The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-02-08
Legal
Matrir1lOny
Il Was Found Essential
to q Fortune.
By F. A. mitchell

or i Will leave the property U you1
Cousin Edgar. Here are two wills,
one in your favor, the other In favor OF
Edgar. II within one month you are
not welded to Helen, will destroy the
will leaving oil to you. On your we'd
ding day will destroy the one leaving
the estate to Edgar, making you sole
beneficiary"
Thus spoke Martin Travers to his
son, Walter The elder Travers was a
man Of strong will, and his son had
inherited it. from him. The fortune
had been accumulated by the father
and his partner. William Gray. largely
by Travers' logged perseverance
Gray was a milder man, and Travers
in time came to regard him as super
numerary to the business. Travers
had then forced him out. Gray had
died in poverty. and Travers' con-
science smote him. He proposed now
to make what restoration he could--in
his own way-by uniting the property
after his death in his son. Walter
Travers, and Gray's daughter and
only child, Helen.
"How do you know that the girl will
have me?" asked Walter.
Il don't, but l have little doubt the
match can DC arranged. She will not
he likely to throw q half interest in
100000 over her shoulder, especially
since she is obliged to earn her own
living"
Every well, father. l will think the
matter over and let you know my de-
cision."
Mr.. Travers had another reason for
his action in this matter. lie knew
that his son was in a dangerous posi-
ton Walter had fallen under the in
fluencc of II woman ten years older
than himself. his inferior socially, In
tellectually-indecd, in every way. I'm
known to the son. the father had tried
to buy her OF. but was not willing to
pay her price, she believing that she
could get the boy and the fortune as
well, for she held him enthrallcd.
Walter was Of that dangerous age
when a man is liable to become infat-
uated with any woman, good or bad.
Nevertheless there were in him the
tgerms Of good sense. Instead Of going
| to the woman who had fascinated him
to pour their mutual trouble in her ear
and ask her advice, he concluded to
go to Helen Gray. tell her the whole
story and make her a proposition he
had in mind.
1t was not very pleasant statement
to make. but Travers had prepared
himself for 1t and got on better than
might have been expected. He lin
gered longer than necessary on the pre-
liminary statement in order to get up
his courage for the main announce
ment.
i Miss Gray listened to him attentive
ly and without any especial expression
of word or cOuntenance until he told
her of his love for another woman.
Then a look of disappointment came
over her face.
"And now" lie said, having prepared
the way for his proposition, Il sug.
gest that We be legally and only legally
married. I mean to accede to my
fathers stipulation. BY such mar
rage We will obtain n fortune. which
We must forego without it."
There was a long silence between
the two, which was at last broken by
Miss Gray.
II honor you, Mr.. Travers," she
said, '.for your frankness, and you ore
acting with common honesty In moi
laying a plan to obtain a fortune un
der false pretenses. I will take what
you have said under consideration.
have the advantage Of you in this
am fancy Free"
In due time Miss Gray wrote Mr.
!, Travers that she had decided to &c
: cept his proposition. "A statement Of
i, my reasons for doing So" she wrote
would be very hard to make. Be
sides, they have not been called for
Under the circumstances what yOl
propose is the only alternative boil
for you and for me between a fortune
and poverty"
Upon receipt Of this note Walter in
[ formed his father that he had pro
posed to Miss Gray and had been &C
, cepted. Mr.. Travcrs asked If the mar
riagc would he bona fide, and Waite
Informed him that it would be legal
Travers after some thought said tina
il the parties would agree not to hav
the marriage annulled or get divorce
within five years he would be salts
fled. Walter assented, stating that
was not his intention to get either al
annullment or divorce at any time
But he confessed that he reserved th
right to love any woman other thai
his wife. There was suspicion of
smile on his fathers face as he as
scented to this provision
Walter Traycrs and Helen Cray wer
married without his saying anythin
10 his inamorata about his COMM
marriage. The wedding took plac
privately Of an afternoon, and tn
bride and groom went to live in
house provided by Mr.. Travers. Sr
with comfortable income beside:
The two dincd together in friendl
way III their new home, and afte
dinner Walter went out. He was &c
ing to announce his marriage to tn
woman he loved. to tell her that
was the best arrangement he coul