The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1908-08-14
BY MISADVENTURE
r r A ~ K b A r r e T T


up, of course. Perhaps you would like
me to tell them they must GOT"
mo. am to consider my position
here unaltered and no change in the rout-
inc is to be made until the will has been
read, Mr.. Keene says"
"Mr. Keene seems to be unduly inter-
fering-to be overstepping the hounds or
his-ah function" said Mrs. Yesmes
tartly.
Whereupon little Laure, with the cour-
age of desperation, declared I was dear
old man, and wouldn't let cook be sent
away, or let any one be made unhappy.
The day of the funeral came-and a
sad day it is in my memory, for even
a lawyer cannot bury an old friend with
out a pang of regret for the past that
can never be renewed; bitter yearn-
ing for the hand and the voice and the
eyes that never again one shall clasp,
and listen to, and look into!
1 expected that Lynn Yeames would
be sufficiently we'll to come back for the
reading Of the will but he was not. How
ever, Mrs. Yeames was there with tele-
gram of regret from him (she had torn
off the heading, but I found out after
wards that it came from Monaco), and
herself prepared to stand as his repre-
sentative; and a fine monument OF re-
spectability she was in her Grape. To
her disgust, / had up all the servants
into the room; indeed. had invited every
| one whose name was in the will. DR..
Awdrey was there, looking as if he were
going to have his head cut of, and Miss
Dalrymple, and little Laure.
l opened the will, and in dead 81
lence began to read it clearly and slow
ly. You might have heard a pin drop.
After the usual preamble, came the leg
acies to the servants, whom Mrs. Yeames
would have packed off with a months
wages, and then began the shifting and
signing and smothered ordinations OF
astonishment and pleasure as they learn
ed that there were a hundred pounds and
a good suit of clothes to come to each
Of them out Of the fortune Of their kind
old master. And when these were dis
posed Of, I came to the Yeames beQuest.
ITO Mrs. Anna Maria Yeames, widow
Of my brother, Joseph Flexmore, l give
and bequeath the sum Of five pounds"
looked at her over the top Of my
glasses as l read this. She folded her
arms, closed her eyes, and assumed a
look Of injured dignity. I would have
given as much as this beQuest to have
been able to look round and see how the
servants managed to conceal their feel
ings. However, contented myself witt
reading on:
ITO my nephew, Lynn Yeames, stepso1
Of the aforesaid Joseph Flexmore"-her'
I turned over the page, and glancing a
Anna Maria, found her eyes open. am
; her expression Indicative Of assured tri
umph-"I give and beQueath the sum o
, fifty pounds and my glass case Of stuffe'
birds"
Lowering the will and looking over m
glasses, I said to Mrs. Yeames Flez
more:
: "As your son Is not here, will appris
] him by letter of this bequest."
, "That is not all, am sure. Read OF
; IL you please" said the lady.
, l bowed, and proceeded to read out |
. full the clause in which Flexmore col
t stituted John Howard Awdrey, M. d
: etc., sole guardian of his beloved daugl
: ter, Laure Constance Flexmore, and
recognition and consideration of his Sc
? vice in the capacity Of guardian and tru'
9 tee beQueathed to him the annual intet
est on such capital as remained after Il
Q payment Of the foregoing aforesaid lei
q acies, life annuity to myself one hundre
d pounds, and all outstanding debts, unit
d the said beloved Laurie Constance File.
a more should attain the age Of twenty-on
a when the whole estate would revert
b her.
l. paused here and again looked ov
r my glasses at Mrs. Yeames. The woms
e had risen to her feet she was white Wi
passion. saw she wished to speak, al
7 waited. Her lip twitched convulsivel!
1t was some moments before she cou
Il articulate.
n "Do-do-do I understand" she "a
" tered, shat he has left nothing to my D
l. but fifty pounds?"
"a "And a glass case Of stuffed birds; tn
Is is ALL" I said.
"All the property, in fact. goes to I
" Awdrey?"
The bulk of the property goes to I
n Awdrey, in trust for Laure Constan
Flexmore, who inherits when she Is tive
In ty-ons years of age. Until that time I
Awdrey will receive from me annual pa
!. ment Of all interest accruing from t
ar estate, in payment of service rendered
I guardian Of the child. There Is furtt
r. clause providing for the appointment
H. a new guardian In the event Of DR.. A
4. drey's death, and the reversion Of t
whole estate to DR.. Audrey in case
a. the child dying before coming Of age, a
II which will now proceed to read"
Don't trouble yourself-I don't vi
Va to hear It 4" screamed rather than q
Mrs. Yeames.
Il. Madam" said I, II am here to n
=. this will. not solely for your pleasur
AZ LET me look at the signature Of Il
WILL" she cried, crossing quickly.
al There is the signature duly witne
on 3D." I said, showing it; "and the da
you see, il the fourth Of September
- last year."
w. do you mean to tell me this Is
er- will he made last yearr she asked.
&C II do, madam. Have you any rea,
to doubt it7"
- II have" she said, and then stop
M short. For how could she explain
,en means by which her son had posses
"A himself Of knowledge Of the affair?
,rd would have liked to proclaim me a SEQ
nm drel and a forger, as I believe she