The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-12-28
A TIED UP ESTATE.
Hy MARY A. BOWERS.


dlvi.led It between a nephew and a
niece on condition they should marry
within six months after her death;
otherwise 1t was to 90 to charity. The
nephew. David Hale, was at the lime
devoted to Florence Merritt whom he
expected to marry Leona Geddes the
niece, WAS engaged to be married 10
Hamilton Niles. Neither cousin had
seen the other but % few occasions.
soon after they came TO know Of the
requests and conditions they met for
a conference. Miss Geddes announced
that she would marry the man to
whom she was engaged, This render
ed 1t impossible for Mr. Hale TO fulfill
the condition imposed upon him. He
was not bound to marry the girl he
had been attentive to and for the sake
Of the bequest was disappointed at
his cousins refusal to comply with
the terms OF the will He used every
argument to persuade her to change
her mind. but the best he could do was
to induce her TO unite with him In an
effort TO break the Will They were
the only heirs-at-Iaw and supposed
they would get the property anyway.
But they reckoned wrong. Those
charitable institutions TO whom the
property was left in case the cousins
failed to comply with the conditions
arrayed themselves for a sturdy fight.
Hale proposed and was accepted by
the girl he had been attentive to, and
with Miss Geddes' fance there were
four people interested In the viii be-
ing broken.
The fight was long one. There
was decision against the cousins
and they appealed to higher court.
The decision was reversed. and the In
stitutions lighting for their rights APP
pealed. BY this time good deal Of
money had been spent most OF which
came out of the estate. Besides. while
the case was in court the property
could not be sold, and some OF It de-
preciated In value. David Hale Was
very much worried. Indeed. his nerves
were on edge. and Miss Merritt found
that his condition affected her own
health. They had many spats. and
their engagement was broken and re-
newed several times. Miss Geddes
was made unhappy by the fear that
Mr.. Niles. who when be offered his
hand had been perfectly satisfied TO
take her without fortune. would Ia
case she was deprived OF her inner
itance leave her in the lurch. Hale
considered his cousin TO blame for the
situation and conceived an antipathy
for her which she heartily returned,
SO these four people were made mis-
cradle by Miss Olivia Hale's effort TO
manage her property after her death.
The business before theupper courts
was voluminous. and decisions were
delayed. The cousins lawyers inform
ed them that they had little hope that
the case would ultimately be won.
They also told them that II they were
disposed to fulhlI the conditions Of the
will they might take advantage Of an
ambiguity in its wording to do 30.
This proved the most unfortunate
turn IN the whole affair. Instead Of
Instantly declining this proposition
they took 1t under consideration. Hale
and Niles both seemed to lean to the
side that this would be a common
sense solution OF the problem. At any
rate. they talked or acted IN way
that Induced the two girls to break
their engagements. Hale and Miss
Geddes, being free. resolved to take
the lawyers advice and agree TO COM
ply with the terms Of the will.
This furnished new legal compli-
eaton, which not only prolonged tho
case In court. but added greatly to the
expense. The cousins seldom met and
when they did they quarreled. Miss
Merritt, who had spent several years
IN misery while engaged to Hale, was
broken In health and went TO SANTA
rum. Niles married wealthy girl be
cared nothing for and was divorced
within eighteen months. Miss Geddes,
who had loved him deyotedig, WIS
broken hearted.
And still the case dragged on.
Finally one day a decision was an
nounced. 1t was decided. first. that the
cousins had not complied with the
terms Of the win within the specified
time and could not inherit by doing so
afterward; second, the property was TO
40 to the charitable institutions speci-
fed.
Then came the casting Of the ac-
counts. Lawyers fees and court fees
were set down at $300,000: deprecia-
ton of real estate. $20o,000: accumu-
lated interest against the estate, $T5,-|
900. and shrinkage OF stocks and bonds
during financial crisis. 100000. leav-
ing $4,000 to go to ave institutions. or
5000 each.
When Miss OliTia Hale died four
young people had every prospect OF a
happy domestic life. Had she simply
died without laying plans to manage
her property after her death, leaving III
where she liked without conditions,
she would at least have done no harm
and might haye done much good, AS
1t was. she wrecked four lives, and the
only real benefit she conferred was on
the lawyers
Niles was so disappointed and In
jured at the outcome that he Is today
little better than an eutcast- Miss Mer-
rift died In the sanitarium Niles lives
at club He would like to marry
again. but the girl be wants won't
marry a divorced man. Miss Geddes
has long aco nassed out Of this life.