The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-08-27

are tWO reasons for my tax
ing it up next. in my turn.
The true story of the broken mar
li"gc engagement ONE first in point
of time, and must therefore take the
first place in the present narrative.
Before Sir John had heen q fortnight
i'll his grave the future of his daughter
had been most wisely and most affec-
tionately provided for.
The will remained in it's fireproof
box at my office, through more years
than l like to reckon up. 1t was not
till the summer of 1S4S that l found
occasion to look at it again under very
melancholy circumstances.
At the date | have mentioned the
doctors pronounced the sentence on
poor Lady Verinder. which was literal
ly Il sentence of death. | was the first
person whom she Informed Of her stu
alton, and l found her anxious to go
over her will again with me.
1t WAS impossible to improve the pro-
visions relating to her daughter. But
in the lapse Of time her wishes in re-
gard to certain minor legacies left to
different relatives had undergone some
modification, n it became necessary
to add three or four colicils to the orig
inal document. Having done this at
once for fear of accidents, / obtained
her ladyslip'S permission to embOdy
her recent instructions in a second will.
My object was to avoid certain inevita-
bic c%onfusions and rcpetitions which
now disfigured the original document
and which. to own the truth, grated
sadly on my professional sense Of the
fitness Of things.
The execution Of this second will has
been described by Miss Clack. who was
so ob!iging as to witness it. So far as
regards Rachel Nerinler's ~pecuniary
interests it was. word for word, the eX-
act counterpart of the first will. The
only changes introduced related to the
appointment of Il guardian and to GER
tain provisions concerning that APP
pointment, which We're made under my
advice. On Lady Nerinder's death the
will was placed in the hands of my
proctor to be ''proved." as the phrase
is, in the usual way.
In about three weeks from that time.
as we'll as l cal remember. the first
warning reached me of something I'M
usual going on under the surface. l
happened to be looking in at my friend
the proctor's office, and l observed that
he received me with an appearance of
greater interest than usual.
~ have Omc news for YOU" he said.
What do you think l heard at doc
tors commons this morning? Lady
Verinder's will has been asked for and
examined already"
The law allows all Wills to be exam
who applies on the payment Of a slil-
ling fee.
"Did YOU hear who asked for the
will:" l inquired.
"Ycs. The clerk had no hesitation in
telling me. Mr.. Smalley of the firm of
Skipp Il Smolley asked for it. The
will has not been copied yet into the
great folio registers. SO there was no
alternative but to depart from the
usual course and to let him see the
original document. He looked it ovcr
carefully and made Il note in his peck
etbook. Have YOU any idea of what lie
wanted with it,"
l shook my head. II shall find out
I answered. "bcfore I am Il day Older
If any other firm Of solicitors had
been concerned in this unaccountable
examination of my deceased clients
will I might have found some difficulty
in making the necessary discovery.
But l had Il hold over Skipp & Smallcy
which made my course in this matter
a comparatively easy one. My CONNER
law clerk. Il most competent ana excel
lent man. was Il brother of Mr.. Small
ley's. and owing to this sort of indirect
connection with me Skipp 4 Smalley
had for ONE years past picked up the
crumbs that fell from my table in the
shape of eases brought to my Office
which for various reasons l did not
think it worth While to undertake..
The moment I got back l spoke to my
clerk. and after telling him what had
happened l sent him to his brothers
office with Mr.. Eruff's compliments.
and he would be glad to know why
Messrs. Skipp & Smalley had found it
necessary to examine Lady Verinder's
will"
This message brought Mr.. Smallcy
back to my office. in company with his
brother. He acknowledged that he had
acted under instructions received from
Il client. And then he put it to me
whether it would not be a breach Of
professional confidence on his part to
say more.