Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1914-10-30
:WhatUncle;
Intended
He Had an Odd Way Of
Bringing 1t About
By SARAH BAXTER


sesssessssssesssssesssssss
An old man lay on sickbed. pale
and emaciated. At table close by.
with writing materials before bin. sat
a man with that expression on his
face which is best described as busi-
ness thoughtfulness and is usually to
be found on the face of lawyer.
-Read to me these hequests. Mr.. Cut
ler." said the sick man.
Mr.. Cutler read over two or three
items. none Of them amounting to over
800.
"Now," continued the testator, Il
wish you to put the following In legal
language: My nephew. Edward Hen
dry. son of my brother OF the same
name, and my niece, Lillian clegg. the
daughter of my sister, Elizabeth Clegg,
are to be notified after my death at the
same hour and minute that whichever
Is first married shall inherit the residue
Of my estate"
The lawyer laid down his pen and
looked fixedly at his client
II fear. Mr.. Hendry." he said, that
by such course you will SO entangIe
your estate that 1t will go to neither
your nephew nor your niece. but be
absorbed In the chancery court"
an risk that" replied the other. II
have certain intentions, and II they
can't be carried out don't care where
my fortune goes after my DEATH Put
1t down as l say In proper form"
The attorney spent nearly half an
hour over the item, then read it to the
sick man. who appeared to be salts
fed with It. and said:
"Now write. 1 direct that my will
remain In the keeping Of my attorney.
Ebenezer Cutler, who is directed to
keep secret this provision and to an
nounce 1t to my nephew and my niece
at the same moment. giving no advan-
tage whatsoever to either. and that
said attorney is to receive the sum of
$4,000 for faithfully carrying it out"
"Who. may ask" said Mr.. Cutler.
'.is to decide whether ! carry out your
intention faithfully"
The courts. II the matter is ques-
toned"
The attorney Immediately went to
work to express the provision in legal
parlance and when it was finished read
It to the testator, who, after making
few minor corrections, seemed salts
fed with it Then the lawyer copied
all that he had written, called in wit
nesses, who signed the will, gathered
up his papers and, after an encourag-
ing remark to the sick man, withdrew.
Two days later Edward Hendry re
ceived letter bearing the official
stamp Of Cutler, Morrison & Hyde, at
torneys, notifying him of the death of
his uncle. David Hendry, and saying
he was interested in the estate. He
was requested to call at the Office Of
the firm on the 18th day Of Septem-
Der at 10 o'clock a. M, when he would
be informed as to the nature Of his
interest Miss Lillian Clegg also re
ceived notification to the same ef-
feet.
On the morning Of the 18th Of Sep
tember Miss Clegg drove up to the
office Of Cutler, Morrison & Hyde and
was shown into a private room. She
had not been there ten minutes when
the door was opened and In walked her
cousin, Edward Hendry. Each started
on seeing the other. and each appeared
greatly embarrassed. Mr.. Hendry bow
ed stiiiiy, and Miss Clegg returned the
bow with hauteur.
1T Is some time since we met" re-
marked the gentleman. in order to
break an embarrassing silence.
Yes, 1t is"
"UDcle David was a very good man"
"An excellent man."
-Rafher singular. though"
VERY singular"
"His intentions were good, but he
was not always wise in carrying them
OUT
There was no reply to this. Miss
Clegg knew very well what was meant.
Her uncle had endeavored to make a
match between her and her cousin Ed
ward Hendry when he was twenty
and she was barely eighteen. Ned
had at the time become temporarily In
fatuated with the daughter OF butch
er and had shown plainly that even a
million Of dollars. which his uncle had
agreed to settle on him in case he mar
ried his cousin. was not sufficient to
cause him to give up the lady of his
love.
I've often thought" he continued.
"that If Uncle David had chosen a diff
ferent time and had not made II mat
ter of money
There's no use going backward
It's too late now. Uncle Is dead. and
I'm engaged"
The young man looked very much
disappointed.
"I'm engaged to a splendid fellow
He's considered to be one Of the finest
young men in America"
Hendry when he had been absent for
some time from the butchers daugh-
ter and returned to see her as she was
commonplace and homely had
sought to undo what he had done with
his cousin She had declined even to
speak to him when she met him on the
street. She WIS now inflctlng upon
him further punishment. However. he
was not minded to take his drubbing
easily. He told an untruth. pretending
To- be engaged
MY fiancee is very lovely. too" he