The Washington herald., 1915-01-03

very witty nor verl handsome. His chief
cndoNments were a hearty adherence of
work and a hearty delight in showy
clothing.
He had also d Tendency toward disspa-
tion. but a sal of Is year did not
allow him to indulge in this proclivity.
Mr.. TitmOusr went to see the solicitors
mentioned in the advertisement The firm
was one OF rather doubtful standing
reputable lawyers looked askancr at
them.
Mr.. TittIebat TitmOusc.
The lawyers informed Mr. Tittlebat
Titmouse that he was probably heir to
an estate in YOrkshire-an estate
which brought in d rental of $1,000 d
year.
Mr.. Titmouse felt himself competent
to the situation and considered that he
was only coming into 4 position which
his merits had long qualified him to fill
Now the reason for the advertise
ment which had given Mr.. Titmousc
such a thrill was this: The estate Of
NattOn. in Yorkshire, had been oC-
cupied for ten years by Charles Aubrey,
a member Of Parliament, and man
who had only one life between himself
and a peerage.
Mr.. Aubrey was mau of learning,
refinement and ability. When Mi. Au-
hrey married Agnes -. Clair, the
daughter of an army officer who had
been killed in the NapoleoniC wars. he
naturally told his solicitor. Mr.. Park
inson, Of the neighborinE town of Girls
ton. to draw up the settlements.
A Secret as Capital.
In the Office Of Mr.. Parkinson there
happened to be clerk named Steggcrs
sharp and unscrupulous. This Steg
gers had the detail Of the work Of
these settlements given him to do.
The fellow, i'm looking over the rec
ords Of the family deeds, discovered
seeming flaw in the title Of Charles
Aubrey TO the estate at YattOn.
He mentioned the fact to his employ
or who mentioned it to Mr.. Aubrey.
Eoth dismissed il from their minds As
a matter of little impOrtanCe-the es-
tate had been held for three genera
tions with the Inheritance unchanged.
Steggers made copious notes Of many
professional secrets in charge Of law
Yer Parkinson. and among them was
the secret of the cloud upon the title
of the Nattou estate.
He ahscouded with money belonging
to his employer and was arrested in
London. where he employed Quirk
Cannon and Snap as his attorneys.
and these attorneys took his iI-gOtten
money and his ilI-Eotten secrets from
him before he was transported to the
convict settlement of Botany Bay.
The Cloud on the TitI".
The cloud upon the YattOn title was
this: The estate had descended from one
Dreddlington. a cousin of the earl Of
that name. who was also Baron Drelin-
court This ancestor had two sons, Henry
and Charles.
= Henry died cmildloss and Charles. who
succeeded to the property, died leaving
two sons. stephen and GeOffrcy.
stephen lived an idle and wandering life
IA dissipated HersOn-and Was supposed
to have died without issue
Charles had one daughter, who nad
married tho father Of Charles Aubrey
and brought to her husband and left 10
Nor son the Yatton estate.
Rut had stephen preddlinGton died
without issue? That was the point. If
he had married and left descendants.
then tho AuhrrN iltlc was void
Ono Weak Point.
The Saffron III turn uron coming
INTO possession oD this clue" went t.
work UUOn IT.
They ran@i,hcd r,rord>; they used AL
tho old R4ilcv" arts known TO them,
aud FINALLY found out that Stephen lad
married son1' woman ~ low estate and
~ her had left A daughter who had mar
ricd GahrIcl TittIch4t TItmuuse. the
f.rward t" exchanging the delights ~
a dry goods shop to the splendors of a
great landed estate
i{ut there Was one weak point in the
case Of McssrS. Quirk Cannon and
Snap, Harry DreddlinEtun, eldest son
o. the common ancestor, had conveyed
his future rights in fee to a money len
der to secure a heavy loan.
1t was a post ohit," and II he, Harry,
had died before his father, was Of no
value.
Then it was suspected that Goeffrey
DreddlingtOn. the Youngest son of Charles
and the nephew Of Henry. had paid off
Iho loan and that recOnveyanrc had
been made by the money lende-.
4 Very Pretty Case.
Well. it was a very pretty case for
lawyers, such an one as my firm-rrpu-
table or ACKNOWLEDGEMENT rejoice to
get a retainer in.
To make long story short. legal pro-
ceedings were begun in behalf OF MIR
Titmouse and were decided in behalf OF
the eX-clerk.
Mr. Aubrey might have appealed the
case, but he was man OF most sCrupu-
Ious honor. and refused to take advan-
tage of all the wiIes and turns of the
law of which he might have availed HIM
self.
II was a sad day when the Aubreys
were compelled to leave Yatton. And
not only had Mr.. Aubrey to give up the
estate. but he was made liable for all
the income received from it while it had
been in unlawful posSessiOn-an amount
Of money which it was perfectly impos-
sible for him 10 repay.
Lord of the Manor.
, Mr. Tttlcbat Titmouse thus became
lord of the manor of Yatton. and that
ancient and respectable building was
turned into resort for all the hangers
on and disreputable associates which the
young man brought with him from Lon
don.
OF course. he was "hled' by everybody.
and especially by his lawyers. the fiitn
of Quirk. Cannon & Snap.
Having gone up to London-and law