Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 234, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1911 — The Washington Plate [ARTICLE]

The Washington Plate

“Don’t think it is fair.' 1 cried Net tie Bourn. “To think that one horrid old plate should make all thU trouble! It was mean of Uncle John io make a will like that'* “He didn't make a will like that,’ continued Hairy Warren. “How was he lo kriow that one of the plates should be brOkOn between his death and the readingj>f the *dU? He was fair enough. He left one to youi mother and one to my father. Surely that was a fair division of the two. His In.ention was all right.” “Well, then,” said Nettie, stamping a very pretty little foot, "it’e shameful that oar parents -hcnld be so horribly stubborn as to fight ovej one miserable old plate'.” “You can’t blame them, exactly/ defended Harry, charitably. “You vc had your fads and you know how it Is. Your mothdr's collection of china Is so close to my father’s that tie posses ion of that single plate would determine the supremacy. Naturally each one wants it, and they are going to fight for it.” “And in the meantime we*ban’t even announce our eng? gement," wailed Nettie, “to say nothip.3 of getting married.” *We don’t want to get married until spring," reminded Harry, optimistically. “Something will turn up before then —if I have to turn it up myself.” Ever since Jason Pomfret’s will had been read, and it was found that the two famous, Washington plates were left to his brother, Silas Warren, and to Martha Bourn, there Lad been a bitter warfare waged between the two legatees. ~ j

In the bustle of preparing for the funeral one of the plates had been broken beyond the skill of. the most expert mender to put together, and Mrs. Bourn and Silas Warren, who were both a little mad on the subject of china, had taken the matter into the courts, each insisting that the remaining plate was the ’one Pomfret had repeatedly indicated as the one he wished the claimant to have. But Harry did not let the gears grow under his feet. He went to see his closest friend, Dick Lyons, who was noted as an expert in old porcelains. “I don’t want to see you get the worst of this row over that Washington plate,” he said when he had aroused her curiosity sufficiently. “I’ve often studied that collection of Jason Pomfret’s and other experts liad always agree with me that his Washingtan plates were not genuine. The plate that is left is merely a copy of the real ones—an awfully good copy, you know, but bogus for all that.” - “Don’t tell me that,” she comrtfanded with a sniff. ‘l’ve seen the plate a hundred times and I know very well that It is a real Washington.” “Look here,” sugges ed Dick. “You can look the plate over closely so long as you don’t take it out of the executor’s office. You’ve seen it a hundred times, but you never looked at it with doubt because you took it for granted that it was what Pomfret said it was. You look it over carefully and you’ll get the credit dor dropping the fight over a plate tha-t is not worth fighting over.” “If this is a trick ” began Mrs. Bourn, and she paued. “It’s not a trick,” assured Lyons as he turned away. “It is the same that I took froln the cabinet,” declared the lawyer tartly, not relishing the suggestion that was conveyed in their demand.?.

“It’s not that,” Mrs. Bourn hastened to explain. “I’ve always had an idea that the plate was not genuine and I want to make certain that the plate is worth fighting over." “Funny you never though or that before,” commented Silas Warren suspiciously. "I’ve always had my doubts.” he added with the collector's vanity and pride in his knowledge. “Harry told me the other night that one of his friends also had expressed bis doubis. I’m going to bring another expert in.” “I don’t think that will be neceshastily said Mrs. Bourn, eager to maintain her reputation as a keen collector who could not be deceived. "Now that I look at it carefully I’m willing to abandon all claim to the legacy. It’s not at all genuine. ‘‘l don’t want ever to see it again,” he declared. "To think that a cheap copy should have spoiled our friendship all these months! That's vor'e than the loss of the plate., We w ed to be pretty good friends, Marti a. “We can be good friends still. Silas,' she reminded. "Let’s go out and have luncheon and talk it over,” suggested Silas; and they talked it over with such good effect that they went from there to the jewelers, and when they came out a solitaire on the widow’s finger announced that she expected shortly to change her state of loneliness. Nettie and Harry, watching across the street, smiled >t each other. "That will simplify matters a great deal," declared Harry in tones of relief. “We’ll give them the Washington plate for a wedding present.” "But that’s not worth anything.” objected Nettie. "The real one Is,” explained Harry. “Iq a good cause the end justifies the< means. I got Benson’s *clerk to exchange the plates. It cost $5 for a copy that had the same pattern. It was worth it, for it brought about a double wedding find quadruple happiness.” "I'm happier than that,” confessed Nettie shyly, “even if I am going to marry a man who steals Washington plaice."