The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-12-05

at hard labor, while H. Bradley and Ger
trude Mcneil were each fined ten ana
costs or 30 days in Jail for being orulih'
the things Of value that he searched for"
He paused his eyes on the lad his
voice deep and gentle.
Where is the willP" he said.
The white in the boys face changed to
scarlet. He looked a moment about MIN
in sort of terror; then he lifted his head
and put back his shoulders. He crossed
the room to a bookcase, took down q
volume, opened it and brought out
sheet of folded foolscap. He stood up
and faced my father and the men about
the room.
This man." he said, indicating Cos
ford, has no right to take all my faith
er had. He persuaded my father and
was trusted by him. But did not trust
him. My father saw this plan in a hsht
that did not see 1t, but did not oppose
him. If he wished to use his fortune to
help our country in the thing which he
thought he foresaw, was willing for him
to do it.
But" he cried, somebody deceived
me, and will not believe that 1t was
my father. He told me all about this
thing. I had not the health to fight for
our country, when the time came he
said, and as he had no other son, our
fortune must go to that purpose in our
stead. But my father was just. He said
that a portion would be set aside for me-
and the remainder turned over to Mr.
Gosford. But this will gives all to Mr..
Gosford and leaves me nothing!"
Then he came forward and put the pa
per in my fathers hand. There was
silence except for the sharp voice Of Mr.
Gosford.
81 think there will be criminal pro-
ceeding here!"
My father handed the paper to Lewis,
who unfolded it and read it aloud. 1t di-
rected the estate of Peyton Marshall to
be sold, the sum of fifty thousand col
mainder to the son.
But there will be no remainder" cried
young Marshall. MY fathers estate is
worth precisely that sum. He valued 1t
very carefully, item by item, and that is
exactly the amount 1t came to-
Nevertheless" said Lewis, "the will
reads that way. It is in legal form, writ
ten in MarshalTs hand, and signed with
his signature, and sealed. Will you ex-
anime it, gentlemen There can be no
question Of the writing or the signature"
My father took the paper and read it
slowly, and old Gaeh nosed it over my
fathers arm, his eyes searching the
structure of each word, while Mr.. Gosford
sat back comfortably in his chair like
one elevated to a victory.
1T is in Marshalrs hand and sigma
ture," said my father, and old Gaeki
nodded, wrinkling his face under his
shaggy eyebrows. He went away still
wagging his grizzled head, wrote mem
orandum on an envelope from his pocket,
and sat down in his chair.
My father turned now to young Mar
shall.
MY boy" he said, "why do you say
that someone has deceived you?'
Because, SIR" replied the lad, "my
father was to leave me twenty thousand
dollars. That was his plan. Thirty thou
sand dollars should be set aside for Mr..
Gosford, and the remainder turned over
to me-"
THAT would be thirty thousand dollars
to Mr.. Gosford, instead Of fifty" said
my father.
yes, sir" replied the boy; that is the
way my father said he would write his
will. But 1t was not written that way.
It Is fifty thousand dollars to Mr.. Cos
ford, and the remainder to me. If it
were thirty thousand dollars to Mr.. Cos
ford, as my father said his will would be,
that would have left me twenty thousand
dollars from the estate; but giving Mr..
Gosford fifty thousand dollars leaves me
nothing"
"And so you adventured on little lar
ceny," sneered the Engishman.
i 10 not uuuSESIdIlO lIllS LnlnB, ne
said, but do not believe that my IA
Their would deceive me. He never did de-
cetve me in his life. I may have been a
disappointment to him, but my father
was a gentleman" His voice went I'D
strong and clear. And I refuse to be-
Iieve that he would tell me one thing and
do anotherl"
One could not fail to be impressed, or
to believe that the boy spoke the truth.
1--WE are sorry" said Lewis, but the
will is valid and we cannot go behind
it,
My father walked about the room, his
face in reflection. Gosford sat at his
ease, TRANSFERRING a note on his portfolio.
Old Gaeki had gone back to his chair
and to his little case Of bottles; he got
them up on his knees, as though he
would be diverted by lingering the tools
of his. profession. Lewis was in plain
distress, for he held the law and it's dis
position to be inviolable; the boy stood
with a fine defiance, ennobled by the
trust in his fathers honor. One could
not take his stratagem for a criminal
act; he was only child, for all his TWEEN
ty years of life. And yet Lewis saw the
elements of crime, and he knew that Cos
ford was writing down the evidence.
The concluding instaIlment OF "The
Fortune Teller" will be published in The