Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-08-09
In Chancerv
By WILLIAM D. CARTER
Copyright by American Press As.o-
citation. 1911

broke over the country In 1861 John
Abercrombie, a young MAN OF twenty
two. who had been preparing himself
to take his fathers place as president
and owner of the controlling interest
IN the Abercrombie Manufacturing
company. like most young men of
spirit at that period, insisted on join
Ing the Union army. His father who
was preparing to retire. was so dsap
pointed and angered at this course
that he told his son to go to the war
and he hoped he would never come
back.
II shall keep Jane Wetherell here
with me-" said the old man, 'to take
care Of the house and be comfort
In your stead and shall leave her ev-
cry cent of my property"
do So" replied the son. land you
may count on me not trying to break
the will. shall claim nothing OF you
or what you leave behind you"
Jane Wetherell was not related to
the Abercrombies. She was a connec-
ton OF Mrs. Abercrombie. who had
brought her into the house for a COM
crombie died her husband had contin-
ued to rely on the girl for various
comforts, including reading to him,
since his eyes were weak. When the
Old man saw Johns name published
among the killed at the battle Of An
tietam his heart sOftened and he re-
GREETED his past action toward his son.
For twelve years Jane Wetherell took
care Of the old man. He said he would
make her comfortable after his death,
and II was generally supposed that
she would inherit all his property,
though no one knew OF the parting
scene between him and his son and
the fathers threat.
There were indications that Jennie
Wetheren had had n love affair. She
never accepted any marked attention
from any young man. and she appear.
ed to have suffered blight These
were the principal reasons why those
who knew her said that she had been
crossed in love and would not marry.
When Mr.. Abercrombie died every
one was surprised at two things-frst,
Tat he left much larger estate than
IL was supposed he had possessed and.
secondly, that he had made no will
The latter OF these surprises was the
more surprise because by not max
ing n will he left his estate to be con-
tested for by host Of relatives. In
none Of whom he had taken any inter
est. while Jennie Wetherell, in whose
veins there was none Of his blood. was
left out by the law of inheritance en-
tirely.
An account OF this condition OF
things got into the newspapers and
among other things stated was that
the body OF John AbercrOmbie had
never been recovered and was sup.
posed 10 lie either in n trench or under
one of the mute army of headstOnes
marked Unknown" Instantly there
sPrang up AS If from the grave three
different men who claimed to be the
said John AbercrOmbie. One said he
had been badly wounded. taken to q
hospital and. recovering. had deserted:
another that he had been hit in the
head by mimic ball and the mem
DRY knocked out Of him till recently
The third declared that he had been
captured, taken TO southern prison
and on being exchanged had gone
west, where he had since lived incog-
nito.
Any one Of these men II he could
have established his identity with that
OF John Abercrombie would have in
herited the whole estate But they
were all working on q very small pros
pect. None of them had any papers to
show that he had been in the army,
and only one manifested any familiar
ity with military Affairs. Jane Weth-
erell at once pronounced them all i'm
posters. Had she had any legal claim
on the estate her word would have
counted for little or nothing. AS 1t
was. 1t counted for good deal
Since the settlement Of the estate
was In tumble Jane Wetherell was
left by the chancery court in charge
of the house In which she had so long
lived A year elapsed. at the end of
which 107 names Of relatives of the de-
ceased Abercrombie were handed in TO
the court as claimants for n share of
his estate, and there were more to
come. 1t began to look as If no one
would be rich from the estate unless
one of these men who had risen up out
Of the earth could prove himself to be
John Abercrombie.
One day there was wedding at the
Abercrombie house. Jennie Wetherell
was the bride. Who the groom was no
one seemed to know. There were no
cards, no invitations. Only q few wit
nesses were present. and they were
servants. As soon as the ceremony
had been performed the groom went to