Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-01-30
CLAIM NOT VALID
Rich Young MaRs Scheme to
Force Girl 10 Marry Him
Fails.


the rich, eccentric, philanthropic old
merchant of Grand boulevard, whose
name had been a synonym for integ-
rity In, Martinsville for forty years.
And the big store and the bank and
the innumerable pieces Of real estate
nSat he had owned here and there in
IN state capital had fallen to his
naiserly nephew. Hamilton Hall.
Hamilton spent FIVE days with his
lawyer, and at the end of that period
discovered that one-fourth Of Cephas
tenants had been living rent free for
years. For much Of the property was
In the poorer part of the city and
Cephas had never turned q poor ten
ant out of doors in his life.
But not all of Cephas' tenants had
been poor. One of them, Miss Sido-
mia Travers, occupied the old Travers
mansion on Hurland Heights, which
had come to her on the death of her
father twenty years previously. When
Hall read this name he whistled; and
when the lawyer told him that she,
too, lived rent free, he whistled again.
fYou see, it's this way, Mr.. Hall"
stIid the lawyer, Miss Sidonia be-
lieves that the property is hers. She's
got only a tiny income of six dollars
- week outside it, and If she lost it
MED be practically a beggar-she
and her niece. Mary Travers."
Never mind about Mary; go on"
said Hamilton Hall, wetting his lips.
well, sir, the property isn't hers at
all. The titles faulty. 1t belonged to
Mr.. Merritt But he was an old friend
of hers-they say he was once her
suitor-and he'd have cut off his right
hand rather than let her know she
was his tenant. II that old lady lost
Travers house she'd not survive it
many weeks, Mr.. Hall. So all this time
she's lived in your uncle's house rent
free. and thought 1t hers. And1RI
know he meant to deed it to her In
his will, only he couldn't bear even to
let her know the truth, and then he
expected to survive her"
Then l have the right to it?" ex-
claimed Hamilton eagerly.
His lawyer looked him up and
down. He knew what was passing
through his mind He knew the
story of Halls unsuccessful wooing
Of Mary Travers and his hatred for
Vincent Blaine, her fiance. When her
aunt died Mary was to marry Blaine.
Till then she would not leave her.
And the lovers had been engaged five
years.
Better leave her alone, Mr.. Hall,
the old lawyer. In his heart
ISuldered a contemptuous hatred
for the man; he would gladly have
dispensed with him for client, for
he did not relish the sort of work he
would be called upon to do. But he
held his peace, knowing that, If nee
essary, he could checkmate Halls
evil designs.
"A what is the value of Travers
house?" asked Hamilton.
Easily twelve thousand dollars, in
it's present state" the lawyer an
swered. And, anticipating the next
question, he continued, "At a fair
rental it should bring thousand dol
lars"
"Then she owes me twenty thou
sand dollars" thought Hall. But
what he said was: my uncle must
have been mad"
Mary Travers was prettier than
ever, in Halls eyes. When he saw
her enter the old-fashioned drawing
room a flame of jealousy of Blaine
burned in his heart.
"Sit down, Miss TraVers," he said
81 have something to say to you. You
know, of course, that my uncle is
dead?"
"Yes," answered Mary. He was q
GOOD man and an old friend of my
Mnnt's. l am sorry. Mr. Hail."
~ "Well. that's more than l am, by
long Odds" Hall answered. Dom
you know that I've fallen heir &c
everything he had? Yes, and | find
that I'm worth cool eight hundred
and fifty thousand at the lowest esti
mate. Now. Mary, want you to be
sensible. Be my wife Don't be In
fatuated by that man Blaine. He's q
good, honest toiler, no doubt, but he'll
never be anything"
"Mr. Hail." said Mary, rising, 81
cannot hear any more"
what, you won't marry me now?"
-. 'Neverl" she cried angrily. con
fronting him with blazing eyes. -
hate and despise YOU"
'Then why don't you marry
Blaine2" sneered Hamilton Hall And
as she did not reply, he continued:
II tell you why. You're waiting un
til your aunt dies so as to get hen
property. But It isn't hers-it't
mine. My uncle owned 1t all the
time, for the conveyance was faulty
The title is fraudulent And If yoU
don't marry newly. badly as Ia
like to let you stay. out she goes, and
you, Miss Mary. unless l get thai
twenty thousand dollars of rent that's