The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-01-02

N had his pulse beat so strong
~, as after hearing Valsin.
an eyewitness, rehearse the
heroic fall Of his brother. His spirit
bounded; he felt his powers expand;
he saw the path to the goal cleared. 1t
was an effort to feign grief in the rep
etition Of the story to fearful Mrs. wy
ley, but his acting was superb, and it
suHced to excuse hasty retirement to
the privacy of his room and the re-
quest that no one should be permitted
to disturb him. Tiptoeing steps past
the locked door and underneath the
curtained windows testified the respect
Of the household for his sorrow.
With hands unsteadied by the ex-
IRENE of exultation he opened the small
brass ribbed box of ebony in which the
sealed envelope had lain since the day
he had received it from Horace and
promised to defend Estelle from harm.
Drawing his chair into the subdued
light which filtered through the win
dow curtain, he broke the seal, took
out the one sheet of paper and, unfold
ing it, read:
PARISH OF AvoYEILEs, LOUISIANA, May 6, 1861
!, Horace Oakfell, of "L'Esperance" plantation,
IN the parish and state above written Of lawful age
and without forced heirs, being of sound health
Doth In mind and body, but knowing the Ger
tainty of death and the uncertainty of the time
thereof and especially having in view the perls OF
war, into which am about to enter do make this
my last will and testament in the Geographic
form.
give and bequeath unto my brother, Evariste
Oakfel, one-half of all my estate of whatsoever
kind and wheresoever situated which may pos
sess at the moment of my death.
give and bequeath unto Estelle Latiolais,
granddaughter of Leonidas Latiolas of the parish
and state above written, the remainder of my es-
tate OF whatsoever kind and wheresoever situated
which l may possess at the moment of my DEATH
appoint my said brother, Evariste Oakfell, sole
executor OF this testament and dispense him from
giving bond, and direct him to make partition
OF my estate by Gcitation within one year after
probate and deliver to said Estelle Latiolais her
share in gold money or its equivalent in interest
bearing securities to be approved by the parish
judge
, This testament has been dated, written and
signed by me on one sheet of paper at one writ
ing. HORACE OAKFEL1
So intense was the shock he expert
enced from this perusal that his head
fell forward, and for a moment his
state was one of semiconsciousness.
But rage, bitter, unspeakable rage, sent
the blood surging hot from his heart.
The veins Of his neck and temples
gorged; his face grew Hvid. Had he
been Of full physical habit he would
have died in the tempest of wrath
which burst within him. An hour he
sat motionless except for the witch
1ngs of his countenance, like those Of
an an8sthet1zed patient under the sur
geon's knife. But one thought was de-
fined in his dazed, congested mind, and
that took the form of an infinite, malig-
nant curse upon the brother who
Ithwarted him even from his undiscov-
cradle grave. Exhausted, weak as a
child coming out of a cataleptic spasm,
he tottered across the room and fell
painting upon his bed. The calmness
of collapse came upon him, bringing a
gradual return Of connected thought.
! In his view Horace's malevolence to
him was manifest. The purpose of the
bequest of half the estate to Estelle
was so to burden the conscience of the
sentimental girl with a weight of graf
1tude to his memory that the bestowal
OF her hand to another would to her
seem the basest Of crimes. He had
sought to make her life one Of virgin
widowhood or religious seclusion. The
plain animus was to battle the suit
which he anticipated that Evariste
would press. The latter would not adj
init that his passion was unknown to
Horace. How was this stroke to be
parried? Now, If ever, was the crisis
out Of which his boosted cunning, the
gift Of his Latin ancestors, should bear
him victorious. What was this weapon
used against his life's life? What was
the character Of an Geographic will?
What was his status without the will,
no living person but himself having
seen it?
He dared not consult lawyer. No
one Of the craft known to him possess
ed the degree Of secretiveness to in
wife his trust. Rising and borrowing
strength from decanter of brandy, he
took down the civil code of Louisiana
and, turning over the leaves, every one
Of which bore the pen notes and thumb
marks of his brother, rested his eyes
upon these lines:
Article 1851. The Geographic testament is that
which is written by the testator himself. In Or
der to be valid it must be entirely written dated
and signed by the testator. 1t is subject to no
other form and may be made anywhere, even out
of the state.
Article 164s. The Geographic testament shall be
opened if it be sealed, and it must be acknowl-
edged and proved by the declaration of two cred
ible persons, who must attest that they recognize
the testament as being entirely written, dated
and signed in the testator's handwriting, as hav-
ing often seen him write and sign during his
lifetime.
'The perfection of simplicity" Eva
riste muttered, land from all the forms
oe testament allowed by the law he
has deliberately selected this one for
my discontinue. Shall I suffer it to
wreck my hopes? Shall not strangle
it before it sees the light? What would
be the effect of that? Let me look fur