The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-30
ABit of Conclusive
Evidence
By WILLIAM CHANDLER

nC Iiet iuLuihS IL Jul Scifts, Uul ~
soon became evident that we two mer
must have housekeeper.
+, Mrs. Jennings-she was d widow
was engaged.
Father had retired from business
and devoted himself to the care of his
estate, having a sort of office at home
in which was desk he had used when
he was a manufacturer. He was very
particular about his stationery, using
certain kind of paper on which he
had his name and address prir.ed III
blue ink. He was very crotchety about
the use of this paper and if called
upon to write anything when not al
his desk would send for some of ii.
remember l once asked him TO give me
an order for some securities he desired
me to sell for him and when handed
MN pen and Il sheet of my paper he
required me TO 90 to his desk and get
some OF his own. | mention this. fol
IL Is an important feature in my story
When | married proposed to father
That 1 bring my wife to our home and
turn over the housekeeping to her
But he said there would be friction
He had always been head of his house
and a woman usually wishes to be
head of her house Ny wife would
not be content to be his housekeeper
She would wish to be her own house
Keeper. | was very sorry for this, for
l saw no reason why the three of us
should not live together pleasantly and
comfortably.
however, Mrs. Jennings seemed Ia
me to be an excellent woman and tool,
such good care of father that | felt
consoled at leaving him in her cal e.
Besides keeping house for him. She
helped him with his correspondencp
and other matters pertaining to the
care of his estate All this was Of
especial Importance because my wife
and were to 80 around the globe for
wedding trip and were to soiourn a
year on our way back in Munich. NV
wife was devoted to music and DESIGN
ed to take course of instruction there.
We sailed from San Francisco and
received no word from home till we
reached Japan, where | was handed d
caDlegram stating that my father had
been taken ill while we were on the
ocean and had died. 1t seemed neces
sary for me to return at once, but II
would be great disappointment to
my wife to go with me, and she would
not let me 80 without her. The upshot
or the matter was that | cabcd Jim
Wilson, cousin of mine, to pay off
Mrs. Jennings and close the house.
l 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 ms
soon as he returned had hastened TO
with my request. Whereupon
Mrs. Jennings had handed hin a bill
Of sale of all my fathers property exc
cuted month before his death. She
to leave the house and claim.
ed possession of everything which by
my fathers death was mine
1t was plain that | was not a good
Judge of human nature. had certain
y been deceived In the housekeeper.
who had evidently prepared to beat me
nut of the whole or at least part of |
ny property. | did not know whether
he bill of sale would stand. but sure |
y expected an expensive lawsuit or
In which might have to
,ay largely
OF course there was nothing to be |
lone but go home at once. Ny wife |
vent with me, and In due time we land /
d In America. l refrained from see |
ng Mrs. Jennings until had consult
d my attorney. and after an interview
e asked her by telephone where we
night see the blu of sale by which she
laimed my fathers property. She re-
erred us TO her lawyer. To him we
rent, and he showed us the document
was written In writing like my ia.
hers, though his hand seemed to have
when he wrote 1t. 1t simply
tated that for and in consideration OF
L az GoAo W du ItHU1ilHS all
Is property. On asking why he had
one this we We're informed that she
ad taken care of him during his last
lness, his own son having deserted
i'm to 90 on trip abroad. He had
therefore, given her his property in.
tead of leaving 1t to her by win.
And now | must return to my IA.
hers punctiliousness with regard 10
is stationery. l noticed at once that
his bill of sale was not written ON the
aper he always used. This excited
suspicion that 1t was not genuine.
S to the handwriting and the sigma
lre. l could find no fault with them.
We demanded the right to have the
ocument examined by experts In
typography. This was acceeded TO
nth the usual result. The experts
isagreed. Then 1 called In a man
mo was familiar with the manufae-
ire OF paper. He examined the paper