Aunt Jane's Nieces
"I do not think, so; but unless he has destroyed the paper in his
madness, we shall he able to find it among his possessions."
With this idea in mind, Mr. Watson ordered the servants to remove the
gardener's body to a room in the carriage-house, and as soon as this
was done he set to work to search for the paper, assisted by John
Merrick.
"It was a telegraph blank, he said."
"Yes."
"Then we cannot mistake it, if we find any papers at all," declared
the lawyer.
The most likely places in James' room for anything to be hidden were a
small closet, in which were shelves loaded with odds and ends, and an
old clothes-chest that was concealed underneath the bed.
This last was first examined, but found to contain merely an
assortment of old clothing. Having tossed these in a heap upon the
floor the lawyer begun an examination of the closet, the shelves
promising well because of several bundles of papers they contained.
While busy over these, he heard Uncle John say, quietly:
"I've got it."
The lawyer bounded from the closet. The little man had been searching
the pockets of the clothing taken from the chest, and from a faded
velvet coat he drew out the telegraph blank.
"Is it the will?" asked the lawyer, eagerly.
"Read it yourself," said Uncle John.
Mr. Watson put on his glasses.
"Yes; this is Tom Bradley's handwriting, sure enough. The will is
brief, but it will hold good in law. Listen: I bequeath to Jane
Merrick, my affianced bride, the possession and use of my estate
during the term of her life. On her death all such possessions, with
their accrument, shall be transferred to my sister, Katherine Bradley,
if she then survives, to have and to hold by her heirs and assignees
forever. But should she die without issue previous to the death of
Jane Merrick, I then appoint my friend and attorney, Silas Watson, to
distribute the property among such organized and worthy charities as
he may select.' That is all."
"Quite enough," said Uncle John, nodding approval.
"And it is properly signed and witnessed.
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There was once a king who was very powerful. He had great influence over the wild beasts and animals. Now the tortoise was looked upon as the wisest of all beasts and men. This king had a son named Ekpenyon, to whom he gave fifty young girls as wives, but the prince did not like any of them. The king was very angry at this, and made a law that if any man had a daughter who was finer than the prince's wives, and who found favour in his son's eyes, the girl herself and her father and mother should be killed.
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