The Meeker herald., 1914-02-14
PERpETUATIN6
A FAMILY NAME
The Rather Sad Case Of A.
uernon Cecil Leicester.

For hundreds Of years our family
have been proud Of our name. Leices-
tse. claiming descent from the Ieices-
ter family whose best known repre-
sentative was the favorlte Of Queen
Elisabeth. was baptized Algernon
Cecil. and my name Of Algernon Cecil
Leicester was when was twenty-five
the only thing I possessed that val
usd. I had no fortune then. Now !
have q fortune. but haven't the name
Of Leicester.
was introduced to girl whoAe
name did not catch. II had caught
It doubt that should 70 readily
have fallen In love With her. When l
learned that It was the singular and to
her entirely inappropriate name ot
Crosspatch left her for a week. at
the end Of which time I called on her
again. for found 1t Impossible to
drive her out Of my mind.
"How did 1t happen" I asked Der.
''that you. the perfection Of amfability.
were born under such nameT
ut IL q corruption" she said. "of
Grossebach. The change came many
generations ago. and my grandfather.
who studied tho family history. pro-
tossed to have discovered that It was
mads on account Of the bravery OF one
Of our ancestors. u common soldier OF
Cromwell's army. who in face Of n
eating DIRE crossed Geld or patch OF
ground. carrying ammunition to force
beieaguered by the Cavaliers. His
comrades dubbed him Croespatch. and
he. proud of his deed. retained It."
Despite the name. loved Miss Gross
patch no dearly that could not give
her up. and. an my love was returned.
We became engaged. BeHides my love.
there was another reason for my mar
riaee-I longed to regain some, Of the
social prominencs for myself aud my
descendants Of the ancient Lelcesters,
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 LeicesterA-
I had a fancy that the Oldest son
should have for his surname bis moth
er's family name. but In this case !
resolved that no non Of mine should ba
christened Crosspatch Leicester. He
should be named for me. AfEernon
Cecil. would see that be Inherited
the bulk Of his mothers fortune. and
in this way would re-sstab ash the
Leicester family.
There was brilliant wedding. Ut
which ! boosted that. ~ one Of our
family had once been the favorite OF
queen. now 1t would become the favor
tie Of the upper ten thousand Of the
United States. We departed ON our
wedding trip amid the usuaa shower
Of rice. and on our return l settled ny-
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 be would like to see me In the
city. i went to him and was shown
into his private once.
II have sent for you" be said. '.that
. very important matter may be aet-
tled-tbe ownership Of the Crosspatrh
property
my dear SIR" replied. '.the prop
erty beiongz to my wife"
.sThere ia condition attached to her
9randfather's WILL
"a condition: Whist II itf'
THAT her hnaband aasume the name
IT Crosspatch and the children II any
resulting from the marriage only in
herit under that name. Hlmon Cross
patch. having no children except your
wife's father. and he dying during her
infancy with no other issue. left the
property to her With the above named
condition. He was very proud Of the
manner In which the name originated
and desired to perpetuate the family
under It."
"And l." said !. IAN DESTROYS Of per
petuating the family under the name
of Leicester"
1.-THE family can only inherit by a.
summing the name of Crosspatch. In
case you decline to do no the will
states that the property IN to 90 to the
endowment Of an institution to he
known ar the Cr0SsIMtch university"
"My wife never told me this
"For the very gMd reason that her
grandfather stipulated In his will that
she was not to he informed 1T It ex-
cept through her husband. He derired
not to stand In the way Of her mar
Rage. he preferred to leave It to her
husband to accept the terms or resign
the fortune. But In case you decline
there II an annuity settled on her Ut
$500 year to keep her from want
j asked for the time allowed me by
the will In which to make my det'isiot'
and was informed that 1t WAS a month.
was tho much disRruntled to return
TO my wife for 4 week. hut by that
time had decided to accept the name
and the fortune. Ny wife. WIN ,was
and n amfahiIifv itunIf ts,ra Nth ttpv