The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1915-03-12

Wouiu pc uiStrlputeu among the ueirS-
at-iaw.
Mr.. Herrick died when Kate had
been living with them three years, and
his wife followed him six months later
Kate had been told by Mrs. HerricE
that she had made will in her favor.
but the restriction was not mentioned.
After the old lady's death the lawyer
who had drawn 1t and in whose care
1t had been ever SINCE produced 1t
and signified to Kate that he had de-
posted it with the surrogate. She
had only to go to that official to sign
the necessary documents and receive
her inheritance.
II Is not to be assumed from this
narrative that Kate Armitage was a
good girl. Not long after she went to
live with the Herricks she fell in with
young man, and love affair result
ed. She could not marry without
leaving Mr.. and Mrs. Herrick, which
would be equivalent to relinquishing
fortune. After Mr.. Herricks death
she consented to secretly marry her
lover, she to retain her residence with
Mrs. Herrick The marriage was per-
formed by a clergyman and with wit
nesses to whom the bride was person
ally unknown. for she would trust no
one except her lover with a secret on
which so much depended.
Kate concluded to receive her prop
erty under her maiden name, though
she had been advised that property
left her as spinster was equally hers
as q married woman. She went alone
to the surrogate. who showed her the
will. She read that all Mrs. Herrick's
property was hers and breathed sigh
Of relief. Then she read on and saw
that provided she married the will was
void.
She uttered a suppressed cry.
All that she had sinned for, all that
she had waited for during five years.
was lost. But was it lost? One who
had ruined another by forgery was
not incapable Of signing lie. Might
she not receive the property as an un-
married woman?
The surrogate obliged her before ac-
knowledging her right to the property
to sign q statement under oath that
she was not married. This was
more serious matter than forging a
letter. She did not dare sign without
consultation or at least elaboration.
She went to lawyer and stated her
case alphabetically. He informed her
that q married woman under the cir
cumstances signing q statement that
she was not and had not been married
would commit felony and was liable
to Imprisonment.
In her perplexity she informed her
husband what she was obliged to do
to secure the property they had been
waiting for. He saw at once thai 1t
could be secured only by the perpetra-
ton of crime and told her so. A
quarrel resulted between them, and he
left her.
The fear of prison kept the benef-
ciary of the will from signing false
hood, and after much delay she was
forced to admit to the attorney who
had had charge of the Herrick proper
ty that she was a married woman and
had no claim on the property. The
lawyer before notifying the heirs-at-
law that Mrs. Herrick had died with
out valid will made search among
the family papers to be sure that there
was no prior will He found one that
had been made in favor Of Julia An
drews soon after she had gone to live
with the Herricks.
One morning Julia Andrews received
q letter informing her that she had in
herited an estate worth 100000. Julia
believed there was some mistake. She
called on the lawyer who had sent the
notification. and he told her that Kate
Armitage. who had taken her place in
the Herrick household, had been left
the property. but with proviso which
had nullified the will.
Julia had known that her uncle and
aunt had supplied her place, but knew
little or nothing about the person who
had taken it. If she accepted this prop
erty she would take advantage of a
technicality to secure an inheritance
that was not rightfully hers. she
thought the matter over, then asked
for an appointment to meet the person
whom she considered the rightful heir.
The two women met at the lawyers
Office and were left alone in a private
room. Julia was as calm as summer
sky. Kate was pale as ghost.
81 presume" said Julia. that you
went to live with my uncle and aunt
with the understanding that you were
to inherit their property"
'T did" said Kate in faint voice.
"How came 1t that my aunt put the
provision i'm her will that If you mar
ried you should lose your inhertance?"
81 don't know. never knew of
such provision"
You completed your part Of the con-
tract, beiieve-you remained with my
aunt so long as she lived"
II did,
"Then the property rightfully belongs
to you"
Kate made no reply to this. She hung
her head to conceal her features. which
showed the workings Of conscience.
There was long silence, at the end
Of which Julia continues: