Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-09-29

entitled 10. believe that's the most
curious will that was ever probated IN
our county" Copeland continued, with
the exaggerated gravity with which he
talked of legal matters. But that
woman certainly had an extraordinary
faith in her husband. Nobody else in
this township would trust Ezra Damer-
on round the corner with hot base
burner, But Mrs. Cameron was as
proud as Lucifer. She was a Merriam
and she must have thought that by
leaving her property to Ezra in trust
for their daughter she would put a
corner stone under his honor But the
trusteeship expires on the first of Octo-
ber and the old man Is selling property
at a ridiculous figure to crook. It
looks rather queer, doesn't it?"
'Dameron must have had something
of his own; he had his wife's property
to play with and If he hasn't done well
with 1t it's his own fault. I'm sorry
that he has fallen into Balcomb's
hands"
"Oh, well; you can't make silk
purse out of a sardlne's tall" observed
Ezra is sardine."
When Morris reached his office, he
found first draft of Margaret Damer-
on's WILL written in lead pencil on
faded piece OF manila paper, in Carr's
small regular hand. Leighton had
come upon 1t once in cleaning out an
old desk, and he had put 1t among his
own papers as an interesting specimen
of Carr's handiwork. He unfolded the
sheets now and examined lntently the
form of the will. The terms were clear
and unequivocal; he noted the change
of word and phrase here and there, in
every case an Improvement In the IN
terest OF directness and clarity. There
was no question as to the meaning OF
the will. Real estate was not to be
sold except by permission Of the court;
and proceeds were to be relnvested In
other realty. There was good sense in
the idea, but had Dameron sold the
Roger Merriam addition entire to the
Patoka Company without referring the
sale to the court?
The question must be answered, and
he went to the court house and asked
permission of the recorder to look at
the deed from Ezra Dameron, trustee,
to the Patoka Land and Improvement
Company 1t was in the hands of
clerk for transcribing, but Morris was
allowed to examine it. 1t was written
in Damerons hand, and had been
copied from printed form of trustees
deed. The consideration was twenty
thousand dollars, the receipt of which
was duly acknowledged. Leighton was
a lawyer and he felt lawyers disgust
with the situation that the case pre-
sented Dameron was clearly In seri-
Gus need Of ready money or he would
not be selling real estate at a ridlcu-
lous figure. 1t was also patent that in
his necessity he had turned to Balcomo |
as a man who would not scruple at
oblique practices.
Morris went the next day to the Of
ace of a title company where he was
ACQUAINTED and waited while the Sec
retary made up list of the property |
be1d bv Ezra Dameron, trustee. He |
found that the sale of the Roger Mer-
Ram addition, which had just been re-
ported, left the creek property, Tne
Beeches and the old Marian home-
stead the only realty remaining in the
trust.
"I thought Mr.. Dameron was heavy /
real estate owner" remarked Norris.
That's a popular superstition" said
he secretary; but he's sold it off rap
dly during the past two years. He
owns nothing personally, and he has
been converting his daughters prop
erty very fast. 1 hope there's nothing
wrong about It,"
~ don't know. Are you sure he
hasn't been buying other real estate?
Something of the kind is required by
the terms Of his wifes WILL"
Not in this county at least" The
secretary was silent for a moment 1T
would be a delicious irony If Ezra were
10 turn up broke, wouldn't it?" he said.
grinning.
THAT depends on the point Of view,"
remarked Morris.
Ito be continued)