The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1904-03-16

For hundreds of years our family
have been proud of our name, Leices-
ter, claiming descent from the Leices-
ter family whose best known repre-
sentative was the favorite Of Queen
Elizabeth. I was baptized Algernon
Cecil.
/ was introduced to girl whose name
did not catch. If had caught it l
doubt that should SO readily have fall
en- in love with her. When learned that
it was the singular and to her entirely
inappropriate name of Crosspatch left
her for week, at the end Of which
time called on her again. for found
1t impossible to drive her out Of my
mind.
"How did it happen" ! asked her,
shat you, the perfection Of aniability,
were born under such nameY
ut is corruption" she said, "of
Grossebach. The change came many
generations ago, and my grandfather,
who studied the family history, pro-
fessed to have discovered that 1t was
made on account Of the bravery Of one
Of our ancestors, common soldier Of
Cromwell's army, who in face of gall
ing fire crossed field or patch Of
ground, carrying ammunition to a force
beleaguered by the Cavaliers. His COM
rades dubbed him Crosspatch, and he,
being proud of his deed, retained it,
"H'm!" muttered to myself. Doubt
less my ancestors were among the Cav
alters who opposed the low bred Puri-
tans."
Despite her name, loved Miss Cross
patch SO dearly that could not give
her up, and, as my love was returned,
we became engaged. Besides my love
there was another reason for my mar
riage-I longed to regain some of the
social prominence for myself and my
descendants of the ancient Leicesters,
and Miss Crosspatch was possessed Of
an enormous fortune left her by this
same grandfather who had discovered
the origin of the name. After all, what
difference would it make? The wife as
sumes the husbands name, and she
and our children would be Leiccsters
/ had a fancy that the oldest son
should have for his surname his moth
er's family name, but in this case !
resolved that no son of mine should be
christened Crosspatch Leicester. He
should be named for me, Algernon
Cecil. I would see that he inherited
the bulk of his mothers fortune, and
in this way l would re-establish the
Leicester family.
There was a brilliant wedding at
which / drank trif1e too much wine
and boosted that us one of our family
had once been the favorite Of queen
now it would become the favorite of
the upper ten thousand Of the United
States. We departed on our wedding
trip amid the usual shower Of rice and
on our return settled myself down to
enjoy my newly acquired fortune. !
had been at home but a few days be-
fore the solicitor for the Crosspatch
millions wrote me saying that he would
like to see me in the city. / went to
him and was shown into his private
office.
81 have sent for you" he said, "that
very important matter may be set
tled-the ownership Of the Crosspatch
property"
My dear sir" replied, "the proper
ty belongs to my WIFE,"
"There is condition attached to her
grandfather's will"
ga condition! What is it?"
"That her husband assume the name
of Crosspatch and the children If any
resulting from the marriage only in
herit under that name. Simon Cross
patch, having no children except your
wife's father, and he dying during her
infancy with no other issue, left the
property to her with the above named
condition. He Was-yery proud of the
manner in which the name originated
and desired to perpetuate the family
under it.
"And l." said 1, Fam DESTROYS of per-
petuating the family under the name
Of Leicester
"The family can only inherit by as
Stunning the name of Crosspatch. In
case you decline to do So the will
states that the property is to go to the
endowment Of an institution to be
known as the Crosspatch university"
"My wife never told me this" ex-
claimed wrathfully.
"For the very good reason that her
grandfather stipulated in his will that
she was not to be Informed of it except
through her husband. He desired not
to stand in the way of her marriage.
lie preferred to leave it to her husband
to accept the terms or resign the for
tune. But in case you decline there is
an annuity settled on her of $1,000 a
year to keep her from want"
asked for the time allowed me by
the will in which to make my decision
and was informed that it was month.
l was too much disgruntled to return
to my wife for week, but by that
time had decided to accept the name
and the fortune My wife,who was
and is arniability itself, bore with my
irritation and disappointment. | de-
cIared that would break the will and
spent months trying to find locphole
by which could do so. Indeed Made
so much fuss that the matter get out,
and it was commonly reported that
that ill natured Leicester was i'll treat
ing his good natured wife. who de-
served a better husband. Finally my
grumblings died away, and peaeeably
took possession of my wife's fortune.
And now l am known as old Cross;
patch, my wife as Mrs. Crosspatch, and