Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-10

MERTwETHER READ THE UNSIGNED WILL
at that age proposed that he should be-
gin where that father had begun. by
becoming an office boy.
The child. aided by his mother, head
ed the old man off for three years.
when Mrs. Burbank died. The boy
wished to go to college, and his father
objected. Mrs. Burbank had few
thousand dollars OF her own which she
left TO her son. Soon after this money
was received by him he had an alterca-
ton with his father concerning the
matter of his going to work and the
next day disappeared from under the
paternal rooftree.
The old man got on as well as he
could for few years by himself, then,
since he was getting old. told Rosa
Blair. girl about seventeen years old,
that If she would take care of him and
his house as long as he lived he would
leave her his fortune Rosa accepted
the offer and for ten years devoted
herself TO her employer During the
last five or six years of this term the
old man was Ill and peevish and gen
orally disagreeable. Rosa Blair felt at
times thar she must give up the care
Of him or her health would break
down. Indeed, she finally concluded to
do so. but when she announced her in
tentiOn to Burbank he moaned and
whined and begged her to remain. Pity
for the lonely old man. whose suffering
she supposed was the cause of his ncer-
bity, induced her to recall her decision.
Burbank never spoke of the son who
had left him. but his housekeeper
heard of him through others and very
naturally condemned him for remain
/ ing away from his father in the latter's
( old age. When n newspaper one day
contained an account of the shooting OF
Il Mark Burbank in the far west. with
certain statements that seemed to cor
| respond with the absent son. 1t was
| generally supposed that the young man
was dead
Old Burbank wore out his physical
/ forces by permitting his acerbity 10
Gnaw upon them. and everybody said
/ that Rosa Blair had at last come to her
reward. What was the surprise of all
when 1t was learned that he had died
I without a will. AT first 1t was suppos-
ed that one would be found. but his at
/ torney stated that a: the time of the
old mans death u will had been drawn
and was ready for him 10 sign. DE
had put off signing it from day to day
not realizing his condition. and wheu
/ 1T. t. ~,
Some thought that the reason of the
delay was that. not knowing that his
SOB might some day turn up. be was al
a less TO know how to leave his prop
erty and could not come to decision.
No sooner was 1t known that Bur
bank had died intestate than kinsmeI
started up like covey of birds STUN
bled on by a huntsman There wer,
Burbanks and Newmans and Parker
and loueses. all related TO the deceas
ed There were even Meriwethers
who claimed kinship with the late Mrs
Burbank, though how they could ex
pect TO inherit did not appear. Ate
the rush Of claim fling was over Their
were forty -three persons. each read
to receive his or her portion of til
Burbank estate
Among the Meriwethers was
man calling himself Macdonald Mer
wether. He appeared Ike many q,
the other claimants. who seemed
spring out Of the ground. but befol
putting in a claim he consulted a Ia,
yer and. after the interview. told b
friends that Mrs. Burbank having die
before her husband had no interest
the estate. and therefore none Of b
relatives could inherit as heirs at la wv
However. Sir. Meriwether, havir
heard of the injustice thai had bee
= done Rosa Blair, made her acquaiG
[ ance and advised her to put In i b
for services 10 the deceased larI
: enough TO give her a goodly share
+ the estate. She had u letter from 81
Burbank Offering To make her his N
> Oh the conditions named. Meriweth,
. told her that this letter might aRab