The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-11-29
A FIREBRAND
How It Was Thrown Be.
tween Two Girls
By EMMA ALDncn

Muldridge was one of those men
who are so dead set In their ways that
they are liable to overreach them.
selves. He was SO anxious to get rich
that he wouldn't marry lest the ex-
pense of a family would prevent his
accomplishing his object When he
had accumulated a fortune be found
himself without a chick Dr. q child In
the world to pass it on to. Then it
was a splendid property, consisting Of
houses and lands. He couldn't enjoy
1t himself. He was too old. Ii be had
q Sol he might be interested during
his last days teaching the boy how to
take care of it and at his death see it
pass into the possession of his own
flesh and blood.
But. not having a son or a child at
all. be set himself to make such pro.
vision as wonld insure the passage OF
his estate to one of his nieces. Ii he
had had a nephew he would have left
It to him. But he hadn't a nephew.
and Of his two nieces. one. the daugh-
ter Of his sister Anna, was but twelve:
the other. the daughter of his sister
Elizabeth. thirteen. Had he not been
q wrapped up in his fortune as a
whole and DESTROYS OF having it go AS
a whole to Il descendant ne would
have left half of it to'one niece and
half to the other. But his object was
to provide for 1t remaining undivided
rather than to make any person or per.
IONS happy. indeed. lie didn't wish to
make any n happy. 1t was his de-
light to make persons miserable Not
exactly that either: he loved to Sc:
them at odds. He would sell the satne
thing to or buy it FROM two different
persons. then set them 70 quarreiing
over which should have the preference.
while he looked on without taking any
part in the wrangling.
Like most persons who wish to indi-
rectly retain the management Of their
property after death. MuIdridge made
q will with that intent. He left his
estate in the hands Of a trustee till his
niece. Alice Mortimer. and her younger
cousin. Sadie Brown. sh0nId nave
passed twenty years OF age. On the
latter's twentieth birthday at II o'clock
oon the trustee was to announce In
presence of both girls that the one first
married should inherit the whole of his
estate. His main object was to do all
he could toward having a p0sthuInous
grandnephew. and he further tied up
the estate SO that it should go to the
first son born to the niece who should
win it.
And so it came about that Misses
Alice Mortimer and Sadie Brown grew
up neither OF them knowing that when
Sadie should reach her twentieth birth.
day they would be called upon to hur-
~ for Il husband or lose a fortune. 1t
may be supposed that had they been
informed OF the terms OF their pncle's
will each would have provided q man
for the occasion! But 1t Isl questionable
IL this Is so. Miss Mortimer was an
in%corrigible flirt. and it is doubtful If
even the contingent possession Of
wealth would enable her to make up
her mind between several men she had
dangling about her. Miss Brown was
q demure little body, and since 1t would
be necessary for her to intimate to
some man that she would like him to
marry her It. is quite likely that she
would lose the. inheritance.
Muldridge died q year before this
birthday Of Sadie Brown ON which
hung half a million dollars. His trus-
tee. John Andrews, who by the terms
Of the will was to be well paid out Of
the estate for keeping the secret. sue.
ceeded admirably in holding his tongue
and a few days before Miss Browns
birthday notified the parties interested
that a bequest Of their uncle. Martin
Auldrjdge. in which they. were con
cerned would be made known to them.
They were to come to the trustees Of
dee half an hour before noon that
there might be no slip in compliance
with the law.
bors and scarcely knew each other.
Both arrived at the trustees Office
promptly at 1870 o'clock and greeted
each other in a friendly manner. In.
deed. they had reason to be pleased
with the situation. as they supposed 1t
to be. for 1t was to be inferred that
each was to come In for q nice share
Of Uncle Martins estate. They satchat-
ting till the clocks began to strike IL.
when the trustee entered from his pri.
vate office with the Muldridge will in
his hand and. untying the red tape
about Il. read them the document.