The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-04-16
A WELL
LAID PLAN
But One Element In
IL Had Not Been
Provided For
By F. A. mitchell

taken girls part Oh the stage. | lad
learned To speak in falsetto. very like Il
woman
One day | was handed newspaper
| in which there was personal that
read as follows:
II Annette Thurber will communicate
with II l.. i. she will hear something TO
her advantage
1t was explained to me that Annette
Thurbcr was Il nice Of one Nicholas
Bradford. who had recently died. lpav-
ing "A large estate. Miss Thuiber had
kept house for him and nursed hiA
during his last illness. He had t3ld
her that he had made viii leaving ~,
his property Ia her ana she would find
1t In a certain tin box in which he kept
his papers the box being On shelf Ia
the closet of his home office. After his
death she had looked in the hoX ana
had not found the document.
No will forthcoming. the property
would be divided between the teSta-
tors nephew. Henry I.athrop Bradford.
| the son of an older brother and An
nette Thurber. the daughter of his sis
ter This Henry Bradford was a
scamp. His uncle had befriended him
aad tried to make a man of him, had
failed and had disowned him. Miss
Thurber believed that he had stolen
the will from the tin box in order that
he might under the law obtain half the
estate. The personal had undoubtedly
been inserted by him with view to
some arrangement with her. What
that intended arrangement was she did
not know
reply was made by Miss Thurber
stating that she would receive Henry
Bradford at her home any day he
chose to call between and 3 o'clock in
the afternoon. No attention was paid
to this, and, the case having been placed
by Miss Thurber In the hands of detec
tives. a new note was dispatched in her
name saying that she would meet
Bradford at any time or place he might
appoint. Miss Thurber then received Q
bit Of paper on which was written
Lincoln park, q. %, 8 p. m
1t was evident that Bradford did not
propose to give Miss Thurber any evi-
dence against him. He might deny
that the personal had been inserted by
him or that he had sent this bit of pa.
per. his object being to meet her with
out witnesses for some rascally pur-
pose. The opinion of the chief was
chat Bradford had stolen the WILL that
he feared to be accused of the theft
and wished to make compromise by
which he might receive his share OF his
uncle's estate.
Miss Thurber and l were brought to-
gether, and 1t was observed that we
were about the same height and build
Having secured all the information
that was to be had on the matter,
was arrayed In one of her costumes,
and at o'clock In the evening on
the 25th of June the sixth month"; |
tripped daintily into Lincoln park. /
had been shown a photograph Of Brad
ford and Miss Thurber was known to
him, so, since Lincoln park was simply
a block set apart for breathing space.
there was no difficulty in meeting and
recognizing each other
1t was not long after my entry into
tho park that well dressed man step
ped up to me and remarked that it
was fine evening
Are you Mr. Bradford?" | asked.
YES"
What is the meaning of all this
secrecy"
Come this way" was his reply, and
| will tell you"
He led the way TO bench. l sat
down, AMI he sat beside me.
II wish to see you," he began about
Uncle Nick's will. 1t has been intimat-
ed to me that certain person knows
that will exists bequeathing all the
estate to you. This person will pro
duce the will for consideration.
How much does he want?" l asked.
coming at once to the point
"The estate Ii worth 100000. The
will will be surrendered for third of
the value of the property. You give
note for the amount to be taken up
three months after receiving the prop
erty."
mo" l said. after feigning to think
the matter over. IF a will exists ]
would rather take my chance OF its
coming out. And il it does" l here
assumed threatening tone. Il shall
send the person who stole it to the
penitentiary for long term of years"
There was silence for a few minutes,
! at the end of which he asked me how
/ much l would consent to pay. told
him that l would not bind myself to
pay anything until l had seen the will
and was convinced that the property
was left TO me and the document was
genuine. If SO convinced l would give
! note for 100000. He keyed me up to
$4,000, which closed the bargain. l
had no object in dickering with him,
except to induce him TO believe that
was making a real deal
asked him when and where the ex-
change OF the note for the will should
( take nlacp and ha ranliad that ha ha.3