“But the corporation proposed by the late Lorin French,” said Lyman, “is not only unempowered to receive, it is not yet in existence as a corporation. It may never be created, and a bequest to either a natural or an artificial being, not even quickened with incipient life, not even conceived at the time of the bequest, may be questioned as of doubtful validity. But it is profitless to discuss these questions, because there is another section of the civil code which disposes completely of this so-called will. I refer to section number 1313. Thirteen is certainly an unlucky number for the workers of San Francisco. By that section it is provided that no will devising property for charitable or benevolent uses, shall be valid unless made at least thirty days before the death of the testator, and that in no event can a man bequeath more than one-third of his estate for such purpose, if he have natural heirs. It is also provided that all dispositions of property made contrary to the statute shall be void, and the property go to the residuary legatee, next of kin, or heir, according to law.” “That was one of the wise laws that the sand-lot statesmen gave us,” said Bruff, sarcastically. “Deed, and it wasn’t a sand-lot law at all,” interrupted a stalwart, red-bearded attorney with a slight Milesian accent. “It was passed away back in the seventies. Old Moriarty was down with typhoid fever, and Father Gallagher was pressin’ him every day to save his soul by lavin’ his millions to the Jesuit College and Hospital. But before the priest could get the old man in condition, Mike Moriarty slipped Nat Bronton—the king of the lobby—up to Sacramento with $20,000 rint money that Mike collected while his father was ill, and the bill was rushed through under suspinsion of the rules. Two days after the bill became a law, Father Gallagher coaxed and dhrove old Moriarty into signing a will that cut Mike off wid $50,000, and left $3,000,000 to the church, and the next week they buried the old man, with masses enough to put him through purgatory in an express train. They say that there was a scrappin’ match between Father Gallagher and Mike when the priest found that he had been outgeneraled, and Mike lost the top of his left ear, but he saved his father’s estate. Sure, the whole case is reported in the fortieth California, under the title of the Society of Jesus against Moriarty, and it decides this will of French’s sure enough.” When the ripple of laughter which this interruption provoked had subsided, Mr. Lyman resumed:— “My learned friend Casey is right, your Honor; the case he quoted does decide this one. If this will had been made more than thirty days before the death of Mr. French, it could at most have disposed of but one-third of his property. But it was made only two days before his death, and, under section 1313 of the code, is utterly void,” and the speaker resumed his seat. The Court turned to the attorney who had offered the will for probate.