THE WILL OF FREDERICA.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13017, 20 January 1908, Page 5

THE WILL OF FREDERICA.

From 'The Westminster Gazette.''

! On the morning of her natal day, I Frederica oame down- to breakfast with ; a puckered brow. Neither the dewy white roses, meet offering for a three months' bride, nor the golden September sunshine, nor the congrotulitioiis of Jier husband and sister, dispersed the gloom which caused the pucker. She prayed with toast and bacon with a far-4-.way look in her blue eves; and sat absently twisting her weddingring is her husband kissed her goodbye before rushing off to his office. "I feel rather a boatstj'' eihe remarked, as she watched Oliver down the street"He will -think all day that I have quarrelled with him, eaid it isn't that a bit. It's my Will. You see, Barbara. . . ." Barbara looked puzzled. Was Frederica at last waking up to t<be fact tint her will power had never boen her strong point? "You could strengthen your will if you tried," remarked tlie elder sister, bracing herself to give the sound ethical advice to which Frederica, as '* rule, never listened. "Don't be a fool, Barbara. It isn't that sort of will I am thinking of. No married woiuxn wants to strengthen her will." Barbera had never l*ea«l so much of tihe views of married women. a 6 she hid from Frederica during tJhe bst few weeks. She «_;_ ed and looked resigned.

"But a married woman must, always make a Win*, even if she has made ono before. . . What does revoke moan?" continued Frederica. At that minute she suddenly remembered the -*as -hungry, and began to make up for lost- time by attacking her neglected breakfast. Uarixirn suggested it might mean ca.llins; buck or repealing. "Well, then, darting, I shell have to call back and repeai the Will I made leering everything to you." eaid Frederion, with her mouth, full of toast -t>nxi mnrmtaJade. •'ft aavs on the form we l#o*,*ishi. 'A WiLl is revoked by ihe marriage of the person making it.'" | She fumbled in her pocket and proI duced a blue envelope. How well Barj bam remembered the day when tiiat j blue envelope was sealed! Frederica [ had scouted* the nation of matrimony then. j ""I am not that sorb of — c_«_,'' 6_e b-vl remaxked loftily, as she dropped the hot wax on t_e envelope. But now? ''Listen, Barbara.'' eaid Frederic* ir-roressively, as she nnfolded the document, "and you will see that I cannot help it: 'A Witt is revoked by the marriage oi the person making it.'" Barbara did listen. "Well, that's all right." she said, cheering up. "AH righrt!" echoed FTederioa in diemay. "How can it be? If I died, it would mean that Oliver had every single thing belonging to mc, a—en the poaria you gave mc." "'Well, isn't that what you want?'' smiled Barbara.

I "You are not generally so dense. I You might help mc. A will made by |fl married woman is no mere child's I play, I assure you." she added loftily. I Barbara did help her, for whenever there was a sound of tears in Frederica's voice everyone came to her assistance. j "You mean that we must go to a lawyer together and produce a legal do-.*timont," she fiuggested. Fredericas eyes danced. "Yes, you dear old thing, and won't it be a lovely way of keeping my birthday? Such a surprise for Oliver, too." she continued? as she capered round the room. ''He thinks I can do nothing without him," she chuckled. 'I think we had better find a very old and wise lawyer," pondered Barbara, as she watched her. They consulted the charwoman, who seemed to be a sort of walking encyck>p*edia of information. "We want to see a lawyer about a delicate matter," began Barbara. "I should go to a doctor, Miae, if I were you, if I felt bad," waa the unexpected answer. Frederica went off into uncontrollable fits of mirth. "Oh, it isn't that aort of delicacy," gasped Barbara. "It's something quite different; something to do with the law." •'Then you can't do no better than to go to old Huggins down atreet. He knowa Law right enough; when my husband took aid broke his lee in the path of duty, he made his master pay up, he did." You go to Huggrna."

