The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-01-13
PERPETUATINC
A FAMILY NAME
The Rather Sad Case of Al
uernon Cecil Leicester.

Ter, claiming descent from the LeiceS- /
ter family whose best known repre- I
sentative was the favorite of Queen I
Elizabeth. 1 was baptized Algernon
Cecil, and my name of Algernon Cecil |
Leicester was when | 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 n girl whose |
name | did not catch. II had caught
have fallen in love with her. When L
learned that it was the singular and to
her entirely inappropriate name of
Crosspatch | left her for a week. ut
the end of which time | called on her
again. for | found it Impossible to
drive her out of my mind.
How did it happen | asked her,
that you. the perfection of amiability,
We're born under such a name
1T is corruption. she said. of
Grossebach. The change came many
generations ago. and my grandfather.
who studied the family history. pro-
fessed to have discovered that it was
made on account OF the bravery of one
Of our ancestors. common soldier or
Cromwell's army, who in face OF Il
calling fire crossed Il field or patch or
ground, carrying ammunition 10 force
beleaguered by the Cavaliers. His
comrades dubbed him CrosSpatch. and
he proud Of his deed. retained it.
Despite the name ] loved Miss Cross
patch so dearly that l could not give
her 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
| ers family name. but In this case
| resolved that no son Of mine should be
| chriStened Crosspatch Leicester. He
should be named for inc, Algernpn
| Cecil | would see that he inherited
/ the bulk of his mothers fortune. and
| i'm this way would re-establish the
Leicester family.
There was a brilliant wedding. at
/ which | boasted that. as one Of our
| family had once been the favorite of Il
queen now it would become the favor
| lite 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 | settled my
| self down to enjoy my newly acquired
| fortune. | had been at home but a
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, 1.-The prop
erty belongs to my wife"
There is a condition attached to her
grandfather's Will"
"a condition, What Is it?''
THAT her husband assume the name
4 nf Crosspatch and the children il 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 her
infancy with no other issue. left the
property TO her with the above named
condition. He was very proud of tbs
manner in which the name originated
and desired to perpetuate the family
under it.
"And l." said ]. lam DESTROYS of per
petuating the family under the name
of Leicester"
1.-THE family can only inherit by as
/ Stunning the name OF Crosspatch. Ii
, case you decline to do so the vii
states that the property is to go to thu
: endowment of an institution to b'
r known as the Crosspatch university"
MY wife never told me this
For the very good reason that he
/ grandfather. stipulated in his will tha
she was not to be informed of it ex
c cept through her husband. He desire,
not to stand in the way of her mar
riage. He preferred to leave it to he
husband to accept the terms or resigl
the fortune. But in case you declin
there is an annuity settled on her q
$500 year to keep her from want :"
. I asked for the time allowed me ID
the will in which to make my deeisiol
and was informed that il was Il month
- | I ~ mel 6fSc tpd tn. ct,,,.
to my wife for q week, but by tha
l time had decided to accept the nam
and the fortune My wife, who wa
" and is aniiability itself. bore with IN
!, Irritation and disappointment. FINAL,
: | my grumblings died away. ard
i peaceably took possession of my wife
: fortune.
2 | And NOW I am known rs old l,rnss