The Caucasian., 1913-11-11
PERpETuATING
A FAMILY NAME
The Rather Sad Case of A.
qernon Cecil Leicester.

HoI uuHuIeuS Ol years our IdmllE
have been proud of our name. Leices-
ter, claiming descent from the Leices-
ter family whose best known repre-
sentative was the favorite of Queen
Elizabeth. | was baptized Algernon
Cecil. and my name of Algernon Cecil
Leicester was when l was twenty-five
the only thing possessed that val
ued. l had no fortune then. Now l
have fortune. but haven't the name
Of Leicester.
| was introduced to girl whose
name did not catch. II had caugh.
it l doubt that should so readily
have fallen in love with her. When /
learned that it was the singular and to
her entirely inappropriate name OF
Crosspatch | left her for a week. at
the end of which time called on her
again. for found it impossible to
drive her out of my mind.
"How did it happen I asked her,
"that you. the perfection of amiability,
were born under such name?'
Grossebach. The change came many
generations ago. and my grandfather,
who studied the family history. pro-
fessed to have discovered that 1t was
made on account of the bravery OF one
of our ancestors. common soldier OF
Cr0mwell's army, who in face Of a
! CALLING fire crossed field or patch of
ground. carrying ammunition to force
beleaguered by the Cavaliers. His
comrades dubbed him ~Crosspatch. and
he. proud of his deed. retained it."
| Despite the name. l loved Miss Cross
patch so dearly that could not give
ner up and. as my love was returned.
| we became engaged. Besides my love,
there was another reason for my mar
| riage-I longed to regain some Of the
social prominence for myself and my
descendants of the ancient Leicesters,
and Miss Crosspatch was possessed OF
an enormous fortune left her by this
same grandfather who had discovered
| the origin of the name. After all, what
difference would it make? The wife as
! sumes the husbands name. and she
and our children would be Leicesters.
| had fancy that the Oldest son
should have for his surname his moth
| er's family name.' but In this case |
resolved that no son of mine should be
christened Crosspatch Leicester. He
should be named for me. Aigernon
Cecil. I would see that he inherited
the bulk of his mothers fortune. and
in this way would re-establish the
Leicester family.
/ There was brilliant wedding. at
which | boasted that, as one OF our
! family had once been the favOr1te OF a
queen. now it would become the favor
ite of the upper ten thousand of the
United States. We departed on our
wedding trip amid the usual shower
Of rice. and on our return I settled my
self down to enjoy my newly acquired
fortune. / had been at home but q
few days before the solicitor for the
Crosspatch millions wrote me saying
that he would like to see me In the
city. / went to him and was shown
! into his private Office
II have sent for you," he said. "that
, a very important matter may be set
tled-the ownership OF the Crosspatch
property
"My dear sir" replied. "the prop
erty belongs to my wife,
.sThere is condition attached to her
grandfather's will.'
"a condition. What is it?'
''That her husband assume the name
OF Crosspatch and the children II any
resulting from the marriage only in.
herit under that name. Simon Cross
patch. having no children except your
wife's father. and he dying during heI
infancy with no other issue. left the
property to her with the above named
condition He was very proud OF the
4 manner in which the name originated
and desired to perpetnate the family
under It.
| 'And L. said /. ''am desirous OF per.
petuating the family under the name
Of Leicester
.sThe family can only inherit by as
sunling the name Of Crosspatch. In
case you decline to do SO the Will
states that the property is TO 60 to the
endowment OF an instituti to be
known as the Crosspatch university"
my wife never told me this"
For the very good reason that bel
grandfather stipulated in his will that
i she was not to be informed OF it ex-
cept through her husband. He desired
not to stand In the way of her mar.
riage. He preferred to leave it to her
husband to accept the terms or resign
i the fortune. But in case you decline
there is an annuity settled on her OF
$1,5OO a year to keep her from want.
r / asked for the time allowed me BY
the will In which to make my decision
and was informed that it was month
III was too much disgruntled to return
to my wife for q week. but by that
time had decided to accept the name
and the fortune. My wife. who was
land is amiability itself. bore with ms
Irritation and disappointment. Finally
! L til