The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-03-23
POOR DEAR|E,
BY EDGAR FALEs Moonev

How are we going to live, y
nave been brought up to believe ~. aOa
you were to be your aunt's heir %
now you tell me that she has lof. a ~
estate so tied up that you can't tonus
it and that her other relatives oro 'T ny
~ to beat you out of It."
THAT'S so. and they will beat mo 49,.
or 1t If they learn how matters stanS"
What do you mean by that?"
II can't enighten you without tor.
the whole story"
| well. tell it,"
| ITS too Ridiculous"
Ridiculous! Can anything that Ga.
arateS us be ridiculous? I will -.
J bring trouble on you and on mvSo,f ~
marrying you who, having been
brought up on expectations. have mad
no preparation for earning a living.
Perhaps not. but you'll laugh all tbo
same when | tell you to whom NV
aunt left her property"
ITO whom did she leave it?"
Il am next Of kin and at the death
| of the present incumbent will succoodI
to the estate"
81 didn't ask that. asked whom your
aunt made her heir"
Il am thinking of killing him."
"Oh. Edwardr'
"It's the only sure way omen IN mo
If the other branches of the familr
hear of how the matter stands they'll
! break the WILL
But in that case you will get your
share
''That would be few thousand only
There are several hundred relatives.
want the whole property"
Cant you compromise with this per.
son whom your aunt made her herr"
mo. He isn't capable of making an
agreement. He does nothing but strut
about
"COme. come. Tell me the legal
points. have more head 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 suit. but / will have the sinews
Of war. Understands
eyes, perfectly. But this person to
whom the property has BEEN
when you see him you will see a
coxcOmb."
What was your aunt's attraction for
him?'
"He was her husband"
"Her huSbandv'
$50 she considered him."
"But supposed your uncle died long
ago."
$50 he did"
"Well. then. how is it that this
"Bigamist"-
"Bigamist?'
'Thats what he is. He has couple
Of dozen wives
Edward. I'm not going to stand this
any longer. You Il t attempting to
make fool of me-"
Il assure you that everything have
said of him is true. and. worse, he has
never been married 10 one of the wives
with whom he lives
"The beastr'
HE is not a beast at ALL"
''Then for goodness sake what kind
of person is he?"
Listen to me- My aunt in her
younger days was great student. She
studied rything-science. religion,
philosophy. She passed from one syS-
tenn to another until she became
strong believer in the transmigratiOn
of souls. She was much attached to
her husband. who humored 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, OTueIeu SpeCldl uOuSC W W
built for him and always called him
'Dearie,' the pet name she had had
for my uncle. He grew up to be
fine rooster. and my aunt never re-
Taxed the attention she had shown him
from his birth.
"Well, when the old lady died and
came to look over her will, what did
find but that she had left her whole
fortune to her husband in the body OIL
this chicken"
"Ha. ha, har'
Didn't l tell you you'd laugh"
'It's too ridiculous"
That's what | said too"
"Well'-after pause-"what are you
going to do?"
"Kill Dearie."
"And then?"
MAKE application for the estate as
his heir"
"Why not as next of kinP
"There are too many next OF Kin.
would rather inherit 100000 from
rooster than a few hundred from
human being"
ssyVall than why don't Won Kill him |