GUATEMOTZIN j OR THE LAST OE THE AZTECS. 



39 



not more robust than his wife. Her 

 small fortune was invested in the farm 

 you still have. After you were born, 

 the physician who attended her deemed 

 it prudent that you should be provided 

 for out of the property, and though 

 there was no fear of immediate dissolu- 

 tion, he advised her to avert future 

 complications that might rise in case 

 she died suddenly. I was called in to 

 draw up the conveyance, and your 

 father insisted on the property being 

 left to you in its entirety ; for, as he 

 said, he was not much stronger than his 

 wife, and if he died suddenly his 

 relatives might claim some portion of 

 the property. I assured him, that while 

 you lived they could have no claim ; but 

 he was obdurate, and the will was drawn, 

 leaving you the sole legatee. The 

 following year your mother died, after 

 giving birth to your brother. This was 

 an unexpected event, as no provision 

 had been made by the will for any 

 subsequent issue. I believe your father 

 would have fought tooth and nail 

 against inserting a codicil in behalf of 

 your brother, had it been possible, as he 

 ardently loved your mother, whose death 

 made him a careless, shiftless fellow with- 

 out ambition. I acknowledge a great in- 

 justice was done your brother, but his 

 birth was unforeseen, as your mother 

 was an extremely sensitive woman who 

 concealed her condition until it was 

 necessary to call in the physician. 

 After your brother's birth she never 

 recovered consciousness. 



I did not think much of the terms of 

 the will until yesterday, when Steve 

 summoned me to the farm. Your 

 father and he had previously gone 

 over the instrument together, being 

 anxious to find if it could not be 

 broken. Your brother's argument was 

 that you owed your father board for 20 

 years, which at the rate of $5.00 a week, 

 with what had been expended for cloth- 

 ing, would exceed the value of the farm. 



" * My dear sir,' I answered, 'what 

 would apply to your brother applies 

 equally to you. Your father cannot 

 charge him for board without charging 

 you the same ; even if a parent could 

 charge children board and lodging, dur- 

 ing their minority, your brother can 

 prove he was fed and clothed with the 

 proceeds of the farm. Again, if your 

 father should enter a claim for wages as 



hired man or manager of the farm, 

 Allen can sue him for unfaithful steward- 

 ship. It is a bad business, which ever 

 way you look at it, sir, and I advise you 

 to think no more of contesting the will. 

 I have,' I concluded, 'a reputation of 

 having never lost a case, which, while 

 not being strictly true, has been obtained 

 by always choosing the right side ; I 

 shall reserve myself to defend your son 

 and brother if you still decide to fight 

 the will.' 



"I bowed myself out, leaving them 

 the picture of consternation. Now, 

 my boy, let me tell you there is some- 

 thing beside the mere desire to get 

 possession of your acres as a farm. A 

 young man of Steven's ability could 

 locate a claim under the homestead laws, 

 of finer land, in some western state." 



"My dear sir," I said, "I am willing 

 to divide the farm between them ; I 

 have no desire to be a farmer, and can- 

 not endure this estrangement." 



" You cannot dispose of your property 

 until you become of age," Mr. Farring- 

 ton replied, coldly. " Until then, do 

 not say any more about it, after which 

 do not ask me to assist you in any fool- 

 ish action." 



We conversed on the subject some 

 little while longer, when I left, de- 

 termined to retain possession — and feel- 

 ing assured that Steve and father could 

 not take the property without my con- 

 sent. A great load was lifted from my 

 mind, but I felt how much better 

 pleased I would be if I had achieved 

 the victory over Steve in regard to Miss 

 Sheldon than with the property. 



His calling upon her so early in the 

 morning was evidence that he had been 

 as deeply impressed as myself. I knew 

 his pretext was to inquire about her 

 lame foot, no doubt deploring that his 

 good-for-nothing brother was the cause 

 of her suffering. I gnashed my teeth 

 with rage, and smiting my clenched 

 fist into my hand, I cried, mentally, 



"You attempted to steal my farm, 

 and now you are attempting to steal 

 what is of infinitely more value than 

 life itself ; but by heaven, if you win 

 her, it must be by fair means and not 

 by innuendoes and subterfu^ 



I was called to my senses by a voice 

 I instantly recognized as Mr. Sheldon's. 

 "Verily, the hot headed youth is con- 

 juring the evil spirit that possesses him." 