The only drawback to Barbara was that sho was not tertian she was treading the path of duty in escortiig Frederica to make her Will —ith her husband out of tho —ay. This th-iUR-nt affected her to nervousness as tbey rang the bell outside Mr Huggiiis's office half an hour later. Frederi-a was in a very confused mood. She had seemed to tie deep in thought aa they walked down the street, and had thtu suddenly squeezed Frederica's arm and exclaimed, "Darling, I do want to leave you fifty pounds, but would it ibe fair to Oliver?'' I Barbara pondered. '"I s.ippose Oliver must get fifty pounds less, if that is what you mean," she answer-**d. I: it op oj. i.u*.i*3no T sd**qjed udi* _~, ! what do you thinkP' This seemed really a delicate matter to Barbara. She could only answer, ••'Perhap.s not." "And I do want to leave you something." Frederica then became pensive. "And there? Dick. too. Dear old Dick! He might be hurt if I left him no- , thing." Tho latter part of thus interesting conversation took place in front of tho office-boy. who ended it by politely enquiring tlie ladies' business. "Mr Huggins? Yes, mum. Please step upstairs." Barbara hesitated. "He is old, isn't lie?" she enquired. •Folks da soy he has been here nigh on forty years." The office-boy was so young and diminutive that he said this with bated breath. Then tihey were ushered into the presence of the great man. He certainly seemed to have on tight some of the dignity and antiquity of the great cathedral opposite his office. The way hefiho-ik hands was absolutely magnificent. Frederira plunged in media*- res. She had taken her glove off, showing her wedding-ring. "I want to make my will," she beI gan. Mr H'lcgin* glanced at the little white hand and bowed low, as he murmured that was very usual with a bride. Frederica blushed becomingly. 'Quite an easy matter," pursued the lawyer. "I wish to leave everything to my husband," remarked Frederica. loftily, "except one hundred pounds." "Quite so, quite so; very proper and befit.ting." Tho lawyer rubbed his hands. "Do you think," pToeeeded Frederica rather nervously, "that my husband will miss .inst a hundred ponnds? Is it usual for a married woman to leave even a hundred pounds away from her husband?" Mr Huggins coughed. He said that depended on the bulk of the estate. Frederica turned to Barbara. "Do tell him what I have to leave. I don't know." The lawyer bent over the sheet of foolsoap to hide the shadow of a smile. Barbara explained as- far as sho could, while Frederica remained wrapped in thought. "I do know," she said suddenly in triumph, "that I have the leaving of something I don't possess. Do explain that, Bflfbara!" Barbara remarked that was a reversion. It waa comforting to find that the words "AH tbe property of which I die possessed, litrl which will revert to mo as heir-at-law," covered tho whole situation. "How about the hundred pounds you wished to leavs in legacies?" asked tho lawyer. "Yes, I must do that," said Frederica. in sudden desperation. "I cant give up everything just because I am married. I don't mind about my father and mother, because I haven't got any, but I won't givo up Barbara and Dick. Please leave them fifty pounds each." The scratching of a quill pen intimated that was done. "I shall require you ladies to attend to-morrow to sign the document," said tire lawyer, 'and may wo hope"—and here ho* again softly rubbed his hands —"may we hope that it will be very long beforo this Will takes effect!'" "Yes: I do think I don't like tho words "Last Will and Testament,' '' said tlie little bride, as they returned down the quiet sunny street. "Anyhow, it can't make mc die to make my Will, she continued. By this time they had come to the ancient stone bridge spanning the liver. Barbara leaut over to watch the fishes. Her checks were flushed from the effects of talking Law. Suddenly Frederica gave a scream. "I forgot all about Bob!" she gasped. "What are we to do? It wouldn't matter if there were crowds of us. but there aro only Bob and Dick and mc and you, and Bob might feel so hurt. We must go back at once, and add a codicil before it is too late. Frederica started at a brisk trot to retrace her steps. Suddenly she stood still. "But if I leave Bob fifty pounds, too, what- n lot it will tako'from Oliver. Oh, dear, what is to be done? I must bo fair and yet ..." Barbara suggested dividing one hun- ' dred pounds between Bob and Dick and herself. But Frederica was inconsolable. By that time they were back at Mr Huggins's door. The boy remarked : " 'X's gone to his dinner." Frederica wondered why lawyers always had dinner in the middle of the day. Perhaps it was a good thing that she had to spend tlie afternoon returning calls in a village close by. If not, the lawyer would certainly have seen her about a dozen times, for at intervals she thought of about twelve codicils which might be added to her Will. As each occurred to her she looked at Barbara and made the same solemn remark: "Remember, this is as sacred as if in the Will. To forget it would be to disregard my dying wishes." When this remark was first made it terrified Barbara, and gave her a lump in her threat; but she became hardened in the course of the afternoon, for the constant repetition of it did not seem to make Frederica's eyes Jess bright or her dimples less prominent. Finally they went into a village shop t«> buy a notebook in which to inscribe all these sacred commands. They sat in a field while Barbara tried to recall them.