The Meeker herald., 1914-07-25
PERpETuATING
4 FAMILY NAME
Tho Rather Sad Case Of A.
pernon Ceo1 Leicester. I.

gefnon Ceo6 Leicester. :.
For hundreds Of years our family
have been proud Of our name. Leeces-
ter. claiming descent from the Lelces-
ter family whose best known repre-
sentative was the favorits Of Queen
Elizabeth. was baptised Alssrnon
Cecil. and my name Of AIgernon Cecil
Leicester was when was twenty-five
the onlx thing possessed that val
ued. had no fortune then. Now !
have . fortune. but I haven't the name
Of Leicester.
was introduced to a girl whose
name ! did not catch. II had caught
1t doubt TINT should 70 readily
have fallen In love with her. When I
learned that It was the singular and to
her entirely inappropriate name Of
Crosspatch l left her for week, at
the end Of which time I called On her
again. for I found 1t impossible to
drive hsr out Of my mind.
'How did 1t happen" ] asked her,
'sthat you. the perfection Of amiabflity.
were born under such namer'
"It In a 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 1t was
made on account Of the bravery Of one
of our ancestors. q common soldier OF
CromwelFs army. who In face OF
CALLING nre crossed q Geld or patch Of
ground. carrying ammunition to force
beleaguered by the CAvaliers. His
comrades dubbed him CFosspatcA. and
he, proud Of his deed. retained It."
Despite the name. l loved Mis- Cross
patch 70 dearly that could not Kive
her up. and. m 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 Leicestsrs,
and Miss Crosspatch was possessed OF
an enormous fortune left her BY this
same grandfather who had discovered
the origin of the name. After ali. what
difference would 1t make1 The wife A.
sumes the husbands name. and she
and our children would be Leicesters.
l had a fancy that the Oldest son
should have for his surname his moth
er's family name. but In this case
resolved that no son Of mine should b.
christened Crosapatch Leicester. He
should be named for me. Algernon
Cecil. I would go that he inharited
the bulk Of his mothsr's fortune. and
In this way wouN ~ sstablish the
TAacsstse famiiy.
There was brilliant wedding. ut
which l boasted that. a one Of our
family had once been the favotfts Of =
queen. now It would become the favor-
tie 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 q
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 ONCE.
II have sent for you." be said. ''that
very important matter may be net
tled-the ownership Of the Crosspatch
property"
any dear sir" ! replied. "the prop
erty belongs to my wife"
There In condition attached to her
9randfather'a WILL"
"A condition! What is itf'
THAT her husband assume the name
nf Crosspatch and the children II any
resulting from the marriage only In
herit under that name. Simon Cross
patch. having no children except yonr
wffe's father. and be 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
nnd desired to perpetuats the family
under It"
"And l." said I, "aw desirous Of per-
petuating the family under the name
Of Leicester"
'The family can only inherit by an
Stunning the name Of Crosspatch. In
case you decline to do no the will
states that the property In to go to the
endowment OF an institution to be
known an the Crosspatch university"
'My wife never told me this"
"For the vary good reason that her
grandfather stipulated In his will that
abe was not to be informed of It ex-
cept through her husband. He desfred
not to stand In the way of her mar
riage. He preferred to leave It to her
husband to accept the terms or resign
the fortune. But in case you decline
there b an annuity settled on her Of
$1,000 year to keep her from want"
asked for the time allowed me by
the will in which to make my decision
and was informed that It was month.
I was too much disgruntied to return