Norwich bulletin., 1913-06-18

to Martha Bourn. there had been bit
 ter warfare waged between the two legatees.
 In the hustle of preparing for the
 funeral one of the plates had been
 broken beyond the skill of the most expert mender to put together. an Mrs. Bourn and Silas Warren, who were both little mad on the subject of china. had taken the matter into the courts. each insisting that the re-
 maining plate was the one Jason Pomfret had repeatedly indicated as I the one he wished the claimant to 1 have.
 The lifelong friendship between the | two families had been ruptured. ] Harry had been threatened with dis inheritance if he even spoke to Net tie, and she had been assured by her mother that she would be disoWned 1T | she had aught to do with the son or
 man who was no better than com mon thief
 But Harry did not let the grass
 grow under his feet. He went to see
 his closest friend. Dick Lyons, who 1 was noted as an expert on old porce- lains. He had done Dick a great | favor once. Dick managed to meet Mrs. Bourn at an evening party, anu with much mystery he approached her.
 T don't want to see you get the
 worst of this row over that Washing ton plate," he said when he had aroused her curiosity sufficiently. I've often studied that collection of Jason Pomfret's, and other experts 1 had always agreed with me that his
 Washington plates were not genuine. l The plate that is left is merely copy of the real ones-an awfully
 good copy you know. but bogus for | all that
 1 ed with a sniff. I've seen the plate a hundred times and I know very well that it is a real Washington" Look here" suggested Dick. ''yo1 l can look the plate over closely so | long as you don't take 1t out of the
 executors office You've seen it a hundred times. but you never looked
 at it. without doubt, because you took 1 it for granted that it was what Pom 1 fret said 1t was You look 1t over
 carefully and you'll get tne credit for
 dropping the fight over plate that is not worth fighting over.''
 Bourn, and she paused. She could think of no threat terrifying enough and her silence was more eloquent Tt is not trick" assured Lyon as he turned away content that he had aroused her suspicious to a point where his warning would be looked | into.
 What Harry had not counted on
 was that his father and Nettie's mother BnOul0 arrive al the once Ol the lawyer eXecutor at the same tiTno and simultaneously demand the 1 privilege of examining the plate. 1 His father had gained some suspicion of something going on when he saw Mrs. Bourn enter with the expert | Tt is the same that I took from ths 1 cabinet" declared the lawyer tartiv,
 not relishing the suggestion that was conveyed in their demands.
 Its not that" Mrs Bourn hast ened to explain. I've always had an | idea that the plate was not genuine | and I want to make certain that the 1 plate Is worth fighting over" Funny you never thought of that 1 before" commented Silas Warren i suspiciously. I've always had my
 doubts" he added, with the colIec |.
 tors vanity and pride in his knowl- edge. Harry told me the other night
 that one of his friends also had ex-
 pressed his doubts. I'm going to bring another expert in." T don't think that will be neees-
 sary," hastily said Mrs, Beurn, eager to maintain her reputation as a keen collector who could not be deceived. Now that l look at it carefully Pm