La Junta tribune., 1907-03-30

IsAw YELLOW AND STAINED PAPER.
home he had u talk with my father
and another after supper. and then he
hunted me up.
Come" said he. .lct's have u look
at my estate"
l went with him. and he led me
straight To the broad portal of the
great dark house. l heard the key
rattle in the lock.
So we came to room on the sec-
ond floor and to II shadowy corner OF
II where stood tail old clock with n
carved case OF blackwood.
"Whew!" said DrummOnd. Let me
get my breath. This IL a crisis in the
lives Of several people. my friend. How
ever, there's another one downstairs"
What IN blazes do you meant" I de-
anded. Another what!"
Another clock. But this was the
uncle's ROOM
Uncle? You mean old Sam Mer-
rIll:"
Yes. The man who In his last years
seemed 40 fond OF Arthur. yet left all
his property u George. In q will dated
dve years before
Il don't uudersts ud.'
civilian Pendulum" he auswered--
"Wiiiis N. Pendulum. The will 10 In
the pendulum. And now, by heaven, 1t
In In my hand!'
While spea king he had swung open
the door OF the clock case. and now lie
turned toward me 40 suddenly that We
era shed together.
Light IL match" he cried. And I
managed to do 1t.
Issw a yellow and stained paper In
my friends hand Before the match
burned out we knew the ma tnre OF the
brief document. 1t was indeed will.
aud the name signed 10 It was Samuel
Merrill.
We did not wait for lamplight. but
examined the will then and there by
the aid OF matches. 1t seemed quite
regulur-it was dated 1Strs-and 1t
made Arthur Merrill and not George
the chief heir-sole heir indeed-to the
property in Kingsford.
arthur left all he possessed to Jane
Stnnbury.' said Drummoud. by this
will he WAS made owner of this estate.
1t therefore passed to his fiancee. 1t
was never properly at issue in the pres
ent litigation. No interest In 1t belong
ed To any OF the contestants nor could
have passed to me. l have signed away
my share for nothing. because this
estate Is legally vested in Jane Stan
bury. and shall never contest her
right 10 II,
And now he added M the last
match burned out. "do you begin to
understand what happened? George
t hnv Pr urt,
when his uncle died, found this will
here In this room. Doubtless he knew
that the earlier will had not been de-
stroyed. Upon an Impulse he hid this
document in the nrst place that he
could 'think-6f aud never had the moral
strength TO reveal Its existence until
the hand Of death was on him. Then
he told q coInrade. one who was suf-
ferer with him In the same hospital. no
| doubt. He trusted this maa to keep
the secret. to disclose the right will. bat
preserve Georges name from disgraes.
Why this riddle wasu't read loag age
10 4 mystery to ne"
Although this was largely conjecture,
It has stood every test Of saossQusat
investigstiou. and the title sf Ma
8tanbury to the property has besn cea-
nrmed by the usual leGal nsane.
whether this has made my friend poor
sr IN all that counts for real value iu
this werld will not venture to assert.
Indeed be has lost the estate only tenn
| porarily, for 1t will no denbt pass to
Margaret stanbury at hsr auuts death.
aad Margaret aad Drummeod are to
he married sarly nsxt mesth. oems
mems luck 10 invincible: they cannot
suffer less even hy being honest.
Az for the soldier beneath the stone
cross. be 10 now designated by his
rightful nane. TIE Chew fnrnished ~
his association with George Merrill and
by the presumptIop Of his having been
IN inmate Of the same hospital clos~
upon the date Of Merriil's death suf-,
feed for hts Identification after pa
tent search Of records. and his mama
proved to he Albert Stevens.