The Talleyrand Maxim | Page 5

conveniently possible they will sell all my real estate, either by
private treaty or by public auction; they shall sell all my personal
property of any nature whatsoever; they shall sell my business at
Mallathorpe's mill in Barford as a going concern to any private
purchaser or to any company already in existence or formed for the
purpose of acquiring it; and they shall collect all debts and moneys due
to me. And having sold and disposed of all my property, real and
personal, and brought all the proceeds of such sales and of such
collection of debts and moneys into one common fund they shall first
pay all debts owing by me and all legal duties and expenses arising out

of my death and this disposition of my property and shall then
distribute my estate as follows, namely: to each of themselves, Martin
William Charlesworth and Arthur James Wyatt, they shall pay the sum
of five thousand pounds; to my sister-in-law, Ann Mallathorpe, they
shall pay the sum of ten thousand pounds; to my nephew, Harper John
Mallathorpe, they shall pay the sum of ten thousand pounds; to my
niece, Nesta Mallathorpe, they shall pay the sum of ten thousand
pounds. And as to the whole of the remaining residue they shall pay it
in one sum to the Mayor and Corporation of the borough of Barford in
the County of York to be applied by the said Mayor and Corporation at
their own absolute discretion and in any manner which seems good to
them to the establishment, furtherance and development of technical
and commercial education in the said borough of Barford. Dated this
sixteenth day of November, 1906.
Signed by the testator in the presence of us both present at the same
time who in his presence } JOHN MALLATHORPE and in the
presence of each other have hereunto set our names as witnesses.
HENRY GAUKRODGER, 16, Florence Street, Barford, Mill Manager.
CHARLES WATSON MARSHALL, 56, Laburnum Terrace, Barford,
Cashier."
As the last word left his lips Pratt carefully folded up the will, slipped it
into an inner pocket of his coat, and firmly buttoned the coat across his
chest. Then, without as much as a glance at the dead man, he left the
room, and again visited the telephone box. He was engaged in it for a
few minutes. When he came out he heard steps coming up the staircase,
and looking over the banisters he saw the senior partner, Eldrick, a
middle-aged man. Eldrick looked up, and saw Pratt.
"I hear you've been ringing me up at the club, Pratt," he said. "What is
it?"
Pratt waited until Eldrick had come up to the landing. Then he pointed
to the door of the private room, and shook his head.

"It's old Mr. Bartle, sir," he whispered. "He's in your room
there--dead!"
"Dead?" exclaimed Eldrick. "Dead!"
Pratt shook his head again.
"He came up not so long after you'd gone, sir," he said. "Everybody had
gone but me--I was just going. Wanted to see you about something I
don't know what. He was very tottery when he came in--complained of
the stairs and the fog. I took him into your room, to sit down in the easy
chair. And--he died straight off. Just," concluded Pratt, "just as if he
was going quietly to sleep!"
"You're sure he is dead?--not fainting?" asked Eldrick.
"He's dead, sir--quite dead," replied Pratt. "I've rung up Dr.
Melrose--he'll be here in a minute or two--and the Town Hall--the
police--as well. Will you look at him, sir?"
Eldrick silently motioned his clerk to open the door; together they
walked into the room. And Eldrick looked at his quiet figure and wan
face, and knew that Pratt was right.
"Poor old chap!" he murmured, touching one of the thin hands. "He
was a fine man in his time, Pratt; clever man! And he was very, very
old--one of the oldest men in Barford. Well, we must wire to his
grandson, Mr. Bartle Collingwood. You'll find his address in the book.
He's the only relation the old fellow had."
"Come in for everything, doesn't he, sir?" asked Pratt, as he took an
address book from the desk, and picked up a sheaf of telegram forms.
"Every penny!" murmured Eldrick. "Nice little fortune, too--a fine
thing for a young fellow who's just been called to the Bar. As a matter
of fact, he'll be fairly well independent, even if he never sees a brief in
his life."

"He has been called, has he, sir?" asked Pratt, laying a telegram form
on Eldrick's writing pad and handing him a pen. "I wasn't aware of
that."
"Called this term--quite recently--at Gray's Inn," replied Eldrick, as he
sat down. "Very promising, clever young man. Look here!--we'd better
send two wires, one to