jack,
with whom things did not improve.
Simon Gilbert wen. to his lawyer,
who was the head Of our firm. and
had his will drawn. leaving everything
to Phoebe.
But after the death 81 Gilbert what
was the surprise Of every person who
knew the circumstances when another
will was found. dated six months be-
fore his death, IN which the estate wa
eft q his two daughters, and Phoebe
Parker was not so much a. mentioned.
Nv partner had drawn the will, giving
the property to the niece. but be- could
not question the In tier document, for IL
uBs most certainly signed in Gilbcrts
handw riiing, ~ that my partner was
sure; he knew the signature well. He
was equally sure that the old man had
intended to deal honestly and justly
with his niece, and on the girls behalf
ne had asked me 10 look into tho mat.
ter and see IL there was not n way TO
Eight the later will. I-yas absolutely
aaffed ~ to a line upon which 10 base
q fight. was relating the circum-
stances Ia n friend NJ mine. a reporter.
when he suggested that call In Daniel
Draper and-talk the matter over with
bin.
Daniel Draper that crazy.
-hifticss son " old Draper, the black
SMITH"
The same" replied the reporter.
"And don't bet too much IN his being
crazy. lie has helped me out Of many
| a hole when have had an assignment
I couldn't land. You know he Is am
bilious To become a detective"
The upshol Of II was that my friend
the reporter, brought Daniel Draper
20 tee me and laid the case before
him. lie was loose joinied. ronnd
shnuldered young fellow with y shock
OF tow cainrcd hair covering rather a
well-shapcd head. His features wer,
not attractive and no TWO Of them
seemed 10 match. Ills mouth wore a
hali-conciliatory haif-apologetic ex-
preston and his eyes were duh and
iiatlcss and seemed To only half see
the objects upon which they fixed
themselves.
He asked lot of questions. having
apparently no relation 20 each other,
and many of them seeming to have lit.
tie or no bearing on the case. Then be
inquired abruptly u he could see the
will. We went TO tke courthouse and
| looked al the document. Draper gazed
bllnkiy at 1t sideways and upside
down and turned il over aud looked II
the back. Finally. just as my patience
was about exhausted. he pulled from
his pocket q magnifying glass and
looked through that for acme minutes
| Then he reached over and took y piece
| ef plain paper and leid II oyer the siR
nature and under the signature and
over and under mapy OF the lines oi
the writing In the will. Then he said
he was ready TO 60. When we arrived
at the stairway leading 10 my Office
| he turned 30 leave me with n careless
and preoeeuplrd nod
'Iiaye you solved The problem?"
ssised. sareasticsiiy. could not re.
| frain from that orc shot. The nnswcr
nearly flcored me.
+Not quite" Draper replied. quiet
". "AlI have learned Is that Simon
| Gilbert did mot align the will. bat wrote
his name 20 some other sort Of . doca'
rnens- just what that was Ifannet
now sny, int I will iet-sos know In tho
morning and also Mt whose instiratiou
he wrote his name and WIN fixed tke
win mp IN la present FORM" s
How do yon know these ihinEs7" |
asked.
'-Some Of the 1efters ara mi conn
| piete at the top. indicating that they
e0s~ couzpirted - nome pnper TINA
7 4. IIs<rtt