Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-08-19

entitled to. 1 believe that's the mos
curious Will that was ever probated II
our county," Copeland continued. will
the exaggerated gravity with which h'
talked of legal matters. But thai
woman certainly had an extraordinary
faith in her husband. Nobody else II
this township would trust Ezra m
IN oun the corner with a hot base
burner. But Mrs. Cameron was a.
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
cornerstone under his honor. But tins
trustecship expires on the first of Octo-
Der and the old man is selling ope
at a ridiculous figure to a crook II
looks rather queer, doesn't it!'
cameron must have had somethina
of his own; he had his wife's property
to play with and if he hasn't done well
with it it's his own fault. I'm sorry
that he has fallen into Baicomb's
hands"
"Oh. well: you cant make a silk
purse out of a sardinc's tail" observed
Copeland, re1ectively. And fear n a
Ezra is a sardine."
When Morris reached his office, he
oun a first draft of Margaret Damer-
on's will. written in lead pencil or d
faded piece of manila paper, in cars
small regular hand leighton had
come upon it once in cleaning out an
old desk. and he had put it among MS
own papers as an interesting specimen
of Carr's handiwork. He unfolded the
sheets now and Xamined ntently the
rornl Of TIE will: The terms were clear
and uaequivocal; he noted the change
of word and phrase here and there IN
every case an improvement in the n
terest of directness and clarity. 1nere
was no question as to the meaning OF
the will. Real estate was not to be
sold except by permission of the court;
INC proceeds were to be reinVested IN
other realty. There was good sense IN
the Idea, but had cameron sold the
Roger Merriam addition entire to the
Patoka Company without referring the
sale to the Court?t
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 a
clerk for transcribing, but Morris was
allowed to examine it. 1t was written
in Dameron's hand. and had been
copied from a printed form of trustees
deed. The consideration was twenty
thousand dollars, the receipt or Whlcn
was duly acknowledged. Leighton was
a lawyer and he felt a lawyers disgust
with the situation that the case pre-
scented. Cameron was clearly IN serl-
Gus need of ready money or he would
not be selling real estate at a rldlcu-
lous figure. It was also patent that IN
his necessity he had turned to Balcomo
as a man who would not scruple at
oblique practices.
Norris went the next day to the Of
flee Of a title company where he was
acquainted and waited while the sec
rotary made up a list Of the property
held by Ezra Cameron. trustee. He
found that the sale OF the Roger Mer-
Ram addition, which had just been re-
ported, left the creek property. The
Beeches and the old Marian home
stead the only realty remaining In the
trust.
st though Mr.. Cameron was a heaNy
real estate owner remarked Norris.
That's a popular superstition" said
the secretary; but he's sold it off rap
idly during the past two years. He
owns nothing personally, and he has
been converting his daughters prop
erty very fast. I hope there's nothinG
wrong about it,"
II don't know. Are you sure he
hasn't been buying other real estate!
Something of the kin is required by
the terms Of his wife's will"
mot in this county at least The
secretary was silent for a moment. TT
would be a delicious irony If Ezra were
to urn up broke, wouldn't it," he said
grinning.
"That depends on the point of view.'
remarked Morris.
(To be continued.) Il