own interest from Bowen & Hare. We find the partners sitting in the
private room.

"Pretty badly tangled, I declare," said Mr. Hare, staring helplessly at
his senior partner.

"Hopelessly," agreed Mr. Bowen, very much as if he had at first intended
to groan.

Before them on the table lay the contents of a bulky envelope: a long
and stupendous letter from their London correspondents and with it a
copy of Taswell Skaggs's will. The letter had come in the morning's
mail, heralded by a rather vague cablegram the week before. To be brief,
Mr. Bowen recently had been named as joint executor of the will,
together with Sir John Allencrombie, of London, W.C., one time neighbour
of the late Mr. Skaggs. A long and exasperating cablegram had touched
somewhat irresolutely upon the terms of the will, besides notifying him
that one of the heirs resided in Boston. He was instructed to apprise
this young man of his good fortune. This he delayed in doing until after
he had obtained more definite information from England. The full and
complete statement of facts was now before him.

There was one _very_ important, perhaps imposing feature in connection
with the old gentleman's will: he was decidedly sound of mind and body
when it was uttered.

When such astute lawyers as Bowen & Hare give up to amazement, the usual
forerunner of consternation, it is high time to regard the case as
startling. Their practice was far-reaching and varied; imperviousness
had been acquired through long years of restraint. But this day they