The Washington herald., 1913-10-12

subterranean classroom at his home
with the most precious OF his own pa
pers."
And did your father say something
about a new will when he was dyingg'
asked Mr.. Van Der Pool promptly.
mo, 1 reached home just an hour too
late. But fathers man. who had al
most been a nurse TO me since child
hood, took me aside and told me that
father had muttered in his last words
something about a new wiI'
| Anything else?' asked Mr.. Van Der
Pool.
Yes. He said that just half an hour
before my father died the Hon. Jud-
kins was sent for hurriedly, and he went
away with a paper which this faithful
! old valet-nurse saw my father sign"
Z II see. But if there were a new will
1t would probably be destroyed already. -
! I don't think So" answered Tilling-
| hast. "Judkins is too shrewd a lawyer
to do anything really criminal He Just
put that latest Will in his private safe
| in his house and left 1t there. That
classroom where the safe is is a regu-
lar strong room. built into the rock below
the basement TO insure perfect silence
for his game. II he destroyed the will he
would commit a criminal act, and he
wanted to play safe. II anything hap-
pened he could produce the later will
and say he was charged by my father
not to bring it out until he was sure of
my reform. or something like that"
Yes, that would be plausible ex-
| cuse." answered Mr.. Van Der Pool
thoughtfulIy
Surely that's the way have figured
it out. You see the production OF the
later will voluntarily by Judkins would
set him right in the eyes of everybody,
especially II he should say that he held
It up at dying mans request. II you
knew him as well as | do you'd easily
understand that he's much too shrewd
to burn or tear up that new will; some
body might find out later that such a
will was made by my father on his
death bed, and then Judkins would be
called upon to produce 1t. II he had it,
al right, II II was gone he would be up
against 1t. So l am perfectly certain
that he has this new will in his safe at
the house. He's too firmly established in
the public eye to run the risk of losing
his reputation for a million or two"
But why did he want to set up the
old will instead of admitting that a
newer one had been made, giving all the
property TO you?" asked Mr.. Van Der
Pool.
In the old will my father created a
foundation with the Hon. Judkins at
the head of it, Judkins drew down a
good salary and commission for giving
away my fathers money to charitable
institutions that put up the best claim
to it."
But surely the salary wouldn't have
tempted Judkins to such an act?' sug-
gested Mr. Van Der Pool
No. what he wanted was more power
He could control politically all the or
ganizations to which he gave my father
money He'd be looked upon by those
people as great power and you can bet
he Will trade every cent of my fathers
estate for more power. That's just the
kind OF grasping old fellow he is
Il believe there is something in that,
replied Mr. Van Der Pool. But it's
strange that if he has this new will.
giving all the estate to you, that he
should keep it in a safe at home instead
OF a safety deposit vault or the fire.
proof treasure chamber in his Offices"
old Judkins is a wary fellow" ans
wered Tillinghast. He'd rather have
his important papers at home on Fifth
Avenue. The mansion is a regular fort
ress, burglar-proof and everything. and
the papers are always right where he can F.!
get at them when he needs them. That |
dress-room, too. is as strong as a bank
vault"
Yes. I've read about that famous
grotto: quite a fad of his, isn't it? A |
Sunday paper told all about it a while |
ago, with pictures. They say it's as /
silent as a grave. You've been in il and |
seen the safe you speak of, / suppose?"
said Mr.. Van Der Pool
"Oh yes. dozens of times It's in the
corner behind a big stone table"
Il suppose you don't know what make
the safe is?' asked Mr.. Van Der Pool
idly.
NO. / couldn't say as to that. but
it must be twenty bars old" answered |