The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-11-22
THE HERITAGE Of
THE ELLIS ESTATE
lOriginal.l

. :
lOriginaLl
When Edward Ellis. childless widow
ct. passed his sixty eighth birthday, be-
fng partially blind, he took into his
service Dora Laraway. aged twenty
two. her duties being that of COM
panion. He promised to leave her
something ia his will-he was rich-but
died without having made any will.
Meanwhile Dora. who had endured
Ia for ten yetrs, had passed out of
y YOUTH and found herself on the
W Grid for living. The disposition of
Ellis p:s'perty promised to be peculiar
A wife, J, child. a brother or sister
woul;l .,ate inherited it all under the
law Ellis lad had only one child-a
s" IL, had gone to the Spanish
I'D, Avdr and was on the list Of
killeI III tie fighting before Santiago.
There being no near relative to inherit
the Ellis estate. it was bounced upon by
remote cousins.
Claimants came in great numbers
from far and near. There was no una
nimity between them, each striving to
make his or her own claim paramount.
Dora Laraway was inclined to put in a
claim for services, but was advised
that such claim would not hold good in
law.
Among those claiming share of the
estate was a middle aged man who
called himself Leonard Ellis. He had
come from South America, where he
lived, and, as no one had ever heard of
the deceased having relative in that
PARKWAY country, he was looked upon
with suspicion. He seemed ather disc0n-
certed at the clamor Of claimants and
apparently disinclined to enter the lists
The reason for this was apparent
when he was asked from what Ellis he
had descended. He named Leonard
Ellis, a captain in the Revolutionary
war. The cousins hunted the matter
up and found that the said Ellis had
never been married.
Since none of the claimants wished
household effects, or, rather, since they
all wished to go in and appropriate the
effects, it was agreed that Dora Lara
way should remain in charge. Mean
while the cousins were busy hacking
at the Ellis genealogical tree, each
desiring to cut off for himself the big
gest branch. All filed their papers ex-
cept Leonard Ellis, who since the dis
cOvery that his ancestor had died child
less, or, worse, that he was Legitimate
had taken back seat among them.
Once, and only once, he ventured to
open his mouth. Then he proposed
that in view of Dora's services to the
deceased and the promise that had
been made her oneeighth of the estate
be signed to her. His proposition was
met with such torrent of abuse,
especially. coming from one whose
claim was fraudulent, that the poor
man was abashed But when it be-
came known that the deceased had en-
bodied his intention to Dora in a letter
there was hush among the claimants.
claim should be bought up. When,
however, Dora made no use of the evi-
dence she possessed the Weathercock
shifted again, and it was limited among
them that the letter was a forgery.
Dora herself admitted that she had
been advised by the stranger Leonard
Ellis not to press her claim This move
Oh the part Of one who had he been
legitimate descendant from the man
he claimed for progenitor would have
come in ahead O. them all puzzled
Them but when it was announcer that
Leonard Ellis had taken up his quar-
tiers in the house that had been occu-
pied by the deceased all recognized the
fact that some coup d'etat had been
sprung on them.
Simultaneous with this information
came an invitation from Leonard Ellis
to each and every one Of them to meet
him the next evening at the house an
interest in which they all claimed,
when he would display genealogical
tree that would settle all dispute with
regard to the Ellis property. All &C.
cepted and were ushered into the
drawing room, where the tree" was
hung on the wall Mr.. Ellis advanced
to the map, holding a cane in his hand
for pointer. The Ellis whose name
stood first and from which all the rest
on the tree were descended was Sam
uel Ellis, father of Captain Leonard
Ellis and Edward Ellis, the GRANDPA
ther Of the deceased. Beneath the
name of the deceased was Captain
Leonard Ellis.
Cousins" said the expounder, point
ing to this name, Edward Ellis had
a son who was named for Captain
Leonard Ellis, who heads this tree. He
went to the Spanish-American war,
having quarreled with his father, who
wished him to remain In business,
which he disliked He became a CAP
tain and was enormously reported kill
eC, Taking advantage of the error to
remain dead man to his father tenn
pCrarily, he went to South America,
where he has since been aged In
coffee planting. He put off declaring
nfOocnJf Ion thor ho hoI ;pto~1nI