Connecticut western news., 1910-01-27
POOR DEAR|E.
By EDGAR TALES MooDEY. [Copyright, 1910, by American Press Asso-
 ciation.l

How are We going to live? You have been brought up to. believe that you were to be your aunt's heir, and now you tell me that she has left the estate so tied up that you can't touch il and that her other relatives are like ly to beat you out of it."
 "That's so, and they will beat me out of it if they learn how matters stand" "What do you mean by that?'
 Il can't enlighten you without telling the whole story
 Well, tell it."
 "It's too ridiculous"
 "Ridiculous! Can anything that sep aratcS us be ridiculous? I will not bring trouble on you and on myself by marrying you, who, having been brought up on expectations. have made no preparation for earning living"
 "Pcrhaps lot, but you'll laugh all the same when I tell you to whom my aunt left her rroperty.'
 ''To whom d:l shn leave iIE"
 Il am next f kin and at the death of he present inyuu,Gcnt will succeed to the estate"
 Il didn't ask that. asked whom your au"t made hrr hrir."
 Il ail thih.:iljS Of kiIiin: b'.u."
 'Hh. F-d 1arI.:''
 its ihr C.ly sure way open to mc. If the other branches of tho family hear of how tho matter stands they'll break the will"
 But in that case you will get your share"
 That would hc a few thousand only. There are several hundred relatives. want the whole property"
 Cant you compromise with this per son whom Your aunt made her heir?"
 "No. He isn't capable of making an agreement. He does uoth:ng but strut about
 Come, come. Tell me the legal points. I have more bead for such things than you suppose"
 Well, my aunt left the property to this person, and, considering who he is, the bequest is ridiculous. That will be the plea of the relatives if they try to break the will. But [. being the heir of this legatee at his death, will take possession of the property. The other heirs will still have good cause for a suit. but 1 will have tbe sinews of war. @~ Underestimate"
 "Yes, perfectly. But this person to whom the property has Deen"-
 "When you see Lim you will see n cOXcomb."
 What was your aurts attraction for him?"
 He was her husband"
 Her husbandw
 ''SO she considered him."
 "But supposed your uncle died long ago"
 "So he did"
 "Well, then, how is it that this"-
 "Bigamist"-
 "Bigamist?"
 "That's what he is. He has q couple of dozen wives"
 Edward, Pm not going to stand this any longer. You are attempting to make a fool of me-
 T assure you that everything 1 have said of him is true. and, worse, he has never been married to one Of t..e wives with whom he lives"
 "The beastr'
 ''He is not a beast at all" '"Then for goodness sake what kind of a person is he?"
 ''LiSten to me. My aunt in her younger days was a great student. She studied everything science, religion, philosophy. She passed from one sys- tenn to another until she became a strong believer in the transmigration of souls. She was much attached to her husband. who humorcd her in her different faiths. There is no proof whatever but that she was sound in mind in her latter days, though she firmly believed that at her husbands death his soul passed into a little chick that broke through its shell the exact minute my uncle died. She at once took the greatest care of this chick, ordered a special house to be built for him and always called him 'Dearic,' the pet name she had had for my uncle. He grew up to be fine rooster. and my aunt never re laXed the attention she had shown him from his birth.
 Well, when the old lady died and l
 
 find but that she had left her whole fortune to her husband in the body of this chicken.'
 ''Ha. ha. har'
 Didn't l tell you you'd laush?"
 'It's too ridiculous.",
 That's what I said too.'
 "Welr-after pause--"what a-e You going to do?"
 Kill Dearie."
 And then?'
 Make application for the estate as his heir"
 "Why not as next of kin?"
 ''There are too many next of kin. would rather inherit S30Q.0O0 from q rooster than a few hundred from 2 human being"
 Well, then, why don't you kill him?' "He is protected. The woman to whom my aunt paid q large salary to take care of him never lets him out of her sight. Force of habit from knowing when my aunt lived that if DeariC