Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-01-12
ABit of Conclusive
Evidence
By WILLIAM CHANDLER

When my mother died, leaving my
father ana myself alone IN the house,
we tried running it ourselves. but IL
soon became evident that we two men
must have II houSekecper
Mrs. Jennings she was widow
WAS engaged.
FATHER had retired from business
and devoted himself to the care Of his
estate, having sort Of Office at homs'
III which was II desk he had used whSi:
he was a manufactures. He was very
particular about his stationery. using
certain kind of paper on which he
hau his naue and address printed in
p'ue Ink. tie was very crotchety about
the use of this paper and if called
upon TO write anything when not ut
us desk would send for some of it. /
remember l once asked him 10 give me
an order for some securities he desired
me To sell for him and when I handed
MN pen ana shec, OF my paper he
required me to 10 To his desk and ret
some OF his own. | mention this, for
II IS an Important feature in my story.
When married proposed 10 father
that l bring my wife to our home and
turn over the housekeeping to her.
Sat he said there would be friction.
Ae had always been head Of lis house.
ana woman usually wishes to be
mead OF her house. My wife would
not be content To be his Householder.
she would wish 10 be her own house.
Keeper | was very sorry for this. for
saw no reason why the three of us
should not 1--we together pleasantly and
comfortably.
However, Mrs. Jennings seemed 10
me to be an excellent woman aud tool
such good care of father that | fclt
conSoled M leaving him IN her Gale.
Besides keeping house for him She
helped him with his CORRESPONDENCE
and other matters pertaining to the
care of his estate. All this was OF
especial Importance because my wife
and were to 20 around the globe for
wedding trip and Were To sojourn a
year on our way back in Munich. Ny
wife WAS devoted to music and design.
ed to take Il course of instruction there
We sailed from San Francisco and
received no word from home TIL we
reached Japan, where | was handed
tablegram stating that my father had
Deen taken i'll while we were on the
otean and had died. 1t seemed neces.
sary for me to return at once, but 1t
would be great disappointment 10
my wife to 20 with me- and she would
not let me 20 without her. The upshot
OF the matter was that | cable1 Jim
Wilson, a cousin of mine, to pay OF
Mrs. Jennings and close the house.
| heard nothing from Wilson in re-
ply to my cablegram for months.
Then he wrote me that he had been
absent when my message came and as
soon as he returned had FASTENED to
comply with my request WhereupOn
Mrs. Jennings had handed him bill
of sale Of all my fathers property exc.
euted month before his death. She
refused to leave the house and claim
ed possession Of everything which by
lay fathers death was mine.
1t was plain that | was not good
judge Of human nature. had certain.
~ been deceived In the hOusekeeper,
who had evidently prepared to beat me
out Of the whole or at least a part Of
my property. | dir not know whether
the bill Of sale would stand, but sure
~ expected All expensive lawsuit or
compromise In which might have to
pay largely.
OF course there was nothing TO he
done but 90 home at once Ny wife
went with me, and In due time we land
el in America RETAINED from sec
ing Mrs Jennings until ! had consult
ed my attorney, and after an Interview
he asked her by telephone where we
might see the bill Of sale by which she
claimed my fathers property. She re-
ferred us to her lawyer. To him we
went and he showed us the document.
1t was written in writing like my IA
Tiers. though his hand seemed TO have
trembed when he wrote It. 1t simply
stated that for and in consideration OF
81 he solo TO Mrs. Sarah Jennings all
his property. On asking why he had
done this we We're Informed that she
had taken care OF him during his last
illness, his own son having deserted
him to go on a trip abroad. lie had
therefore given her his property In
stead Of leaving 1t to her by will.
And now | must return to my IA
Tiers pmctiliousness with regard to
his stationery. noticed ut once that
this bill of sale was not written on the V
paper he always used This excited
suspicion that 1t was not genuine.
AS to the handwriting and the sigma
ture, ! could find no fault with them.
We demanded the right to have tho
document examined by experts In
This was acceeded to
with the usual result. The experts
disagreed. Then called In a mn
who was familiar with the manufac.
ture Of paper He examined the paIer
on which the bill was written and lp
its texture. water lines, etc, pronounc.
ed 1t be Of Il lot manufactured by 4
certain paper company. When SAM
pie OF this lot of paper was submitted
to It's manufacturers they said that
Ii had hnnn mt off In tho trn do nn Il