However, in deference to the known wishes of my father, he made me an allowance of five hundred a year, which was about a quarter of the annual income, I urged him to assign me a lump sum, but he refused to do this.

Instead, he instructed his solicitor to pay me the allowance in quarterly instalments during the rest of his life; and it was understood that, on his death, the entire estate should devolve on me, or if I died first, on my daughter Ruth.

Then, as you know, he disappeared suddenly, and as the circumstances suggested that he was dead, and there was no evidence that he was alive, his solicitor--a Mr.Jellicoe--found himself unable to continue the payment of the allowance.

On the other hand, as there was no positive evidence that my brother was dead, it was impossible to administer the will." "You say that the circumstances suggested that your brother was dead.
What circumstances were they ?" "Principally the suddenness and completeness of the disappearance.

His luggage, as you may remember, was found lying unclaimed at the railway station; and there was another circumstance even more suggestive.