The Press., 1910-05-18
By BRADFORD C. AMY

 Association. ooooooooooooo ooooooooooooe
 I was in Switzerland and about tt climb the Jungfrau when bundle 0 letters and newspapers were handed me. While waiting for my guides tore open the wrapper of the papers and, scanning one of the journals. no ticed a marked item stating that my grandfather, Sherman Wellesley, aged eighty-five, had married and died tht same day.
 In twinkling was depOsed from { position of heir expectant to a great fortune tO--I did not know what. My grandfather had bitterly opposed my propensity to travel and especially tC climb mountains. I was his only de scendant, and he had long endeavOreG to induce me to settle down to the care of the millions which he had willed me. He lived ill constant terror lest should make slip on one of my climbs, go several thousand feet down over a precipice and the fortune that had been accommodating during his life time would go a-begging. In other words, it must be left to charity.
 His intention in marrying was plain to me. He could not have an heiI (Other than myself). but he could have Q wife. He had doubtless lost all pa. tience with me and at the last moment married some woman who would sup ply my place as an heir.
 l hesitated what to do, but, looking up at the glittering top of the white mountain, forgot for the time all about the fortune l had lost, and, my guides being ready, started on what proved my last ascent. On returning to my starting point. Interlaken, left for home. As soon as landed I wrote my new grandmother asking for informa. ton as to her husbands disposition ot the property. By return mail I receiv- ed this reply:
 Your grandfather, being taken suddenly Ill, concluded to destroy the will leaving you his sole heir, not having confidence that you would settle down and attend to the property. Having but an hour or two to live there was no time to make a de tailed will. His brain, always quick to work, solved the problem in this wise: Having great confidence in me, he mar ried me on his deathbed and signed a will comprised in few words leaving me all his property. He. however, exacted a promise from me that if you desired to marry me l would take you for a hus- band.
 Phew! Marry my grandmother!
 Well, all depended upon what kind of a woman she was. A hope sprang mn iy1 Y,,1r bro0S that aho ,nfOht ho of n suitable age for me and passably good looking. 1 wrote her that would run up for conference and politely as- sured her that if she was not favora- bly, impressed with me I would release her from the verbal condition by de- clining to marry her. This l tiattered myself, was very foxy way of put ting it, my real object being to decline to take q wife with a fortune if l didn't like her.
 I was doomed to terrible disap- pointment. I found my grandmother a veritable grandmother. She was six ty-fiye years old, fat, bald and not q tooth ill her head that was her own. 1 cursed myself for fool to have de- clined to comply with my grandfa- ther's wishes during his life, for now that the blow had fallen realized my folly. It was evident that to save the fortune l must marry an old woman, and even then she would own the property till her death, and should have to ask her for every penny spent
 Having taken sufficient time to make up my mind what course to pursue, sounded her as to whether l could marry her. take an allowance and spend my time anywhere but with her. She said she would think it over, and I had hope. But the next day was informed that such q course would not be carrying out her late husbands wishes. He had desired that should take care of the property.
 The medium through whom receiv- ed this answer was Agnes Dorchester, my grandmother's secretary, a young woman not quite my age. Indeed, was obliged to transact everything through this girl. and it. was not long before I saw plainly that Mrs. WelIes- ley was completely under her thumb. This added to my chagrin. Another had stepped in between me and the fortune had been brought up to ex- pect would be mine, and I was not even at liberty to deal directly with that person.
 Having discovered where the power lay. there was nothing for me to do but endeavor to gain such points as wished to make through it's, possessor l invited Miss Dorchester to confer ence, in which played my best card suade her mistress to fulfill her prom ise. allow ms stated income and per mt me to live abroad,
 Mrs. Wellesley" she said in reply to this proposition, "would not have been intrusted with this matter were 1t not that she was to be implicitly trusted with carrying it out. Your object was to- make a man of one who was wasting his tal- ents in globe trotting''
 While I was disappointed, was iIn- pressed. Even this girl, whom I had begun by disliking, saw that was not worthy to be trusted with fortune-a fortune of which she herself held the real management.
 I spent some time at my grandmoth- sr's endeavoring to bring her to some terms. She declined all my proposals. adhering to her late husbands inten- tions. She would fulfill her promise and would not consent to any subter- fuge to get around 1t A month passed, and l was about to give it all up and