The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-27
&&49e-448<

Steamn' Springs at the time, and l KEEP |
it from them all right" ,Eaez
But how was he ehtangled?-to what !
extent?" Il
THAT'S what well get more light on in
the morning. She made a play right after
the will was filed fur probate. and I told
Coplen to see jest what grounds she had,
and I'd settle myself if, she really had any
and want unreasonable
IT'S just question of blackn1ail, isn't
it?3 What did you offer?" ~.s>.@
well, she has a slew Of 1etters-gettin'
them is matter of sentiment and
keepin the thing quiet. Then she
claims to have will made last December
and duly witnessed, givin' her the one
Girl outright, and a million cash. So you
can see she amt anything ordinary. l
told Copen to offer her a million cash for
everything rather'n have any russ. l
was goin to fix it up myself and Keep
quiet about it,
'.And this telegram looks as if she
wanted to fight" -
well mebbe that and mebbe it means
that she knows we don't want to fight
considerable more than a million dollars
worth"
How much do you think she'll hold out
for?'' .~a 1:.- s,..-.
Cant tell; you don't know how big pills
she's been smokin'.' .-
But, damn it all. that's robbery
"Yes-but it's her deal. You remem-
Der when Billy Bruce was playin' seven
up with a stranger in the Two-Hump sa-
loon over to Eden, and Chiddie Fogle the
bartender called him up front and Whis-
pered that he'd jest seen the feller turn
a jack from the bottom. Well says Bill
lie, looking kind OF reproNin' at Chlddle,
it was his DEAL Wa mt it?' Now it's sure
this blond :party's deal, and we'd better
reckon ahead mile before we start any
rough house with her. You're due to find
out If you hadn't better let her turn
her jack and trust to gettin' even on your
deal. You got claim staked out in New
York, and a scandal like this might han
| dicap you in workin' it. And 'taint as if
hushin' her up was something we couldn't
we'll afford And think Of how it would
torment your ma to know Of them doin's,
and how 'twould shame 'Pish in company.
| OF course, rob'ry is rob'ry. but mebbe it's
| our play to be sporty like Billy Brue was.'
pretty bad, isn't it? I never suspected
! pa was in anything Of this sort
well. I knew Danl j. purity we'll, and
! spleened against some Of his ways, but
that's done fur. Now the folks out in
| this part of the country have come to ex-
! pect it from a man like him. They don't
| mind much. But them New Y York folks
well, thought mebbe you'd like to take
a clean bill of health when you settle in
| that center Of culture and enlightenment,
|
'"Of course the exposure you'd mean a
i bit of cheap notoriety-'
"Well. and not so all-fired cheap at
! that, even if we beat. I've heard. that
lawyers threatenin' to stop this thing
of workin' entirely fur their health.
| There's that to weigh up
| But hate to be DONE
l. "Well, wouldn't you be worse done if
you let a matter Of money, when you're
reeckin' with it, keep you from protectin
your pas name? Do you want folks to
snicker when they read that lovin' hus-
| stone? My! I guess that young woman
| and her folks we met the other day'd be
tickled to death to think they
knew you after they'd read one
Of them . Sunday newspaper stories
with pictures Of us all, and an
extry fine one Of the milionaire's dupe,
basely enticed from her poor but honest
millinery business in Spokane
! Percival shuddered.
| !. ':Well. let's see what Coplen has to say
in the morning. If it can be settled with
in reason suppose we better give up
'"Thats my view now, and the estate
bein' left as simply as it was, we can
make in the payments unbeknownst to
the folks.''
They said goodnight, and Percival
4 went off to dream that cab horse of
| mammoth size was threatening to eat
Miss Milbrey unless he drove 1t to Spo-
kane Falls and bought two million millin-
cry shops.
When he was jolted to consciousness
they were in the switching yard at Butte,
and the car was being coupled to the rear
Of the train made up for Montana, City.
He took advantage of the stop to shave
: By the time he was dressed they were
under way again. steaming out past the
big smelters that palled the sky with
heavy black smoke.
) At the breakfast table he found Uncle
Peter and Coplen.
TN inclined" said the lawyer as Per.
cival peeled peach. Ito agree with you,
grandfather. This woman--if I may use
the term-is one Of the nerviest leg-pull
ers you're ever likely to strike.''
Lord I should hope So" said Perci
val. with hearty emphasis,
"She studied your father and she knew
certainly knew he was liable to go a
4 any time, in exactly the way he did go
Why, she even had doctor down from
n Frisco to Monterey when they were
there about year ago-introduced hin
as an old friend and had him stay aroun(
three days-just to give her private
professional opinion on his chances. A
, to this will. the signature is undoubtedl.
genuine. but my Judgment is she pro
, paper and had the will written above sol
. ! sheets like it. AS it conforms to th
+ real will word for word, excepting tn
! bequests to her. she must have had ac
cess to that before having this one writ
, ten. OF course that helps to make it lool
as if the testator had changed his min,
,, only as to the one legatee-makes it lool
, plausible and genuine. The witnesse
:, We're Of course parties to the fraud bu
seriously question our ability to prov
T their was fraud. We think they procure
; a copy ofvthe will we kept in our safe a
T Butte thru the clerk that Tafe fire
awhile back because of his drinking hab
:, its and because he was generally sus
: picious Of him. OfScourse that's onl
I lsurmise. K t,,.s%".l..t,
"But can't we fight it?'' dernande
t brown little trout.
< contest, we might expose the Who'll
: tell you she's clever. She's shown it a
i fght,'' and the lawyer bristled, a
{ if his .fghtn1g spirit were not to
: far under the control of his experience
+ born caution. why. you have litigatio
t that's bound to last for years. and it woul
: be pretty expensive. 4 admit the case
e tempting to a. lawyer. but in the end yo
Q don't know what you'll get, especially wit
: this woman. Why do you know she
= different judges that might be intereste
S In any litigation she'd have, and she
]. cultivating others. The role of Joseph,
4io,,o q eve 10 f1,o hos =