The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-07-07


London, and Mr.. Catchem was the
cleVcrest detective in all England
You know my brother-in-law. tie
Hon. Mr. Burton?"
Mr.. Catchem nodded grimly. He had
heard of the gentleman. not to his al.
vantage
Just so. He was always. am sorry
to say, Il trouble to his family. My
wife-though only a child ut the time
remembers some stormy scenes before
he went abroad. After our marriage
| did what | could for him. but it WAS
very little use. Though then well ON
in his tifties, he was as wild as a young
colt-Wild, not vicious, I'm bound to
say. Well, eight years ago he had the
good luck-fOr him-t0 marry an heir
esS who was young, beautiful and
passionately in love with the elderly
scapegrace He kept as straight as
die while she lived and was terribly
cut up when she died about a year ago.
She showed her perfect confidence in
him by her WILL beQueathing to him
her whole property, real and personal.
with perfect confidence us she wrote,
in his loving care for our dear child.
Florence
within two weeks after his wife's
death he came to me TO prepare Il deed.
as tight as they draw them he said.
assigning his whole property, clear
$1,000 a year, and a beautiful house
and grounds, to his daughter, resewing
only Il moderate yearly allowance from
his Wife'S personal property fer him
self. l cannot trust myself, Warm
ington,' he said, that's the truth of it.
If l have money, | must splatter it
You may be sure the deed was as
stringent as the lawyers could make it.
and he signed it without winking
"Then, suppose from loneliness, the
Bohemian broke loose in him again.
In an evil hour-one of the small hours
in the morning, most likely-he fell in
with Miss TriXie MOrdant, the lveliest
and at the same time the Cutest young
lady that graces the boards of the En-,
pire.
We'll, | needn't tell you, when Il man
of sixty falls in love he comes a crop
per. The cunning little baggage quick
ly coaXed him into an offer of mar
rage and then stood out for handsome
settlements. She put her eye on the
property, but he thought he had no
power to touch it, and | didn't en-
tighten him on the subject, you may be
sure.
He was wild with himself for his
folly in having assigned it to his
daughter But Miss TriXie consulted
lawyers on her own account, Sharkey
& Snippit, sharp fellows as you'll meet
with in the city.
They We're not long putting my pre-
ciouS brother-in-law up to his legal
rights. AS the law now stands under
an old statute Of Queen Elizabeth. if
the property is granted to Miss Trixie
in consideration of her marriage with
the grantor, the deed to poor little
Florence is not worth the parchment
it's written on Sharkey q Snippit are
now, | have reason to know, preparing
marriage settlements and making over
the whole property to Miss TriXie, who
is in seaside village in the west of
Ireland"
I'VE have introduced a quiet little bill
in the house Of lords which will repeal
the old act of Queen Elizabeth, which
allows a man to defeat his own grant,
and will make voluntary conveyances
absolute against what we call in law
a purchaser with notice The bill is
halfway through the lords The lord
chancellor has promised the royal as
sent-by deputy, of cOurse-the day
after the bill passes the third reading
in the commons"