Public Ledger

Feminine Friendship.

Some of the Scotch papers are giving details of a very extraordinary will case which will shortly be submitted for trial. The story is this: The daughter of a country practitioner in a little village in Scotland awoke one morning to find herself a great heiress. The traditional uncle, who had come from India with a fortune, had died, leaving a beautiful estate and fully £300,000 in money and West Indian property to his niece, Miss Macpherson Grant. At that time she was bright, clever, handsome and about twenty-one years of age.

She took possession of her property and lived in great style, keeping a large stud of horses and driving tandem herself all over the country. Her father and mother she took under her wing, and was devoted to them to the last day of their lives. She established them in an independent and elegant home in Edinburgh, but had them a great deal with herself at Aberlour House, on the Speyside.

Some fifteen years ago a young lady came to pay her a visit. She was a stranger to Miss Grant, and was brought by some friends. It ended in this young lady, Miss Temple, leaving father and mother, with their concurrence, and living with Miss Grant, for better or for worse, until death should them part; in fact, they formed such a friendship that they agreed and entered into an engagement that neither should marry, and that they should pass their lives together.

Miss Grant then and there refused a very good offer of marriage, and rejected all other suitors. The conditions were that Miss Grant was to leave her estates and everything to Miss Temple, if Miss Temple on her part never left her and never married. A will was made by Miss Grant, under which her property was to pass to the Temples.

Two years ago Miss Temple married. Last Christmas Miss Grant died. The will was revoked. She never forgave the defection. She never made another will, and the estate goes to an obscure country doctor in Aberdeenshire, who hardly knew he was related to Miss Grant, and never saw her. Other poor relations, poor tradespeople in Banffshire, come in for a share.

Over this question of succession there will be a terrible fight in the law courts between the Temples and the heirs-at-law. Miss Grant was very masculine in appearance and manly in dress.