Year: 1877

Keturah in the room, when the lawyers clerk
came home with seedy looking companion.


The two went up into the sick chamber, and
something impelled me to follow. My list slip
pers were noiseless; I crept into the little
dressing-room, the door of which was ajar. l
saw a parchment produced, and pen, and the
old man raised to sign. thought also heard
distinct "No no." and then he fell back
dead.


'sIt's no use, job he's gone, and his money
bags with him you've left it too late-just
like you" cried Keturah, in a temper.


There was a blue-bottle fly buzzing in the
window it was in the middle Of August.


"Stop," said the stranger, 'let me catch
that blue-bottle," and after some dodging he
caught it, and for what do you suppose? He
put the fly in the mouth of the dead man, and
held it shut, saying as be did so: NOW put
the pen in his hand and guide it, and We can
swear he signed it while there was life in him. "


1 shrank with horror as I saw this villainy
perpetrated, and the other mans signature
affixed, whilst the fly released went buzzing
over the room, and then bells rang, and great
wall went through the house but the young
one who fled to me for comfort, and sobbed
upon my shoulder, was the only true mourner.


The funeral came and the will was read.
James Dudley had not been wholly excluded {;
they had been too cunning for that but the
will set forth that his mother had offended in
her marriage, and that he, James Weston, had
taken an oath to disinherit her offspring. The
testator, however left charge upon his heirs
sand executors, his beloved nephew and niece,
to educate his grandson James, and article
him to solicitor, as he himself had been ar
ticled, with a small sum for maintenance till
the youth was twenty-one, when he was to have
ESQ, and no more.


I told DIR. Hill that I was sure the pen was
put in dead mans hand, but he said it was
preposterous, and bade me hold my tongue. l
was dismissed, and beng myself afraid Of any
publicity of my own name, weakly let the
matter drop sitting conscience with the
thought that it was no business of mine.


Then my own cares drove all others out OF
my mind. I came to London, where soon got
good connection, and began to save money.
At last it came to my ears that the Bromleys
were purse-proud and arrogant, and had n9t
even fulfilled the provisions OF the sham Will
for poor James Dudley. My conscience stunS
me 1 felt as if I had been partner in the
fraud to rob the orphan of his patrimony, and
went to a magistrate for advice.


He gave me hearing, and then referred me
to respectable solicitor, who took the matter
in hand.


To make a long story short, James Dudley
was looked up, criminal proceedings. were
threatened against the Bromleys, search-war-
rant obtained and in the recess behind the bed
another will was found, properly drawn up and
attested, in which old Moneybags left to his
nephew only the money he had already de-
frauded him of-as witness several forged
checks inclosed with the will. Of course the
latter will would have set this aside, had it been
genuine That it was not was proved by the
abrupt fight of the Bromleys, and the confes-
sion of their fellow conspirator, who was
brought to book.