The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-08-07
The Redfield
Will
1t Looked All Right When
Made, but Did Not
Pan Out Well
By F. A. mitchell


was opened 1t was learned that all his
property-a goodly fortune-was left to
his daughter Anne, with the condition
that she marry the testator's right
hand man Of business, Theodore Grit
fin. Griffin had been in charge Of the
Redheld company for some time before
its founders demise, and since he was
the only man who could squeeze a prof
it out of 1t there was no necessity for
making any other provision for its
management. Nothing was said In the
will as to refusal of Griffin to marry
Anne Redheld Her father when she
was passing into womanhood had told
her that it was his intention to give her
a good manager for the fortune he
would leave her, In the person Of Crit
fin. Anne was then too young to con-
slider the Importance of the plan to
her, and her father was led to believe
that she would make no objection to 1t
when the time came to fulfill the con-
ditions. There was no doubt about
AAAhAA Q dSNC0ulB W IL.
This is why the will made no mention
Of refusal on the part Of Griffin to
marry the heiress. If she refused to
marry him the stock Of the Redfleld
company, which would otherwise be
hers, would go to Griffin. The residue
Of the estate would In this case be d.
vided between several charitable instL
tutions in which the testator had been
much interested during his life.
Mr.. Redf1eld died four years after
mentioning the matter to his daughter.
When he did so she was fifteen. At
the time Of his death she was nineteen.
She had told some Of her schoolmates
that she was to marry Griffin and had
made no objection to doing so. At tNat
time it was matter for the future,
and she considered it a matter of
course, as boy may do who is brought
up to understand that he is to enter a
certain profession.
But when Anne Redfield at nineteen
found herself an orphan and called
upon to fulfill the conditions Of her
fathers viii she was a woman and
had lover who had nothing whatever
to do with the condition except that if
she married him she would give up q
fortune.
David Corwin was the young man
who had stepped In to prevent John
Redfeld's well conceived plan from
being smoothly worked out. David had
hoan oftopffva ~ Anna 60, co,,,a 49,,
before her fathers death, but Mr.. Red
field was not observant, and quite
often parents who are watchful fail to
detect love affair that is developing
right under their noses. This one came
to head during Mr.. Redfield's last Ill
ness.
When the win was read Anne was
reminded of something the Importance
Of which she had not realized and
which, never having been mentioned to
her since she was fifteen years old,
she regarded as dead letter. But
even now it did not occur to her that
Griffin would force himself upon her,
she being unwilling. She sent for him
and told him that she could not marry
her fathers choice for her without VIC
lation to her feelings. Griffin replied
that he had promised her father to do
his part in carrying out the plan; If
Anne would not do her part he saw no
way but that the property, other than
the business, must go to the charities
named in the will.
Anne consulted q lawyer, who told
her that under the terms Of the will
she must marry Griffin to inherit her
property. There was but one way out
Of the dilemma, and that was for Grit
fin to refuse to marry her This would
make the will imperative, and she
would inherit as heir at law, the same
as If there were no will, she being the
only child and there being no widow.
Anne did not understand the legal
distinctions IN the case, but she did
understand that her inheriting her
property and marrying the man she
wanted depended on Griff1n's declining
to marry her. She sent for Griffin and
reported what the attorney had said.
"This PLAN" replied Griffin, twas IN
augurated by your father 1t received
my sanction, and he told me that yoH
had made no objection to it. / would
not be justified In thwarting it by put
ting you In position to render it In
operative / regret that the carrying
it out has become obnoxious to you,
but that fact would not excuse me If l
become a party to multiplying It,"
"But father could have had no object
in making such viii except to In
sure, so far as he could, my happiness.
-Four years ago he told me about this
plan, and l gave my consent to 1t.
Had refused that consent am quite
sure he would not have made such a
VIII. / was then child. Now l am
woman. Father never intended that
should marry man did not wish
to marry"
Your father doubtless knew that
your happiness largely depended upon
the possession Of the fortune he had
been at such pains to build up. He
was aware that a girl Of your age is
not able to manage a large concern.
His money Is all invested in the bust
ness, and every one knows that bust
ness without a manager will soon go to
ruin. If you marry man who Is not
capable Of managing yours you will be
reduced to poverty. l am sure am
warranted In saying that no man is
capable of managing It who has not
been brought up for the purpose. Your
father brought me up for that very pur-
pose. His object in providing In the
will that you should marry me was to
insure to you the enjoyment Of the
wealth he was leaving you. Had he
left you free to marry whom you liked
you would doubtless have married some
young man utterly untitled to manage
fortune that was tied up In a very in
tricate business The result would
have been what ] have said-ruin for
the business and poverty for you. He
brought you up with the understand
ing that you were to marry the man.
ager of the business he left you"
This sounded so plausible that for
the time being Griffin appeared in
Anne's eyes very noble man. 1t
seemed to her that she was the guilty
one in not carrying out her fathers
wishes, to which she had tacitly cod
sented Nevertheless her whole being
rebelled against marriage with Crit
fin. Indeed, 1t was not to be thought
Of. She would marry the man Of her
choice even If she must relinquish a
fortune. She was quite sure he would
marry her even If she were poor as a
church mouse.
But Anne found on consultation with
others that they were not disposed to
take her view Of Griffln's noble mo-
tives In not permitting her to enjoy
her Inheritance with the man she loved